Padel for beginners near me: intro sessions across the UK

You've decided to try padel. Good. Now you need somewhere that will teach you, near home, without paying for a full court and four rackets first.

Many UK clubs run an intro session for exactly this. You turn up on your own, a coach shows you the basics, and rackets are usually provided or for hire. Below is a region-by-region list of real intro sessions, what the first one costs and where you book it.

Every price was read from the club's own listing on 19 October 2026. Prices and times move, so check before you go.

The quick way to find one yourself

If your town isn't listed, three steps will get you there.

1. Find your nearest courts. The LTA's court finder searches by postcode, town or city. Open a venue to see its court details and booking information.
2. Open that club in its booking app and look at classes, not courts. Search for "Intro to Padel" or "beginner". Many clubs use Playtomic. Others use MATCHi, Padel Mates or their own app. Our booking apps guide explains which is which.
3. No class listed? Use the LTA's Find a Coach. Search your postcode, filter by Qualification, then choose Padel. Our guide to your first padel lesson explains what the hour itself looks like.

Beginner padel sessions by region

London

¡PADEL PADEL! Eltham is in the old police station on Well Hall Road, SE9. Its Intro to Padel is an hour long, takes up to eight people and costs £12.50. It's billed as a relaxed session for beginners or anyone new to the game. For the rest of the city, our guide to padel in London covers the big clubs area by area.

Essex and Hertfordshire

Padel Tree Harlow on Paringdon Road runs a 60-minute Intro To Padel for £10, with six places. Its sister site, Padel Tree @ The Hertfordshire in Broxbourne, lists the same session at the same price. Racket and ball hire is on site.

Encourt Padel & Wellness at Colney Street, near Radlett and St Albans, runs a £10 hour-long intro in groups of four. Small groups mean more balls each.

For courts across the county, see our Essex padel guide. I've played at clubs in London, Essex and Manchester, and all three have cheap intro sessions for beginners.

East of England

Cambridge University Sport is one of the cheapest starts on this list. Its Introduction to Padel costs £5 for non-members. The first half covers rules and technique, the second half is games. You book through the CamUniSport app, up to seven days ahead, and it says plainly that people who have never played are welcome.

Further north, Game4Padel at St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club lists a £5 one-hour intro with a Game4Padel coach, booked on MATCHi. Only four places, and it was full when checked on 19 October, so ask MATCHi to notify you when a place opens.

South West

Slazenger Padel Clubs Exeter at Haven Banks Retail Park lists a free Introduction to Padel for complete beginners. One hour, up to eight people, no kit needed. It covers how to hold the racket, the basic shots, serving, positioning and the simple rules.

Midlands

S3 Padel Derby sits in the Derbion shopping centre on London Road. Its Intro to Padel is an hour, £10, up to six players, with rackets and balls provided. One catch: it's cancelled if not enough people sign up, so book early and check the day before. The operator, Social Sports Society, also lists a two-hour Beginner Social for when you're ready to play games.

North West

Powerleague Bolton at Leverhulme Park opened with a free hour-long Intro to Padel, rackets and balls included, to celebrate its launch. All six places went, which tells you how fast free sessions go. Check its Playtomic page for the next intro and its price. If you're nearer the city, our Manchester padel guide lists more free and cheap intros.

North East

Powerleague Gateshead on Ropery Road is pitched squarely at new players. Its Intro to Padel is £5 for an hour, level 0 to 1.5, six places, rackets and balls free. It also runs a three-week Intro to Padel Masterclass at £5 a session for people who want more time on court. That one was fully booked.

Scotland

Soul Padel Braehead in Renfrew, next to Glasgow, runs a £10 hour-long intro for up to four people, rackets and balls included. Edinburgh players can start with the LTA's Edinburgh area guide, one of six city guides the LTA publishes.

Wales

Padelspeed runs Intro to Padel (Foundation) at Cardiff City House of Sport every Monday, 18:30 to 20:00. It's £25, the priciest here, but you get 90 minutes with an LTA-qualified coach and all equipment. No partner needed.

Northern Ireland

Kingfisher Padel Club at the Kingfisher Country Estate in Templepatrick, just outside Belfast, lists a 30-minute Intro to Padel for £5. Up to eight people, rackets and balls provided. Short and cheap, so it's an easy way to see if padel is for you.

LTA programmes worth knowing

Padel Xpress is the LTA's six-week course for beginner adults. There's no central booking page or published price. Venues and LTA Padel Instructors run it locally, so ask your nearest club whether they offer it.

For older beginners, the LTA points to sessions like Soul Timers, run by Soul Padel across its clubs, as a relaxed way in whatever your racket background.

LTA area guides exist for London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby, Edinburgh and Bristol. They list local venues and booking links.

Reading an intro listing

Four things to check before you tap book:

• Is it actually free? Free intros are often launch offers or one-off events, like Bolton's opening session. Trust the price shown when you book, not the session title.
• Is kit included? Many intros above lend rackets and balls. If the listing doesn't say, assume hire is extra.
• Is there a minimum? Some sessions cancel if too few people sign up.
• Is it full? Look for a waiting list or alert. MATCHi, for one, offers to notify you when a place opens. Free sessions especially fill fast.

What to bring

Trainers with non-marking soles, water and comfy sportswear. That's all you need for a first go. The beginner's guide to padel covers the rest.

If you go back for a second session, two small things help. Our grip socks (£14, UK 4-7 and 8-11) have a non-slip grip to reduce movement inside the shoe. And once you buy your own racket, a fresh overgrip (3-pack £7) gives the handle a new, sweat-absorbing grip. For the drive home, The Essentials covers the off-court side: the Mk1 Box Hoodie, fleece joggers, a sweatshirt and a heavyweight tee. UK delivery is free on orders of £75 and over.

FAQ

How do I find padel for beginners near me if nothing is listed? Use the LTA court finder to get your nearest venues, then message the club and ask when the next intro or beginner class runs. If they don't run one, the LTA's Find a Coach tool lists padel-qualified coaches by postcode.

Are free intro sessions really free? Some are. Slazenger Padel Clubs Exeter listed a £0 intro with no kit needed. Powerleague Bolton's free intro was a one-off for its opening, and it filled up. Treat free sessions as offers that come and go, and check the price shown when you book.

What should I book after my intro session? Look for the next rung at the same club. S3 Padel Derby's operator lists a two-hour Beginner Social, played as an Americano. Powerleague Gateshead runs a three-week Intro to Padel Masterclass at £5 a session. Cambridge University Sport's group coaching starts from £12 a person, from beginner level up.

How long is a padel intro session? Most of the sessions above run for an hour. Kingfisher's is a quick 30 minutes, and Padelspeed's Cardiff session is 90. If you just want to see if you like it, a short one is a cheap way to find out.