How to Get Pickleball Players to Come Back to Your Club

Pickleball players come back when they have a specific reason and a specific date to return. To get more repeat play, a club owner can do five things. Count how often players actually return, follow up with first-timers within a day, and ask quiet regulars what changed before offering a discount. Then give lapsed players a small welcome-back reason, and send each type of player its own invite instead of one promo for everyone.

This guide covers each step, with a worked example and a one-week plan. It is written for court owners and club managers across Asia, and every step works with a sign-in sheet and a spreadsheet.

What counts as a regular pickleball player?

A regular is a player who plays at your club at a set frequency you choose, such as at least once a week. It is not the same as a player you recognize. Many clubs have "familiar faces": players the staff greet by name who only play a few times a month.

The difference matters because your retention plans depend on it. If you count familiar faces as regulars, you will think your repeat play is healthier than it is.

Example: two players both get a wave at the desk. One played twice this month. The other played eight times. Same greeting, very different habit.

Try this: pick ten players you know by face. Count how many times each one played this month, using your open play check-in sheet or booking records. Then decide your own definition of a regular and write it down.

Related: Regular players or just familiar faces?

How do you measure repeat play at a pickleball club?

Measure repeat play by tracking how many players from one session play again within a set number of days. We call this your repeat-play rate. It is more useful than total attendance because a busy session shows demand, not habit.

How to calculate it:

1. Take the player list from one session, for example last Saturday's open play.
2. Count how many of those players played again within seven days.
3. Divide the returning players by the total players.

In this example, the club looked full. But 34 of the 40 players had no next game planned. The fix the example club tried was one midweek invite, said at the desk before players left: a named day, a time, and an easy yes.

Repeat the count every week for the same session. The trend tells you more than any single week.

Related: A busy weekend isn't a repeat-play strategy

How do you get first-time pickleball players to come back?

Send first-time players a short, personal follow-up within one day of their first game, with a real date to return. Most first-timers do not come alone. A friend brings them. If nobody follows up, their second visit depends on that friend's schedule.

A follow-up message has four parts:

1. Their name and a moment from the game. "Great rally at the net, Sam."
2. A real date. "Beginner open play is Thursday at 7 PM."
3. Their friend. "Bring Jo again. We'll put you on the same court."
4. One easy yes. "Reply YES and we'll save you both a spot."

Only message players who agreed to be contacted, for example with a checkbox on the sign-in sheet. Check the privacy and messaging rules that apply in your country.

Write the message once and send it to every first-timer. Then count two things: who replies, and who plays a second time.

Related: How to follow up with first-time pickleball players

What should you do when a regular player stops showing up?

Find out why the player stopped before you offer them anything. A discount fixes a price problem. Most quiet regulars have a different problem.

Check four things first:

1. Their group. Did their usual partners stop coming too?
2. Their time slot. Did a schedule change move their game?
3. Their last session. Were there long waits or mismatched games?
4. A new court nearby. Is it closer, or cheaper?

Then ask them directly, in one short message: "We miss you on Tuesdays. Everything okay?" Their answer tells you what to fix. A player who lost their group needs a new group, not a discount.

To notice sooner, keep a list of regulars who have not played in two weeks, and review it every week.

Related: A regular stopped showing up. What do you check?

Do welcome-back rewards bring players back?

Small welcome-back rewards can increase return visits, but the effect may fade once the reward stops. The best evidence comes from gyms, not pickleball, so treat it as an idea to test at your club.

In a 2021 study published in Nature, researchers tested 54 different four-week programs on 61,293 members of a US gym chain. The best-performing program gave members a very small reward for returning after a missed workout. About 45% of the programs increased weekly gym visits during the program, but only 8% had a measurable effect after it ended. The authors also note that the top results are probably overstated. (Milkman et al., Nature, 2021)

What this suggests for a club:

• Make the reward small, and tie it to playing again soon, for example "miss a week, get a small perk if you play the following week."
• Keep it running as a standing rule rather than a one-time promo, since effects tended to fade when rewards stopped.
• Measure it with your repeat-play rate before and after.

Related: What gyms teach pickleball clubs about attendance

Why should different players get different invites?

Different players return for different reasons, so one promo for everyone is easy to ignore. Sorting players into a few groups lets you send each group a reason that fits.

These groups are a starting point, not a rule. Your club may have others, such as competitive players or league teams.

Try this: sort ten players you know into these groups. Write one invite for each group instead of one for everyone.

Related: Why different players need different reasons to return

What can a club do in its first week?

A club can start in one week with a sign-in sheet, a spreadsheet and a phone. Here is one way to schedule it:

1. Day 1: Write down your definition of a regular. Pick ten familiar faces and count their visits this month.
2. Day 2: Calculate your repeat-play rate for your busiest session.
3. Day 3: Write your first-timer follow-up message and add a contact-permission checkbox to your sign-in sheet.
4. Day 4: List regulars who have not played in two weeks. Send each one a short check-in.
5. Day 5: Sort ten players into groups and write one invite per group.
6. Day 7: Note your numbers. Repeat the count next week for the same session.

Results vary by club, city and country. The point of the first week is to get a baseline you can compare against.

How can repickleball help a club run this?

repickleball is a platform that lets a club run memberships, prepaid credits and rewards from one dashboard, alongside its current booking tool. The team sets up the club page, packages and offers with the owner, who approves everything before players see it. Take the 2-minute fit check.

For the business side of offers, read the companion guide: How to run prepaid credits and promos at a pickleball club.

Frequently asked questions

How often does a player need to play to count as a regular?

There is no standard number. Pick a frequency that fits your club, such as once a week, write it down, and use it every time you count.

How soon should I follow up with a first-time player?

Within one day of their first game, while the experience is still fresh. Only message players who agreed to be contacted.

Should I offer a discount to a regular who stopped coming?

Ask first. Check their group, time slot, last session and nearby competition, then send a short message asking what changed. Offer something only if the answer points to it.

Do I need software to track repeat play?

No. An open play sign-in sheet and a spreadsheet are enough to count visits and calculate a repeat-play rate. Software can save time as a club grows.