How to Hit a Padel Backhand: Grip, Contact Point, and Common Mistakes

To hit a padel backhand, turn your shoulders sideways early, keep the backswing short, and meet the ball out in front of your body at roughly waist height with a slightly open racket face, blocking and slicing through the shot rather than swinging hard. The padel backhand is a compact, controlled block — usually with backspin — because the enclosed court leaves no room for a big loop and rewards a low, deep ball far more than raw pace. Get the grip and contact point right and the backhand stops being the side you hide and becomes a shot you can trust.

What is a padel backhand and why is it different?

A padel backhand is the groundstroke you hit on your non-dominant side after the ball bounces, and it differs from a tennis backhand by being shorter, flatter, and usually sliced. The walls behind and beside you mean a long swing simply runs out of room, and a ball that kicks up high becomes an easy smash for the opposing net player — so the goal is a low, skidding block, not a heavy topspin drive. Most padel backhands are hit with slice and one hand, which keeps the ball low and gives you the reach to handle balls off the glass. The shape rhymes with tennis, but everything is scaled down and tuned for control and depth.

What grip should you use for the padel backhand?

Use the continental grip for almost every backhand — the same grip you use for the forehand, serve, and volley. Hold the racket as if shaking hands with it, with the “V” of your hand on top of the handle. Because forehands and backhands arrive back to back with no time to rotate your hand, one neutral grip that covers both wings is essential, and the slightly open face it naturally creates is exactly what you want for a low, sliced backhand. If you are not sure yours is correct, our padel grip guide walks through how to find and confirm it.

Players who drive a flatter, two-handed backhand may add the non-dominant hand slightly toward a forehand grip for extra pace on an easy ball. Treat that as a one-shot adjustment, not a reason to abandon the continental grip everywhere else — the moment the ball comes off the glass or arrives low and wide, you will want to be back on a single-handed continental.

How do you hit a padel backhand, step by step?

A reliable backhand comes from a compact, repeatable motion. Build it in five parts:

1. Early shoulder turn — as soon as you read the ball to your backhand side, turn your shoulders and hips sideways. Your non-dominant hand can guide the racket back to set the turn.
2. Short backswing — take the racket back no further than the edge of your body, with the racket head a little above the eventual contact point so you can slice down and through.
3. Contact in front — meet the ball out in front of your body, at about waist height, with a firm wrist and a slightly open face. Contact in front is where control lives on the backhand.
4. Block and slice through — push forward through the ball at a steady speed, brushing slightly down the back of it. Let the pace of the incoming ball and your forward drive supply depth, not a violent swing.
5. Compact follow-through — finish out toward your target and stop. A short, controlled follow-through keeps the slice low and deep instead of ballooning it up.

Where should you aim your padel backhand?

Aim deep and mostly cross-court rather than for outright winners from the back of the court. From the baseline the backhand is a building and defending shot: its job is to keep the ball low, deep, and in play until you get a shorter ball to attack. Three high-value targets:

• Deep cross-court: the safest, highest-percentage backhand — the long diagonal gives you more court and keeps opponents pinned back.
• Low at the feet: if opponents are approaching the net, a sliced backhand to their feet forces a defensive, upward reply.
• Down the line (occasionally): changing direction can wrong-foot opponents, but it is riskier — save it for when you are balanced and the ball is in front of you.

The backhand to avoid is the short, high, floated one through the middle — it lands in the net player’s strike zone and comes straight back as a smash.

What are the most common padel backhand mistakes?

Most backhand errors come from either a swing that is too big or a face that is out of control:

• Backswing too big: importing a full tennis backhand leaves you cramped against the back wall. Shorten the takeback until it feels almost too small.
• Face too open: an over-open racket floats the ball high and deep for an easy smash. Keep the face only slightly open and drive forward, not up.
• Contact too late: letting the ball drift beside or behind you kills control and pace. Meet it in front, every time.
• Reaching down with the arm: dropping the racket to a low ball instead of bending your knees opens the face and pops the ball up. Get low with your legs.
• Decelerating at contact: stabbing and stopping at the ball dumps it into the net. Keep a steady, confident push through the shot.

One hand or two: which backhand should you use?

Use one hand for most padel backhands and two hands only for a flatter, driven backhand off an easy ball. The single-handed slice gives you reach, keeps the ball low, and lets you play comfortably off the side and back glass — the situations where padel backhands are most often tested. The two-handed backhand can add pace and stability on a clean, waist-high ball, but it costs you reach and gets cramped fast when the ball is wide or coming off the wall.

	One-handed backhand	Two-handed backhand
Best for	Slice, blocks, glass, wide balls	Flat drive off an easy ball
Reach	Long	Short
Ball flight	Low, skidding backspin	Flatter, more pace
Off the glass	Comfortable	Cramped

If you can only groove one, groove the single-handed slice — it handles far more of what padel throws at you. Pair it with a compact forehand drive and you have both baseline wings covered.

How AI swing analysis sharpens your backhand

The hardest backhand fault to feel is your own racket face — a slice that feels level is often wide open at contact, and a swing that feels compact is usually bigger than you think. That is exactly what video catches and what Padel Coach — Swing Analysis is built for: record a short clip of your backhand, and the app reviews your contact point, racket position, and swing path, gives you a score, and recommends drills, so you can see whether you are blocking cleanly through the ball or opening the face and floating it up. For a full routine on filming and reviewing your shots, start with our guide to analyzing your own padel technique, then download Padel Coach and turn one phone clip into your next concrete fix.

Frequently asked questions

How do you hit a backhand in padel?

Turn your shoulders sideways early, take the racket back short with both hands or a firm single hand, and meet the ball out in front of your body at about waist height with a slightly open face, blocking through the shot rather than swinging hard. The padel backhand is a compact, sliced block, not a full groundstroke — the enclosed court leaves no room for a big swing and rewards a low, controlled ball over power.

Should you hit a padel backhand with one hand or two?

Most players hit the padel backhand with one hand because it gives more reach and lets you play off the side and back glass without getting cramped. Use two hands only for a flatter, driven backhand from an easy waist-high ball; for slices, blocks, and anything wide or low, a single-handed continental grip is the more reliable choice.

Why does my padel backhand keep sitting up or going into the net?

It sits up when your racket face is too open or your contact is behind you, and it hits the net when the face is closed or you decelerate through the ball. Meet the ball in front with a slightly open, firm face and push through toward your target at a steady speed so the slice stays low and deep instead of floating or dumping.