To market a padel club, sell the first game before you sell the membership. Run intro sessions, show first-timers how the game works in short videos, pre-sell founding memberships before you open, and get new players into leagues fast so they keep coming back.
I think padel clubs have to sell the first game, not the membership. Almost nobody has played it yet.
How big is padel in North America?
Small but growing fast. SFIA measured US padel for the first time in 2025 and counted about 1.07 million players, of whom about 238,000 played 8 or more times. The US Padel Association says the country passed 1,000 padel courts in April 2026. Most Americans still haven't tried it, which is the opportunity and the challenge.
Compare that with pickleball's 24.3 million US players in 2025. Padel is where pickleball was a few years ago: people are curious, but they need a reason to book the first court.
Why is padel harder to market than pickleball?
Because people don't know what it is. Pickleball has public courts in most towns, so new players have often tried it before they walk into a club. Padel mostly lives in private clubs, so your marketing has to explain the game, make the first session feel easy and give people a reason to come back. That's three jobs before you ever sell a membership.
It also costs more. In our survey of 27 pickleball and padel clubs, where one club priced both sports, padel cost about 1.3 to 2 times as much as pickleball. People will pay that, but only once they know they like it.
How do you get people to try padel?
Make the first session cheap, social and coached. A 60 to 90 minute intro with a coach, rackets and balls included, and other beginners in the room, removes every excuse. Then film it. A 30-second reel of four first-timers laughing through their first rally sells the next session better than any explainer.
What works as a first step:
- Intro clinics for complete beginners, with gear included.
- Bring-a-friend nights where members bring someone new.
- Pickleball and tennis crossovers. Offer existing racquet players a "try padel" session.
- Corporate team sessions, which bring four new players at once.
Should a new padel club sell founding memberships?
Yes, if you can. A capped founding membership with a locked rate gives you cash and a committed core before you open. Padel + Pickle near St. Louis sold founding memberships before opening, held a private Founder's Weekend that about 70 people attended, and drew 400 to 500 people to its open house, the founder told The Padel State in March 2024.
How I'd run it:
- Cap it (50 to 100 spots is common in our survey) and show how many are left.
- Lock the rate for as long as they stay.
- Give founders something only they get: a private preview, early booking or a name on the wall.
How do you keep padel players coming back?
Get them into a league or a regular group in their first month. Padel is played in pairs, so a player who has a partner and a weekly slot has two reasons to show up. Interclub leagues are starting too: the National Padel League had nearly 2,000 players in its first season, according to the US Padel Association.
The retention plan:
- Week 1: a follow-up message after the intro, with the next beginner session.
- Week 2 to 4: a level-matched social mixer or a beginner league.
- Day 30: a member offer for anyone who's played three times.
- Every season: a club tournament people can film and share.
What content should a padel club post?
Content that teaches and shows the fun. Most of your audience has never played, so short videos explaining the walls, the serve and the scoring work alongside rallies, member stories and league nights. Real players on your courts beat stock footage every time.
A weekly mix:
- One "how padel works" clip (the walls, the serve, scoring).
- One rally or highlight from members.
- One first-timer story.
- One post about what's on this week: intro sessions, leagues, socials.
How should a padel club price memberships?
Price on access, not just hours. Booking windows, included sessions and priority for leagues are what regular players pay for. In our survey, padel memberships were more often sold as passes or credits (a set number of games) than as unlimited plans, which suits a sport where people are still deciding how often they'll play.
The full pricing breakdown, including real padel ladders, is in our free club playbook.
How to fill your pickleball and padel club
Free, and every chapter ends with something to do on Monday. Real pricing from real clubs, a 12-month calendar and the plays that turn first visits into members.
Questions, answered
How do you market a padel club?
Sell the first game before the membership. Run coached intro sessions, film first-timers, pre-sell founding memberships before you open, and get new players into leagues in their first month.
How many people play padel in the US?
About 1.07 million Americans played padel in 2025, SFIA's first measurement, and about 238,000 played 8 or more times. The US passed 1,000 padel courts in April 2026.
Should a padel club sell founding memberships?
If you can. A capped founding membership with a locked rate builds a committed core and cash before opening. Caps of 50 to 100 spots are common.
How do you keep new padel players?
Get them a partner and a weekly slot in their first month, through beginner leagues or level-matched socials, and follow up after every intro session.
