How to Hit a Backhand in Padel: Groundstroke Basics

If the forehand is the shot new padel players over-hit, the backhand is the one they avoid entirely. Watch a beginner rally and you'll see it: a frantic shuffle to wrap a forehand around a ball that landed on the backhand side, contact made late and off-balance, the point given away. The backhand isn't harder than the forehand — it just gets less practice, because everyone hides it. Stop hiding it, give it the same handful of repeatable habits you gave your forehand, and it becomes one of the steadiest shots you own.

This guide walks through the grip, the swing, the choice between one and two hands, and the part that trips up most newcomers: playing the backhand after it rebounds off the back glass.

The Backhand: Padel's Most Avoided Shot

Here's the mindset shift. In padel, points are won by being consistent and patient, not by blasting winners. The backhand is a defensive and rally-building tool first — its job is to keep the ball deep, low, and in play until you earn a better ball at the net. You don't need a tennis-style topspin drive. You need a compact, controlled stroke that you can repeat a hundred times without breaking down. Once you accept that the backhand is about reliability rather than power, the technique gets much simpler.

Grip and Stance

Use the continental grip — the same neutral, shake-hands-with-the-handle grip you use for most padel shots, including your forehand and volleys. One grip for everything means no fumbling to switch mid-rally, which matters when the ball comes fast.

The stance is where the backhand is won or lost:

• Turn your shoulders sideways. As soon as you read the ball coming to your backhand, rotate so your hitting shoulder points roughly at the side wall. This coil is your power source — far more than your arm.
• Step across with your front foot. For a right-hander, the right foot steps slightly toward the ball, closing your stance and giving you a stable base.
• Bend your knees and stay low. Most backhands sit low, especially off the glass. Get your body down to the ball instead of reaching down with the racket.
• Use your non-dominant hand. Even if you hit one-handed, keep your free hand on the throat of the racket during the takeback. It helps you turn, sets the racket, and keeps you balanced.

The Swing, Step by Step

Backswing

Keep it short. Take the racket back and slightly up, with the head no higher than your shoulder. A long, looping backswing is the single most common reason backhands arrive late. Think "set, don't wind up." Your shoulder turn does most of the work of loading the shot, so the arm just needs to position the racket.

Contact Point

Make contact slightly in front of your body, out toward your lead foot — not next to your hip and never behind you. Keep the wrist firm and the racket face slightly closed (tilted a touch downward) so the ball stays low over the net rather than ballooning up. Watch the ball all the way onto the strings. A firm wrist at contact is what separates a controlled backhand from a wristy, unpredictable one.

Follow-Through

Swing through toward your target and let the racket finish out in front, pointing where you want the ball to go. A clean follow-through keeps the ball's direction honest and stops you from decelerating — that last-second "ease off" is what dumps backhands into the net. Keep it smooth; you're guiding the ball, not hitting it.

One-Handed vs Two-Handed Backhand

Both work in padel, and the right answer depends on your background:

• One hand is the more common choice and gives you far better reach — essential when a ball pops off the glass behind you or you're stretched wide. Most defensive and glass backhands are played one-handed, often with a slice for control.
• Two hands offers more stability and power on fast, body-height balls, and feels natural if you're coming from tennis. The trade-off is reach: with both hands on the grip you simply can't extend as far, which hurts on deep glass rebounds.

A practical middle ground that many players land on: hit two hands when you have time and the ball sits up, and release to one hand when you're reaching or playing off the back wall. Note that the two-handed contact point sits a touch further back than the one-handed version, so adjust your spacing accordingly.

Hitting the Backhand Off the Glass

This is where the backhand earns its keep. When a ball passes you and rebounds off the back glass, panic is the enemy. The fix is a routine:

1. Track the ball to the wall, then turn and follow it back out. Don't face the glass — get sideways early so you're ready to swing forward, not scrambling.
2. Let it drop. Give the rebound time to come down off the glass into your comfortable contact zone, around waist height. Rushing the ball at its highest point is what causes mishits.
3. Stay calm and reset. You don't have to do anything fancy off the glass. A deep, controlled backhand back to the opponents' baseline resets the point and buys you time to recover position.

If reading rebounds still feels like guesswork, spend a session on the wall specifically — our guide to using the glass walls breaks down the angles.

Common Backhand Mistakes (and Fixes)

• Late contact. Caused by a slow turn or a long backswing. Fix: shoulders sideways the instant you read the ball; shorten the takeback.
• Floating the ball up. An open racket face sends easy balls to the net player. Fix: close the face slightly and keep the wrist firm at contact.
• Reaching instead of moving. Stretching the arm out while your feet stay planted kills both balance and power. Fix: take small adjustment steps and get your body to the ball.
• Decelerating at impact. Tentative players slow down and dump it in the net. Fix: commit to a smooth follow-through toward the target every time.

These show up on nearly every beginner's scorecard — see more in our roundup of common padel mistakes.

Drills to Groove Your Backhand

Repetition is everything with the backhand, and you don't need a coach to get it:

• Cross-court backhand rallies. With a partner, hit only backhands diagonally to each other. The cross-court target gives you the longest, safest margin and builds rhythm fast.
• Alternating forehand/backhand off the wall. Solo, hit one forehand, one backhand against a practice wall, over and over. It trains your grip, your turn, and your footwork between sides all at once.
• Glass rebound feeds. Have a partner feed balls past you into the back glass so you can practice the track-turn-let-it-drop routine until it's automatic.

For a full session plan, including warmups and partner drills, see our best padel drills guide.

Build the backhand from these habits — continental grip, early sideways turn, short backswing, firm contact out front — and the shot you used to run around becomes the one you can lean on when a point gets long. Pair it with a dependable forehand and you have both groundstrokes covered. When you're ready to put it into play, find a court near you and start grooving it for real.