If you have driven past a sports hall in Woking on a Tuesday evening and spotted a group of people throwing a ball at a tall orange post, you have already seen korfball in action. It is one of the few mixed-gender team sports in the world, played by two teams of eight, four men and four women on each side. The rules are built so that everyone gets involved, and the game rewards clever movement and quick passing rather than raw size or speed.
That makes it a brilliant fit for adults who have drifted away from competitive sport, for students coming home for the holidays, and for anyone who wants a proper workout without the intimidation of a traditional football or netball club. The best part is that grassroots korfball in and around Woking is genuinely welcoming to complete beginners. You do not need to be tall, fast or experienced. You just need to turn up.
The first practical step is simply locating a session. Woking sits in a busy corridor of Surrey korfball, with clubs across the surrounding towns and plenty of activity in nearby leisure centres and school sports halls. A few good places to look:
Most clubs run an open beginner session once a week, usually indoors between September and April, moving outdoors to a hard court or pitch in the summer. Send a quick message before you go, so someone knows to expect you and can put a ball in your hand the moment you walk in.
A typical beginner session starts with a warm-up and some passing drills, then moves into a coached game with simplified rules. You will learn the two core ideas of korfball surprisingly quickly. First, you can only defend a player of the same sex, which keeps the match-ups fair and means you are never left chasing someone twice your size. Second, you cannot shoot if you are being defended closely by someone of your own sex, so the game becomes a puzzle of creating space.
The korf itself is a bottomless basket mounted on a 3.5-metre post, and shooting from distance is a real skill. Do not worry if your first ten shots miss. Coaches expect that, and they will show you the technique: a balanced stance, a quick release and a soft, arcing shot. Sessions usually last around ninety minutes, finishing with a friendly match and, often, a trip to a nearby pub.
One of the nicest things about grassroots korfball is how little you need to get started. Most clubs have spare balls and bibs, and many will lend you a ball to practise with between sessions.
If you decide to stick with it, you might eventually buy your own ball and a club shirt. Neither is needed in week one.
Consistency matters far more than natural talent. Turning up every week for two months will teach you more than any amount of YouTube watching. Ask questions during drills, and pair up with more experienced players during practices. The mixed format means you will quickly build friendships across the club, not just with people in your own team.
Once you are comfortable, look for local league fixtures, friendly matches and tournaments. Woking's position in Surrey makes it easy to reach fixtures in Guildford, Woking and the surrounding area, and clubs often car-share. If you enjoy coaching or organising, there are also volunteering roles that keep grassroots sport alive.
Starting a new sport as an adult can feel daunting, but korfball is unusually kind to beginners. The rules protect you, the clubs need players, and the community is small enough that you will be remembered by name after your first visit. Pick one local session, send a message, and turn up in trainers with a water bottle. You will almost certainly leave having laughed, sweated and made a few new friends. Woking's grassroots korfball scene is waiting, and the korf is already up.
Woking Korfball Club shares practical, down-to-earth guidance on grassroots korfball and community sport in woking for readers across the UK.
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