Two questions come up after your first game of padel. Where's my nearest court? And how on earth do I book it?
This page answers both. It covers how big UK padel has got, who runs the courts, which booking app each part of the country leans on, and a hand-checked list of clubs. Every club here was checked against its own site, its booking page or the LTA. If we couldn't confirm something, we left it out.
Jump to a region: London · Essex · Hertfordshire and Berkshire · Midlands · North of England · Scotland and Wales · South and South West
UK padel in numbers
The LTA published its latest figures on 15 May 2026. They're big.
| When | Padel players in Britain |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 15,000 |
| 2023 | 129,000 |
| End of 2024 | 400,000 |
| End of 2025 | 860,000 |
| May 2026 | 1,000,000 |
There are now 1,825 courts at 551 venues. Do the maths and that's just over three courts per venue on average. So most clubs are small, and the 6pm weekday slot goes fast.
Two more numbers worth knowing. The LTA reckons two-thirds of padel players also play tennis. And its March report counted 1,676 coaches who had done the Intro to Padel Coaching course, so lessons are easier to find than they were.
One more that's handy: UK searches for padel peak in winter, not summer, according to The Padel Paper's 2026 search report. More people looking in the cold months means more people chasing indoor slots. If you want a regular winter game, sort it early.
Who runs the courts
UK padel is a mix of big chains and independents. The name over the door usually tells you how you'll book and if you'll need a membership.
- David Lloyd. Padel at many of its health clubs. The ones we checked have two or three courts. Booked through the David Lloyd app and mainly for members. Examples: Southend, Colchester, Chigwell (outdoor) and Birmingham (indoor).
- Rocket Padel. Indoor sites with a bar and a pro shop. Ilford has 12 courts, Bristol has 14, plus Beckton and Battersea. Booked on Padelmates.
- Powerleague. The five-a-side people, now adding covered padel courts to their sites. Manchester Nicholls, Birmingham, Paisley and Romford.
- Game4Padel. Smaller covered sites. The ones we checked have two or three courts, at places like Thistle in Edinburgh and Withdean in Brighton.
- Padel Social Club. Three London sites: Paddington, Earl's Court and The O2. Bars are a big part of the pitch. Booked on Playtomic.
- Padium. Canary Wharf in London and a large site in Cardiff Bay. Booked on Padelmates.
- Slazenger Padel Clubs. Leeds North has 12 indoor courts. The group also has sites in Swindon, Blackburn and Exeter.
- The Padel Hub. Slough, Whetstone in North London, Crawley, Epsom and Reading.
Then there are the independents. Stratford Padel Club, Beaulieu Padel in Chelmsford, Pure Padel in Nottingham, Club de Padel in Sheffield. They're often the ones with the most character.
Which app you'll need, region by region
There's no single UK system. Each club picks one, and you use whatever your club uses. We checked 53 clubs across Britain in October 2026 and noted how each one takes bookings. Here's the split.
| Region | Clubs checked | Playtomic | Padelmates | MATCHi | Own app, site or phone | Not confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Essex | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Herts and Berkshire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Midlands | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| North of England | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Scotland and Wales | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| South and South West | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 53 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 6 |
What that tells you:
- In the North, get Playtomic and you're nearly done. Seven of the eight Northern clubs we checked use it.
- In London, you'll want two apps. It's a near even split. Rocket Padel and Padium run on Padelmates, the Padel Social Club sites and Padel Box on Playtomic.
- Essex is the odd one out. Half the clubs we checked use their own system: David Lloyd's app, padel123 at Brentwood, Padel4all's own site in Southend, and phone or email at Prested.
A quick word on each app:
Playtomic. The one you'll meet most. Book a court from your phone, make a match public to find new partners, and let its level estimate pair you with players of a similar standard.
Padelmates. Used by Rocket Padel, Padium, Beaulieu Padel, Connect Padel Birmingham and Padel X Ponsbourne in our list. If you play at a Rocket site, this is your app.
MATCHi. A multi-sport app that covers padel, tennis, badminton, squash, pickleball and more. In our list: Epping and Ongar Padel, The Padel Barn near Market Bosworth, and Game4Padel Thistle.
Everything else. David Lloyd has its own app. Stratford Padel Club uses a club app. Bishop's Stortford uses Nettla. Edinburgh Sports Club runs its own system.
Members or pay and play? The LTA's court finder says some venues are pay and play, some need a membership, and some give members priority. The LTA court finder lets you search by postcode, town or city and shows each venue's booking details.
I've played at loads of clubs across London, Essex and Manchester, and my advice is the same everywhere: don't download every app on day one. Find your nearest club, see what it uses, and start there.
London
London has the most choice and the most even app split. Rocket Padel has Ilford (12 indoor courts), Beckton and Battersea, all on Padelmates, and so is Padium Canary Wharf. The three Padel Social Club sites and Padel Box Bermondsey book on Playtomic, as does The Padel Hub in Whetstone. Stratford Padel Club, nine indoor courts, uses its own club app. A full club by club London guide is coming.
Essex
This is home turf for us, and it's better served than people think. It's also where you're least likely to book through one of the big apps. Beaulieu Padel in Chelmsford is on Padelmates. Padel United Maldon, Padel United Chelmsford and The Essex Golf & Country Club are on Playtomic. Epping and Ongar Padel is on MATCHi. Most of the rest run their own booking, and Powerleague Romford has opened 4 covered courts. A full Essex guide is coming.
Hertfordshire and Berkshire
| Club | Area | Courts | Book on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encourt Padel & Wellness | Radlett, AL2 | 7 indoor | Playtomic |
| Bishop's Stortford Padel Club | Bishop's Stortford, CM23 | 7 | Nettla |
| Padel X Ponsbourne | Hertford, SG13 | 4 outdoor | Padelmates |
| The Padel Hub Slough | Slough, SL2 | 5 indoor | Playtomic |
Midlands
| Club | Area | Courts | Book on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Padel Derby (was We Are Padel) | Derby, DE24 | 11 indoor | Playtomic |
| Pure Padel Nottingham | NG2 | 7 indoor | Playtomic |
| Connect Padel Birmingham | Moseley | 4 covered | Padelmates |
| Powerleague Birmingham | B6 | covered courts | Playtomic |
| The Padel Barn | Market Bosworth | 3 indoor | MATCHi |
North of England
| Club | Area | Courts | Book on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slazenger Padel Clubs Leeds North | Leeds, LS14 | 12 indoor | Playtomic |
| Optimum Padel | Leeds, LS9 | 8 indoor | Playtomic |
| Club de Padel Sheffield | Sheffield, S3 | 5 indoor | Playtomic |
| Play Padel Sheffield | Sheffield, S17 | 4 indoor | Playtomic |
Manchester has its own cluster too, with Carbon Padel Club, The Padel Club Trafford City and Powerleague Manchester Nicholls all booking on Playtomic. A Manchester guide is coming.
Scotland and Wales
| Club | Area | Courts | Book on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Sports Club | Edinburgh, EH4 | 3 covered | Club system |
| Game4Padel Thistle | Edinburgh, EH14 | 2 covered | MATCHi |
| Powerleague Paisley | Paisley | 4 covered | Playtomic |
| Padium Cardiff | Cardiff Bay | 8 indoor | Padelmates |
South and South West
| Club | Area | Courts | Book on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket Padel Bristol | Bristol, BS4 | 14 indoor | Padelmates |
| Surge Padel Bristol | Bristol, BS16 | 8 indoor | Playtomic |
| The Padel Team | Easton, Bristol | 7 indoor | Playtomic |
| PadelHub SO16 | Southampton | 5 indoor | Playtomic |
| Game4Padel Withdean | Brighton | 3 covered | Check with venue |
Can't see your town? We haven't verified clubs in Newcastle, Glasgow city or Bath yet. The LTA finder will show you what's near you.
Booked in? Pack for the wait
Small venues mean tight slots. You'll often be waiting for the court before yours to finish, then standing about once your hour is up while the next four warm up. On a cold night that's when you notice what you're wearing.
That's the gap we design for. A heavyweight hoodie like the Mk1 Box Hoodie is 350 g/m2 and fleeced inside, cut oversized so it sits easily over a damp top. If your feet slide about in your shoes, grip socks are £14. And if the club's hire racket feels like a bar of soap, a pack of overgrips sorts the handle.
Then there's the drink after. Our Padel & Pints tee is named after exactly that.
More guides on the Padelism Journal.
FAQs
How many padel courts are there in the UK? The LTA counted 1,825 courts at 551 venues in May 2026, with one million people playing.
What's the most common padel booking app in the UK? In our check of 53 clubs, Playtomic came first with 24, then Padelmates with 9 and MATCHi with 3. Eleven clubs use their own app, website or phone line.
Do I need more than one booking app? Depends where you live. In the North, nearly every club we checked is on Playtomic. In London it's split between Playtomic and Padelmates, so regulars at different clubs tend to have both.
Do I need to be a member to play padel? Not always. The LTA says some venues are pay and play, some need a membership and some give members priority. David Lloyd courts are mainly for members. Check the venue before you book.
