Hamilton, New Zealand19 storiesLatest: 2 October 2026
The Park Journal
How-to guides, rules explained and news from the Park, written by the people who run it.
Never Played a Racket Sport? You May Learn Padel Faster
Never played tennis or squash? A Hamilton padel coach on why complete beginners can learn faster, and how to start at Padel Park.
Never Played Padel Before? Here’s Exactly What to Expect
Your first padel session at The Park, Hamilton — free 30-min intro, racket included, four people max, rallying inside your first 30 minutes.
Pickleball Rules NZ: The Kitchen, the Two-Bounce Rule and Scoring
Every pickleball rule in plain English: the kitchen, the two-bounce rule, faults and scoring. From a Hamilton coach, with indoor courts at Padel Park.
What Is DUPR? How to Get Rated for NZ Pickleball Tournaments
How DUPR works, what your number means, and how to get your first rating before an NZ tournament. Plus where to play rated games in Hamilton.
What Is Padel? Rules, Courts and Where to Play in Hamilton
Padel explained simply: the rules, the glass walls and the gear. Plus where to play in Hamilton - 3 indoor courts at The Park, open 24/7.
5 Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting Padel
The 5 mistakes new padel players make most at The Park, Hamilton — too much power, ignoring the glass, the dead zone — and exactly how to fix each.
From Tennis to Padel: A Hamilton Player's First Six Weeks
Tennis converts: padel will frustrate you for a month, then it clicks. The week-by-week transition and 4 tennis habits to unlearn first, from The Park.
Move as a Pair: The Padel Positioning Habit That Wins More Points
Two players who move as a pair beat two better hitters who do not. How to hold position, cover the middle and stop leaking points in padel doubles.
Padel Rules NZ: Serving, Walls, Scoring and the Golden Point
Every padel rule in plain English - the underhand serve, when the glass is in, lets, faults, scoring and the Golden Point. From a Hamilton coach.
Why padel and pickleball are taking over (and what we've actually seen happen in Hamilton)
Padel and pickleball aren't booming because of TikTok. They're booming because tennis stopped letting beginners rally on day one. What we see at The Park.
Americano Tournaments at Padel Park: The Most Social Way to Play Padel & Pickleball
Americano tournaments at The Park, Hamilton — partners rotate every round, you play with and against everyone. Social-first padel & pickleball events.
New to Pickleball? Here’s What to Expect at Your First Session
First pickleball session at The Park, Hamilton — free 30-min intro Fridays, paddle included, four max per coach, rallying inside ten minutes.
The 2026 NZ Pickleball Open Is Coming to Auckland — What Kiwi Players Should Know
The 2026 NZ Pickleball Open runs 28 Sep–4 Oct at Albany Sports Centre, Auckland. What the event is, who can enter, and how Hamilton players can get match-ready.
The Bandeja: The One Padel Shot That Keeps You at the Net
Learn the bandeja, padel's key overhead for answering the lob without giving up the net. A plain-English how-to from an NZ coach, with a simple practice drill.
The Biggest Beginner Pickleball Mistakes That Hold New Players Back
Five common pickleball beginner mistakes — too much power, the death grip, forgetting the double-bounce — and how to fix them at The Park, Hamilton.
The Globo: Why the Lob Is the Most Important Shot in Padel (Beginner Guide)
The globo (lob) is padel's most important beginner shot. A plain-English guide from an NZ coach on why it wins points and how to hit one that lands deep.
The Kitchen Is Where Pickleball Is Won: A Beginner's Guide to the Non-Volley Zone
New pickleball players spend their first few weeks trying to hit the ball harder. Then they run into someone twice their age who never seems to swing hard at all, and they lose 11-2.
What is Pickleball? Rules, Court, and How to Start
Pickleball explained — rules, the kitchen, gear, and where to start playing in Hamilton. The Park has three indoor pickleball courts, 24/7 via app.
Why Indoor Padel Hits Different in a Kiwi Winter
Why indoor padel quietly became Hamilton's off-season sport of choice — heated courts, lit 24/7, no rain checks. The case for playing through winter.
No posts on that topic yet.
