Padel physics: the wall joins in (3D)
About this app
A 3D padel court to FIP rules with glass back walls and mesh. The ball bounces off floor and glass and gets slower each time: drop test from 2.54 m, back-wall ball, spin on the glass, lob and bajada. Speed, energy and angles for every impact, with a comparison path without loss or without spin.
With explain mode: an AI tutor walks you through the app, points out what matters in the scene and answers your questions.
What happens on impact
When a ball hits the floor or the glass it is briefly squashed and springs back. Part of its kinetic energy is lost as heat. The coefficient of restitution e states which share of the speed perpendicular to the surface remains. The FIP padel rules require that a new ball dropped from 2.54 m bounces 1.35 to 1.45 m high, which corresponds to e ≈ 0.75. Along the surface, friction acts at the contact point. It brakes or pushes the ball and changes its spin. That is why for a ball the rebound angle is usually not equal to the angle of incidence.
What the app shows
A padel court in 3D, 20 × 10 m, with glass back walls, mesh, side walls and net to FIP dimensions. The ball flies with drag and Magnus force and leaves a track. For every impact a table lists the speed before and after, the share of energy that remains and the angles to the normal. A dashed comparison path shows the same shot without loss, like light on a mirror, or without spin.
Try it yourself
Five scenarios: drop test from 2.54 m, back-wall ball at 72 km/h, spin on the glass, a lob over the opponents at the net and a bajada. The sliders change speed, launch angle, spin and direction. At the glass you see how a slice slides down and a topspin ball comes back into the court flatter but slower. In the lob the comparison path shows that the same shot without spin flies straight into the glass.
Frequently asked questions
- How high must a padel ball bounce?
- Under the FIP rules a new ball dropped from 2.54 m onto a hard surface must bounce between 1.35 and 1.45 m high. It loses about 40 percent of its kinetic energy doing so.
- Is the angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection for a ball?
- No. Perpendicular to the wall the ball loses more speed than along it, and friction at the contact point changes speed and spin along the surface. Only a ball without loss and friction would bounce like light on a mirror.
- How big is a padel court?
- 20 m long and 10 m wide inside. The net is 0.88 m high in the centre and 0.92 m at the posts, the service lines are 6.95 m from the net. The back walls are 4 m high: 3 m of glass and 1 m of mesh.
- What can I try in this app?
- You hit the ball in five scenarios, change speed, angle and spin and read speed, energy and angles for every impact. A comparison path shows the ball without loss or without spin.
Subject: Sport & rules
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