FAQS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT NORFOLK PADEL
FAQ CATEGORIES
- All
- BOOKING A COURT?
- COACHING
- CONNECT & PLAY
- FACILITIES
- MEMBERSHIP
- OPENING HOURS?
- PADEL LEVELS
- USING THE PADEL MATES APP
- WHAT IS PADEL?
Padel is a fun and fast-paced racket sport that blends elements of tennis, squash, and badminton. It’s played on a small, enclosed court, about one-third the size of a tennis court, and is usually played in doubles. Players use solid, stringless rackets and serve underarm diagonally. The ball can bounce off walls or fences, and players can hit it off the walls before returning it over the net. Scoring is the same as tennis.
Padel is easy to pick up and suits players of all ages and skill levels, making it incredibly inclusive. Its social nature allows you to meet new people, play with friends, and stay active—all while having fun.
Padel was invented in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera in Acapulco, Mexico. The first courts were built in Marbella, Spain, in 1974. Today, Spain boasts nearly 16,000 courts, and the sport is also hugely popular in Italy (7,000 courts) and Sweden (4,000 courts). In countries where padel is well-established, there’s roughly one court per 3,000 people. The UK, however, still has around 120,000 people per court—making Norfolk Padel proud to bring this growing sport to our community.
You can book courts easily on your phone through the Padel Mates app. Choose to pay for the entire court or just your share of it.
No, everyone can book a court. However, members enjoy discounted rates and longer booking windows.
- Members: £7.50 per person (£30 for a full court).
- Non-members: £10 per person (£40 for a full court).
Our courts are open 7 AM – 10 PM, seven days a week.
Members can book up to 14 days in advance. Non-members can book up to 5 days in advance.
Yes, during January and February 2025, we’re offering complimentary use of the Club’s rackets. From March onwards, rackets will be available for hire or purchase via our vending machine. You are welcome to use the club’s balls which are available next to the court. You can also buy a fresh, new tube of balls from the Club. The vending machine will sell tubes of balls but until then you can buy them directly in the Club.
On a Mobile or Tablet device, Click here to download the Padel Mates app.
Choose the “Split Payment” option in the app. Padel Mates charges 25p for use of the Split Payment feature.
Select a time, choose “Split Payment,” and use the “Add Players” feature to invite up to three people. If they don’t join, you’ll need to cover their share, but you can arrange repayment privately. Padel Mates charges 25p for use of the Split Payment feature.
Choose a time, select “Split Payment,” pay your share, and leave the game open for others to join via the app. Padel Mates charges 25p for use of the Split Payment feature.
Go to the Activities tab to find open matches labelled “Padel Match” or “Friendly Padel Match,” and send a request to join.
Yes. Use the Activities tab to set up tournaments, including formats like “Americano,” where players rotate partners and earn individual points in a dynamic, round-robin style.
An “Americano” is a fun, social tournament format where players are randomly paired with a new partner for each match, ensuring everyone plays with and against all participants. Points are earned individually based on performance, creating a balanced, round-robin competition. Matches are shorter, making them dynamic and accessible for all.
The Padel Mates app uses a player rating system to help match you with players of a similar skill level, ensuring enjoyable and competitive games. As the club continues to grow, the levels within the app will quickly evolve and we are confident people will find a level where they are happy and, if they want, can improve from.
Padel is a highly social sport, but coordinating games can sometimes be tricky. Whether you’re looking to play with friends or meet new players, the easiest ways to connect are:
- Via the Padel Mates app – Create or join matches easily.
- Through our WhatsApp groups – Check out our “Connect & Play” section for details.
Yes! We’ve set up groups for club updates, match coordination, and building a strong padel community. Visit our “Connect & Play” section to join. WhatsApp groups are governed by a Code of Conduct.
Sign up via the Padel Mates app on Mobile or Tablet devices
- Adults: £432/year or £40/month (6-month minimum contract).
- Juniors (under 18): £120/year.
- 25% off court hire.
- Advance booking (14 days vs. 5 days for non-members).
- Exclusive members-only events and free coaching sessions.
The member must be present to validate the discount. Norfolk Padel took the decision for Members to be able to discount the whole court rather than just their share of the court. This is not the norm in the world of padel. Typically, members are given a discounted rate for their share of the court only. If we felt members were abusing their membership by booking for other people, we would have to change the pricing model to one which only discounted a member’s share of the court.
Not currently. But, if you are planning to play with family members, then it makes sense to buy one membership and therefore benefit from the discounted court for you and your family.
We offer Group Sessions and Private Sessions. Group Sessions are for up to 10 people. Spots on Group Sessions are scheduled and bookable in the Padel Mates app. Timings for these sessions will be subject to change depending on demand. If you haven’t got the Padel Mates app, Click here to download the Padel Mates app. Private lessons are available every day, subject to coach and court availability.
The general availability of our coaches is as follows although this includes times in which they may also be coaching Group sessions.
Monday: 8AM – 5PM
Tuesday: 8AM – 12PM
Wednesday: 8AM – 12PM and 2.30PM – 6PM
Thursday: 8AM – 12PM and 5PM – 7.30PM
Friday: 8AM -10.30AM and 3.30PM – 6.30PM
Saturday: 9AM – 1PM (9-10AM <12-year-old children)
Sunday: 9AM – 1PM (9-10AM 9–13-year-old children)
Group sessions are generally £15pp with a 10% discount for Members. We are also offering Adult Taster sessions at £5pp and Intro to Padel Sessions for smaller groups of children at £7.50pp. Private sessions are available from £20pp but the price depends on the number of you taking the lesson. These sessions are best enjoyed (and are most cost effective) with 3-4 friends. A lesson is best suited to game play when it is made up of four people, including or excluding the coach. A private lesson 1-1 is £60, for two of you it is £35pp, the price for three of you is £27pp and the price for a four-person lesson is £20pp. All coaching prices include the cost of court hire, racket and ball hire and the cost of coaching.
Spots on Group Sessions are scheduled, bookable and payable in the Padel Mates app. Click here to download the Padel Mates app. Timings for these sessions will be subject to change depending on demand.
You can make arrangements by contacting the Club at info@norfolkpadel.co.uk or do feel free to contact the team of coaches directly if you have their details. Once a Private Session is confirmed with the club, a payment link will be sent to you via the Padel Mates app. Click here to download the Padel Mates app.
We will aim to do them about once a fortnight.
At this stage, we are generally offering open group sessions for all levels and feel a lot can be learned whatever your previous experience. However, as more and more people come to the club and differing levels evolve, we will be broadly scheduling sessions based on the padel levels (1-10). We will be establishing various Norfolk Padel WhatsApp groups for different levels which you can choose to join and which we hope will make sure you are able to quickly grab a spot on any of the sessions you like the look of.
It’s not quite as simple as that. There will be the opportunity for private lessons to happen in the evening. However, it is important for us to keep these peak hours available for people who just want to come and book a court.
Yes, there are two changing rooms and three shower rooms.
A café and bar are in the works, with plans for simple street food nights from local suppliers.
This is expected to launch in Spring 2025.
We’ve designed unique, glare-free lighting to enhance your playing experience without leaving you exhausted or distracted.
