If you have never played Padel before and want to get started then we recommend that you get going with our Intro2Padel session. This is an hour-long, coach-led session which will introduce you to all the basics of the game and get you playing rallies within 20 minutes. You will leave the session with everything you need to know to get your Padel journey off to the best possible start. Intro2Padel costs just £5, we provide rackets and balls so all you need is sensible shoes and a sense of adventure.

To get started, the first step is to download the EG Padel app to your phone from your App Store and create an account. Once you are in the app, head over to the Group Activities and look for Intro2Padel.

We are open every day from 7:30am and the lights go out at 10pm.

Prices vary depending on whether or not you have a membership and the time of day.

Non-Member pricing is £9 per person, per hour off peak and £10 peak.

Members pay £5 off peak per hour and £6 peak.

Peak court pricing is 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and 7:30am to 1:30pm at the weekend. Bank Holidays are priced at the same rates as weekends.

Remember that the vast majority of Padel matches are played for 90 minutes and most of our courts are blocked out in 90 minutes but there are some 60 minute sessions available in the middle of the day.

Padel is a whole lot more fun when you play it with people who have similar experience and ability in the game, so the sport has a well-developed framework for “levelling” players. At EGP we run centre-led levelling. This means that we offer levelling sessions where one of our coaching team will give you a playing level within our system. To join a levelling session, go to Group Activities in the EGP app and choose “Get Levelled” to see upcoming dates and times.

We follow the broad strokes that are detailed in the LTA’s levelling system which ranks players from 1 to 7 where 1 is a complete beginner and 7 is a professional Padel player. We have adapted this into a highly-detailed matrix that our coaches use to assess everyone at the centre. You can see this here.

Once you have a level in our system, you can join in with the full range of playing opportunities on offer from Open Matches with other similarl-levelled players to mix-ins, socials and coached matchplay.

We offer a range of membership options, all of which are detailed further down this page. Click here to jump to this section.

Membership reduces the cost of court fees and also gives you a longer booking window. However, you do not need to be a member to play Padel at EGP.

Anything you flipping like. This is Padel, not tennis. We have no dress code and you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in. We do ask that boys keep their shirts on - however warm you get on court - but apart from that you do you.

Shoes. Shoes are important. The courts are sanded so you need a decent grip. Ideally, you should wear Padel or Tennis shoes with a grippy sole. Please do not wear trail shoes and if possible do not wear your court shoes to get to the centre as we do not want mud and dirt on the courts.

If you want to really look the part, we have a range of EGP merch from our clothing and kit partner Y1 Sport, which you can check out here.

The EGP WhatsApp Community is the primary communication channel for the whole centre. At a minimum, we would advise players to join the correct level group and the Match Substitutions group to maximise playing opportunities.

Below is some guidance on how to use the various chat groups and we are grateful for everyone’s adherence to these guidelines which are in the interests of us all.

1.⁠ ⁠Announcements

This is the place we put out daily notifications of importance. If you read nothing else, we recommend looking at these. Only EGP can post in here, but you can reply to any post.

2.⁠ ⁠⁠Coloured Level Groups (1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4+)

Please post ONLY Open Match links in here. If the Match has been filled please do delete it to save others clicking on it only to find it filled.

3.⁠ ⁠⁠Match Substitutions

Please post ONLY Match Substitution links in here.

Bear in mind that if your game has an active substitution request from someone, it is in your interests to also work on replacing them from your network.

🚨 VERY IMPORTANT - If your request for a substitute is not getting any traction and there is SIX HOURS or less to go to the start of your game, you MUST call or message EGP so that we can try to help ensure that your playing partners are not let down 🚨

General Rules for Open Match and Substitution Channels

• No chat whatsoever in these channels. This will be deleted.
• There is a 24-hour timer on these channels which deletes messages. You should bear this in mind when posting matches and substitutions several days before the event and keep reposting each day if necessary.
•⁠ ⁠You can add comment to any link that you are posting in these groups by tapping into the message after it has been generated and before you post it. Simply tap into the message before you select where it is going.
•⁠ ⁠If you want to have a discussion with somebody about their post in a “No Chat” group, just tap and hold their message and select the option to “Reply Privately” which will open a separate conversation between the two of you.

4.⁠ ⁠The Bounce

Have at it folks. This is your town square and chat is not only permitted but encouraged. If you have a view on the new TJ Padel logo, the latest rackets, or whose balls bounce the highest this is the place. The only thing that we ask in here is no posting of links to matches, substitutions and try to stay away from anything that even has a whiff of marketing or promotion (looking at you Dr Lucy) as this will be deleted. Goes without saying, keep it respectful, lighthearted and all the things that we hope EGP is about. There is no auto-deletion set on this channel so it is a good place to do targeted search for questions you might have.

5.⁠ ⁠EGP Members

Private, hidden, group for anyone with a Membership at EGP, mainly for the purpose of communicating Member-specific information. Again, we would prefer that this group was not full of duplicate posts around substitution and open matches please, think reading room at The Garrick rather than the 1901 Club at the Amex. If you have a membership and you are not in this group, please ask one of the team to add you when you are next at the centre.

6.EGP Juniors

Formerly known as Juniors’ Parents, this is a group for parents of players who are Under 18 as we need to keep U18s outside of this WhatsApp community for safeguarding reasons. Again, this is a private group but not hidden. Anyone may apply to join it and we will accept you after some basic validation.
This group performs all the functions of the Level and Match Substitution Groups for the adult cohort in one place. So if you have a court booked with a couple of young people on it and are looking for two more to complete the court, this is the place to post the link.
As a smaller group with a common aim and interest, there is no restriction on chit-chat in here.
This is also the place that we communicate plans and hopes for the junior section at the club and we would encourage anyone with kids who are interested in playing Padel to start in this group.

For Open Matches you will need to request a substitute in the Match Substitutions WhatsApp channel and monitor this to ensure that it is filled. If you get to within 8 hours of the start time(or 12 hours for early-morning bookings), you MUST contact the office on 01342 332777 so that we can implement an emergency protocol which allows all players to be put into a group chat for the discussion of contingency options. Failure to adequately ensure that your change of plans does not adversely affect others runs the risk of making you liable for the cost of the whole court and may include extra charges to cover the cost of any staff who might have to fill in for you. Communication in a timely fashion is the key to avoiding penalties.

Whole Court Bookings must be cancelled at least 48 hours before the start of the court otherwise you may be liable for cost of the whole court.

Open Matches will automatically cancel if they are not filled 24 hours before the start time and you will be refunded your share of the court fee. However, if you have booked an Open Match and set it to private you MUST remove the private tag 48 hours before the start time if you cannot fill the match from your own contacts to allow others to help you fill it. Failure to do this and allowing the court to cancel while set as private may - at the Director of Padel’s discretion - make the lead booker liable for the cost of the whole court if it cannot be reallocated after the automatic cancellation.

Coaching sessions must be cancelled 48 hours before the start time to be refunded.

For Intro2Padel, Levellings, Mix-Ins and Socials we can be pretty flexible but please call the office on 01342 332777 as soon as possible if you need to withdraw.

What is the difference between an Open Match and a Whole Court Booking?

Open Matches are the most flexible way to book and play Padel. Anyone can create an Open Match based on their level and put it out to either their friends or the community for others to join.

Whole Court Bookings are best if you want to bring down friends to EGP who are not users of the app and you want to pay for the whole court and recover the costs (or not!) from your fellow players.

Can I play just as a pair?

You can, but Padel is essentially a doubles game and if you book a court as a pair you will be liable for all four quarters of the court even if there are only two of you.

Can I play with more than three other people?

Yes, that is absolutely no problem. We can only name four people on a court so if you come with six for example, you will need to work out how much each person pays after the four named players have covered the cost of the court.

Can I rent a racket?

Yes, we have rackets here to rent for £3 per person, per session.