The Padel Grip Guide: How to Hold Your Racket (Continental Grip Explained)

To hold a padel racket, use the continental grip: grab the handle as if you are shaking hands with it, so the “V” between your thumb and index finger sits on top and the base knuckle of your index finger rests on the second bevel. This one grip covers almost every shot in padel — serve, volley, bandeja, and both forehand and backhand — because the fast exchanges at the net leave no time to switch. Get the grip right and every other part of your technique becomes easier to build.

What grip should you use in padel?

You should use the continental grip for nearly every shot in padel. Tennis players learn several grips and switch between them, but padel is different: points are fast, the net is close, and forehands and backhands arrive back to back with no time to rotate your hand. The continental grip is the one neutral position that lets you hit both sides, add slice on overheads, and volley on reflex — which is exactly why every serious coach teaches it first.

How do you find the continental grip?

Find the continental grip using the “handshake” or “hammer” method — hold the racket edge-on and shake hands with the handle. Two checkpoints tell you it is correct:

• The V: the V shape formed by your thumb and index finger should sit on top of the handle, not rolled to either side.
• The base knuckle: the base knuckle of your index finger should rest on the second bevel of the octagonal handle (the top-side edge), the same reference point used for a tennis serve.

Your fingers should be slightly spread, not bunched, with the index finger a little forward like a trigger. Hold firmly but not tightly — a death grip kills touch and tires your forearm.

Why is the continental grip best for padel?

The continental grip is best because it puts your hand on top of the handle, which naturally opens the racket face. That open face does three jobs at once:

1. It creates slice. The bandeja and víbora both need backspin, and only a continental grip lets you brush under the ball to produce it.
2. It keeps the ball low. Volleys and serves hit with a slightly open face skid and stay down instead of sitting up for your opponent.
3. It works on both wings. You can play a forehand volley and a backhand volley with the identical grip, so you never get caught mid-switch at the net.

With an eastern or western grip the face closes, and you lose the slice and the reflex-volley advantage that make padel work.

Should you ever change your grip in padel?

For most players, no — leave the continental grip in place. The one exception is flat, powerful groundstrokes from the back of the court: some advanced players shade a fraction toward an eastern forehand grip (hand slightly more behind the handle) to flatten out a driven forehand or a flat smash for extra pace. This is a small adjustment, not a full switch, and it only makes sense once your continental grip is automatic. If you are still grooving your fundamentals, stick to one grip.

Grip	Hand position	Best for	Use in padel
Continental	On top of handle	Serves, volleys, overheads, slice	Almost everything
Eastern forehand	Slightly behind handle	Flat, driven forehands	Optional, advanced
Western / semi-western	Behind and under	Heavy topspin	Avoid — closes the face

What are the most common grip mistakes?

Most grip errors come from importing tennis habits or gripping too tightly:

• Rolling to a forehand grip: the most common fault, especially for tennis converts. It closes the face and ruins your bandeja and volley.
• Gripping too tightly: a tense hand removes feel and floats the ball. Relax until you can just feel the racket move on contact.
• Choking up or down inconsistently: keep your hand at a consistent spot on the handle so your contact point stays predictable.
• Switching grips at the net: if you try to change between forehand and backhand volleys, you will be late. One grip, no switching.

How does the grip connect to the rest of your game?

Your grip is the foundation every other shot is built on. Once it is correct, the continental-grip volley becomes a simple punch, the serve slices low off the glass, and the bandeja finally holds its slice. Fix the grip first and the rest of your technique has something solid to stand on.

How AI swing analysis checks your grip

The hardest thing about your grip is that a wrong one feels normal — you cannot see your own racket face at contact. That is exactly what video reveals and what Padel Coach — Swing Analysis is built to catch: record a short clip of your shot and the app reviews your racket position, contact point, and follow-through, gives you a score, and recommends drills, so you can see whether your face is open or quietly rolled shut. 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 should you hold a padel racket?

Hold a padel racket with a continental grip — grab it like you are shaking hands with the handle, so the V between your thumb and index finger sits on top and the base knuckle of your index finger rests on the second bevel. This single grip handles serves, volleys, bandejas, and both forehand and backhand groundstrokes without switching.

What is the continental grip in padel?

The continental grip is the neutral, hammer-style grip used for almost every padel shot. Your hand sits on top of the handle rather than behind it, which gives you an open racket face for slice and lets you play forehand and backhand without changing grip — essential at the net where there is no time to switch.

Should you change grips in padel like in tennis?

No. Unlike tennis, padel is played almost entirely with one continental grip because the fast net exchanges leave no time to switch. Advanced players may shade slightly toward an eastern forehand grip on flat groundstrokes, but beginners and intermediates should groove the continental grip and leave it there.