If there is one thing worth getting right before anything else in padel, it is how you hold the racket. Your grip decides which shots feel natural and which feel like a fight. Most new players default to a tennis or squash grip, then wonder why their volleys keep flying long. Let us sort that out.
The continental grip is your default
The grip almost every coach will start you on is the continental grip, sometimes called the shakehand grip. The name gives it away. You hold the racket as if you were shaking hands with it.
Here is the simple way to find it. Hold the racket out in front of you with the face perpendicular to the ground, edge pointing forward, like an axe ready to chop. Now take hold of the handle as if you were shaking hands with it. The V shape between your thumb and index finger should sit roughly along the top edge of the handle. That is the continental grip.
You want your index finger spread slightly up the handle, a little like a trigger finger, rather than bunched up with the others. That gives you extra control and feel at the net.
Why continental suits padel
Padel is played in a small court with walls, so you rarely have time to change grip mid-point. Balls come at you from every angle, fast volleys one second and a slow back-glass ball the next. The continental grip is the one grip that lets you hit almost every shot without switching.
With continental you can volley on both wings, play a backhand, hit an overhead, cut under the ball for a slice, and defend off the glass, all from the same hold. That versatility is exactly what a fast doubles game needs. A tennis forehand grip might feel powerful, but it makes your backhand and your volleys awkward, and it opens the racket face so the ball sails long.
It also suits the wrist action padel relies on. Many shots use a bit of slice and a flicking wrist, and continental keeps the face in a natural position for that.
Grip pressure matters as much as grip shape
Getting the grip shape right is only half the job. How hard you squeeze matters just as much, and this is where a lot of tension creeps in.
Think of your grip pressure on a scale of one to ten, where ten is a white-knuckle death grip. For most padel shots you want to sit around a three or four. Loose and relaxed. A relaxed grip gives you touch, absorbs pace on the volley, and lets your wrist move freely. A tight grip does the opposite. It kills feel, makes soft shots almost impossible, and tires your forearm out fast.
The exception is the moment of contact on a powerful shot like a smash, where you firm up briefly. But even then you relax again straight after. Grip, breathe, and stay soft. If your knuckles are white halfway through a rally, you are gripping too hard.
When do players change grip?
The honest answer for beginners and intermediates is: almost never. One of the joys of padel is that you can play the whole game on continental. Keep it simple and build your shots from that one hold.
As players get more advanced, some make small adjustments for specific shots. A few shift very slightly towards a more eastern grip on flat forehand drives for extra power, or tweak the hold for a particular kick serve or bandeja. These are subtle, personal changes made by players who have already mastered the basics. If you are still learning, ignore all of that and stay continental. You will develop far faster with one reliable grip than by fiddling with several. When you are ready to work on the trickier overheads, our guide to the bandeja is a good next read.
Common grip mistakes
A few grip errors show up again and again with new players.
The first is the frying-pan grip, where you hold the racket flat like a table-tennis bat with the face pointing up. It feels natural for a first volley but leaves you unable to control anything with pace.
The second is bringing a tennis forehand grip across from another sport. It opens the face too much and wrecks your backhand and volleys.
The third is gripping too far up or down the handle. Sitting too high robs you of reach and wrist action, while choking too low can feel unstable. Aim for a comfortable hold near the base with the butt of the handle just inside your palm.
The fourth, and the most common of all, is squeezing too hard. If you take nothing else from this, take that. Relax your hand.
Sort your grip early and every other shot becomes easier to learn. If any of the terms here are new, our glossary explains them, you can test yourself on our quizzes, and a session with one of our coaches is the quickest way to have someone check your hold in person.
FAQ
What is the continental grip in padel?
It is the grip you get by holding the racket as if shaking hands with it, with the V between thumb and index finger along the top edge. It lets you play almost every padel shot without changing your hold.
How tight should I hold the padel racket?
Fairly loose for most shots, around three or four out of ten on a pressure scale. You firm up briefly at contact on a smash, then relax again. A tight grip kills your touch and tires your arm.
Do I need to change grip for backhands and volleys?
No. The whole point of the continental grip is that it works for forehands, backhands, volleys and overheads from the same hold. Beginners should stick with one grip for everything.
I play tennis, can I use my tennis grip?
It is best not to. A tennis forehand grip opens the racket face too much and makes your padel backhand and volleys awkward. Switch to continental and your shots will settle down quickly.