FAQ
THE BASICS | COACHING | BOOKING | PAYMENT | GENERAL | BOX LEAGUES | SOCIALS | WHATSAPP | PADEL LEVEL
THE BASICS
How do I get started
Anyone can sign up on a pay-and-play basis and then book a court to play with friends and family or join a social or coaching session.
If you wish to become a member fill out our membership form (optional).
- Download the app. Just search for Sevenoaks Padel. Alternatively, click “book” on the main menu of the Sevenoaks Padel website.
- Socials, coaching and courts are all booked in our app or via the website.
Where are you?
The club is located at Polhill Garden Centre on London Road near Sevenoaks in Kent. The postcode is TN14 7AD. Knockholt (1.7 miles) and Sevenoaks (4.5 miles) are the nearest train stations.
Can I hire rackets and balls?
You can hire rackets and buy balls all via the app or website. We have a vending machine on order but in the meantime please contact us via WhatsApp or email to arrange collection of the balls and bats. You will pay at the machine. For intro sessions, kit will be included.
How much does it cost?
For pay and play prices per person per hour start at £6 off-peak and £7.50 peak. There are memberships that will provide discounts and enable you to book further in advance please see the join page for more information. Coaching is £12 per hour for a group session.
Are there any rules on footwear and court usage?
Please do not climb over the net, it is a sure way to get injured and stretch the net cable.
As well, the area is still being landscaped – please avoid mud on your padel shoes by walking to the courts in normal shoes and changing outside the courts on our (somewhat cold) metal benches.
If you hit a ball into a muddy area (West field or South tree area) – please leave it and claim a replacement from us. Alternatively, retrieve it after your game once you have changed shoes.
What do I do if I see something that needs attention?
Maintenance: if you see something that doesn’t look right please let us know (a stitch in time…).
What are the peak and off-peak times?
Off-Peak weekday 07:00-17:00
Peak weekday 17:00-23:00
Off- Peak weekends: 17:00-23:00
Peak weekends: 07:00-17:00
COACHING
What coaching do you provide?
If you are completely new to padel we recommend our Intro to Padel session where we walk through all the rules and the basics of the main shots and tactics. For this session balls and rackets are included.
For those that have played before but still are yet to get the hang of it all we have beginner coaching (level is less than 2). The next step up is improver (level 2 to 3). We also have intermediate (level 3 to 4) coaching for those already playing to a decent standard. For more details on levels please see the end of this page.
Junior and advanced sessions will be coming soon. Watch this space!
How much does coaching cost?
Coaching is £12 per hour for a group session.
BOOKING
How do I book and arrange a match?
You can download the app (search Sevenoaks Padel) or click book on the website.
There are two options:
1. Book a court and select the players you are playing
2. Arrange an open match and invite others to join
Bookings – the whole court is paid upfront by the person booking from their Wallet Balance. Please select your players if they are members to get their member rate. If you don’t select this upfront it can’t be changed. Players can reimburse the booker via a “Balance Transfer” in the App (or bank transfer, cash on the day or a beer). Please note, players cannot be added afterwards, so add other members as friends before booking a court.
Matches – we are part of the “Play! System”. Create a new Match or join one. Matches automatically split the cost. Players joining a Match will need to pay their share from their Wallet Balance.
There are three options:
Open: Matches are by default “Open” and anyone on the app can join. Set the level range to ensure similar abilities.
Friends: Alternatively restrict it to your “Friends” by selecting the checkbox. “Friends” means it is visible to your friends as per their membership privileges.
Private: Alternatively restrict it to specific people by selecting the checkbox.
“Private” means you have to “share” the match (DM via email/WA) and each person has to accept and then pay.
Will there be a limit on the number of open bookings per person?
We will need to assess how things go. We do have some limits in mind but if the courts aren’t busy we’d love people to play all day. What we don’t want is members booking lots of times and then cancelling. So there will be cancellation policies in place.
Are the courts booked in 1 hour intervals?
Courts can be booked in 60/90/120 minute blocks. Note that all bookings after 5pm are 90 minute slots by default.
PAYMENT
How does the payment work?
Once you have registered for the app or via the main menu on the website (sevenoakspadel.co.uk) you can add money to your wallet to be able to book courts. Select the amount you wish to add and then pay via card.
Click on your Profile > Balance > 3 dots > Balance recharge > choose the amount (click “add £24 to balance” for the full dropdown list). If you would like to add a different amount – please do a bank transfer and DM us.
If I am a member and book the court, do I pay the full amount and collect from the others privately?
Everyone in the club has to sign up to the app or via the main menu on the website (sevenoakspadel.co.uk). So, when you book a court, you assign it to your other 3 padelistas
(you have to be friends), and it calculates the amount they owe depending on their membership. They can then transfer the amount to you directly or use the app/website to send the money to your wallet.
Everyone’s cost will be split, and that split depends on their membership.
Is there a direct debit option for installments?
No this is all done on cards.
GENERAL
When do you plan to build the additional courts?
Planning is now in for the “Centre of Excellence” – 6 indoor courts, clubhouse, gym, function rooms, soft play, and showers.
I am the only one who plays in my friend group, how do I make a 4?
We have a great community of padel enthusiasts who would be keen to play with someone new! A lot of the time there will be a spare space you can fill. The App provides for “Open Matches” where you can join others or book a court and allow others to join you.
What is your cancellation policy?
You can cancel a booking online at any time.If you cancel more than 48 hours before play, any money paid will be credited to your club wallet. If you cancel within 48 hours of play, no refund or credit will be given. In cases of inclement weather, any credit is at the discretion of the Club.
BOX LEAGUES
How do the box leagues work?
Layout:
- The leagues start the week commencing 13 January 2025. 6 pairs per box.
- Initially, 2 go up and 2 go down while we sort out levelling.
- We will have a men’s, mixed and women’s league. These will vary according to level.
- You are allowed to enter more than one league, but not more than once in each.
- Pairs will need to play their games for typically 6 weeks (which may differ in length depending on the number of pairs).
- Match results should be logged once the game has finished.
I need a partner how do I go about finding one?
If you need a partner, contact one of the WhatsApp Admins! We will run find a partner session to try and help as well.
How do I register for box leagues?
Please register using this link. We will create the boxes once everyone has registered.
https://app.padellevels.io/join?community=200-407
Feel free to ignore any squash related emails as they are still porting the code base to padel.
What is Padel Friday?
Our socials started on a Friday but have now expanded to being multiple sessions over the course of a week. Padel Friday is a social evening between a mixed 14-20 people.
You are guaranteed 2×30 or 3×20 minute games, with time to socialise in between.
All abilities are welcome! We have certain games tailored to each level and our admins are able to guide on your level.
We provide new balls for each Friday and you do not need to arrange a partner as we will team you up on the day.
How do I sign up for a social?
This is all done through the app (search for Sevenoaks Padel in your app store). Alternatively click on book on the Sevenoaks Padel website.
Which WhatsApp group should I be on?
We have created a WhatsApp community for padel enthusiasts in Sevenoaks and surrounds. The WA groups are used to organise games, discuss padel and connect with other players. Below is a summary of the groups we run and their purpose. Register with us to sign up!
Sevenoaks Padel (7oP) Community
1. 7oP Padel Friday
For Friday socials (and other days now too)
2. 7oP General Chat
For talking all things padel. We suggest you mute this group as it does get busy. Please Please consider if your query is personal / app / booking related and post that on App Help or DM one of the admins. Please organise games in the groups below.
3. 7oP Club Update
(Broadcast only for important club updates) – For those interested in our project to bring state-of-the-art courts to Sevenoaks.
4. 7oP Improver 0~2
Organise games with those of a similar level.
5. 7oP Intermediate 2~3.5
Organise games with those of a similar level.
6. 7oP Coaching
All things coaching related
7. 7oP Ladies
A ladies-only group for players of any level wishing to organise games.
8. 7oP Off-topic
For everything NOT padel/club related (pictures of cute doggo’ etc)
PADEL LEVEL
How do I get a padel level to start?
We provide a levelling session so that we can provide you with a level. This is one hour and costs £10 per person. Please book on the app. Detail on levels is provided at the end of this page.
How does my level change?
We have teamed up with iPadel and PadelLevels to run the box league. PadelLevels will run on a dynamic rating system, similar to its predecessor squash levels. Your level change will depend on the results of competitive matches.
SOCIALS