Padel Grip Guide: How to Hold Your Racket

Why Grip Matters in Padel

Your grip is the only connection between you and the racket. Get it right and every shot — volleys, serves, bandejas, smashes — flows naturally. Get it wrong and you'll fight your own hand on every point.

Most beginners, especially those coming from tennis, overcomplicate things. Tennis teaches you to rotate between four or five grips mid-rally. Padel simplifies this dramatically. One grip handles the vast majority of shots, and the sooner you commit to it, the faster you'll improve.

The Continental Grip (Your Default)

The continental grip is the foundation of padel. It's used for roughly 80% of shots in a match, including volleys, serves, bandejas, vibroras, and smashes.

How to find it: Hold your racket perpendicular to the ground with your non-dominant hand. Now "shake hands" with the handle — wrap your fingers around it as if you were greeting someone. The V-shape between your thumb and index finger should sit on the top edge (first bevel) of the handle. Another way to think about it: hold the racket like a hammer, as if you're about to drive a nail into a wall.

Why it works for padel: The continental grip keeps the racket face neutral, meaning you can switch between forehand and backhand volleys instantly — no grip change needed. At the net, where most padel points are won, that zero-adjustment time is the difference between a clean volley and a framed ball.

The beginner test: Rally gently against a wall for five minutes using only the continental grip. No grip changes allowed. If you can keep a steady rally with centered contact, you've got it.

The Eastern Forehand Grip

Once you're comfortable at the net with the continental grip, you might want a little more power from the baseline. The eastern forehand grip gives you that.

How to find it: Starting from continental, rotate the racket slightly so the base knuckle of your index finger shifts one bevel clockwise (for right-handers). Your palm sits more behind the handle rather than on top of it.

When to use it: Forehand drives from the back of the court, especially when you have time to set up. It generates a flatter, more powerful ball than the continental. Some intermediate players switch to this grip for aggressive forehand shots off the back glass.

When NOT to use it: At the net or on any shot where you need to react quickly. Switching grips mid-volley exchange is a recipe for errors. If you're still in your first six months of padel, stick with continental for everything.

The Eastern Backhand Grip

The mirror image of the eastern forehand adjustment, the eastern backhand grip rotates the hand one bevel counterclockwise from continental (for right-handers).

When to use it: One-handed backhand drives when you have time to load up. It's less common in padel because most defensive backhands are sliced with a continental grip. But for attacking a high ball on the backhand side from mid-court, it adds power and topspin.

Reality check: Many competitive padel players never use this grip. The continental handles backhand slices and volleys perfectly. Only explore the eastern backhand once your continental game is solid.

Grip Pressure: The 5/10 Rule

How tightly you hold the racket matters as much as where you place your hand.

The guideline: Hold at about 5 out of 10 pressure during rallies — firm enough that the racket won't twist on off-center hits, loose enough for natural wrist movement. At the moment of contact, briefly firm up to about 7/10, then relax again immediately.

Why it matters: A relaxed grip allows the wrist snap that generates touch on drop shots, lobs, and bandejas. Death-gripping the racket locks your wrist, kills feel, and leads to forearm fatigue and potential elbow injuries.

The palm gap test: When holding your racket, there should be a small gap between your palm and the handle. If the handle is pressed flat into your palm, you're gripping too hard. If the racket slips during play, add an overgrip for tackiness rather than squeezing harder.

The Wrist Strap: Non-Negotiable

Every padel racket comes with a wrist strap, and you should always use it. Rackets slip — especially when your hands sweat — and a loose racket on a padel court enclosed by glass walls is a safety hazard.

Most clubs require the strap as a house rule. Thread it around your wrist before you grip the racket so it sits snug but doesn't restrict circulation. It's a two-second habit that prevents accidents.

Tips for Tennis Players Switching to Padel

If you're coming from tennis, the grip transition is the single biggest adjustment you'll face. Here's how to make it smoother:

Resist the semi-western. Your tennis forehand grip feels powerful, but it's a liability in padel. The closed racket face makes volleys awkward and limits your overhead game. Continental is your new home base.

Expect discomfort. The continental grip will feel weak on forehands for the first few weeks. That's normal. You're building new muscle memory, and the padel-specific benefits (faster volleying, better overheads, cleaner wall play) will show up quickly.

Practice wall volleys. Stand two meters from a wall and volley back and forth with a continental grip. Start slow. This drill builds the feel faster than any other exercise because it forces hundreds of grip-consistent contacts in a short session.

Forget topspin (for now). Tennis rewards heavy topspin forehands. Padel rewards placement, touch, and patience. The continental grip naturally produces a flatter or slightly sliced ball, which is exactly what padel rewards. For more on making the switch, check out our tennis-to-padel transition guide.

Start Simple, Add Later

The best grip advice for any new padel player: use the continental grip for everything during your first six months. Don't experiment with eastern variations until your continental game feels automatic. One reliable grip beats three shaky ones every time.

Want to understand the full rules of padel before your first match? Start there, then come back and dial in your grip.