Virgin Active Clearview Brentwood

Virgin Active’s Clearview health club in West Horndon, on the edge of Brentwood, has installed four indoor padel courts built with Game4Padel, giving Essex members a second Virgin Active padel option alongside the existing Chiswick Riverside club. Courts are bookable through the Virgin Active app, and the site offers coaching alongside social sessions and events. The club sits about a mile from an unrelated, independently run Brentwood Padel Club on Childerditch Lane, so the two should not be confused despite sharing a town name. Clearview also houses a wider health club with pools, tennis and gym facilities.

New to padel? What you need for your first session

Most UK padel venues hire rackets by the hour, so you do not need to buy anything before your first game. Check this club’s booking page for hire availability and prices.

Once you have played a few times and want your own kit, this is the order we would buy in.

• Court shoes first. Clubs hire rackets, they do not hire shoes, and running trainers slide on padel courts. This is the single purchase that most improves your first month. See our best padel shoes for UK players.
• Then a racket. Once your technique has settled you will know whether you want control or power. Start with our best beginner padel rackets, or read how to choose your first padel racket.
• Balls last. Most clubs provide balls for casual sessions. When you start playing regularly, see our best padel balls for UK courts.

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Never played before? Read the rules of padel and how padel differs from tennis before you turn up.

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