Padel uses one grip for almost everything — the continental, the same one tennis uses for serving and volleying. You find it by shaking hands with the handle, and once you have it you barely change it again.
Find it in ten seconds
- Hold the racket by the throat with your non-hitting hand, face perpendicular to the ground, as if it were an axe.
- Put your hitting hand flat on the face of the racket.
- Slide that hand down the face and onto the handle without turning it.
- Close your fingers. That is the continental grip.
The check: the V formed by your thumb and index finger sits on the top edge of the handle — the narrow bevel you would see if you looked down at the racket held vertically. The base knuckle of your index finger rests on the upper rear bevel.
The other way to describe it: hold the racket like a hammer you are about to swing sideways. If you can hit the ball with either face without moving your hand, you have it right — and being able to do that is the entire point.
Why one grip, when tennis needs several
Three reasons, all structural to the sport:
- The racket has two identical faces. There is no forehand side and backhand side, so there is nothing to turn the hand for.
- There is no time. Rallies are close and fast, and the ball comes back off the glass at unpredictable angles. A grip change you cannot make in half a second is a grip change you will not make.
- The swing is short. Continental is the neutral position, and neutral is what a 45 cm racket wants.
The consequence for tennis players is a real one: your eastern forehand grip has to go. Holding the racket in a forehand grip closes the face, sends the ball into the net on low balls off the glass, and makes the volley impossible. It is the second habit to unlearn after the backswing — the first is in padel vs tennis.
How hard to squeeze
Grip pressure matters as much as grip position and nobody talks about it.
| Pressure | On a scale of 10 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Too loose | 2–3 | The racket turns on off-centre contact and the ball goes anywhere |
| Right | 4–6 | Firm enough that the frame holds, loose enough for the wrist to work |
| Too tight | 8–10 | No touch, no wrist, a tired forearm by the third set and a sore elbow by the third month |
Squeeze harder only at the moment of contact, and only on a hard ball. Between shots, let go — most club players hold at 8 out of 10 for an entire hour and wonder why their arm hurts.
If you cannot stop squeezing, the handle is too thin
This is the most common cause and it is not a technique problem. Padel rackets ship with one deliberately slim grip, and for a lot of adult hands it is too narrow — so you grip harder to stop the racket rotating.
The test: hold the racket normally and look at the gap between your fingertips and the base of your thumb. You want about one finger’s width. If your fingertips dig into your palm, add an overgrip and try again. The full sizing method is in padel racket grip size.
The two exceptions
The overhead
Some players shift very slightly towards a backhand grip for the víbora and the kick smash, to get more side spin on the ball. It is a few degrees, not a grip change, and it comes much later than anything on this page. What those shots are is in the padel smash.
The low defensive backhand
Off a ball dying at your feet against the back glass, a slight rotation towards a backhand grip opens the face and helps you lift it. Again: slight, and instinctive once you have played enough.
Neither is worth practising deliberately in your first year. Continental for everything is a completely functional way to play club padel.
The three mistakes
- A tennis forehand grip. Closes the face, kills the volley, and forces a grip change you do not have time for.
- Holding too far up the handle. Choking up on the grip feels controlled and costs you reach and racket-head speed. Your little finger should be near the butt.
- Gripping at 9 out of 10. The single biggest cause of forearm fatigue and elbow pain in the sport.
Does the racket change how the grip feels?
Yes, through balance rather than grip shape. A head-heavy frame wants to rotate in your hand on off-centre contact, so you squeeze harder to hold it — which means a diamond racket punishes a poor grip twice over. A head-light round frame is far more forgiving of both. That trade-off is measured in padel racket shapes, and the frames that suit a settling grip are in best padel rackets for beginners.
Frequently asked questions
How do you hold a padel racket?
In a continental grip. Put your open hand flat on the racket face, slide it down onto the handle without turning it, and close your fingers. The V between thumb and index finger should sit on the top edge of the handle.
Is the padel grip the same as tennis?
It is the same as the tennis continental — the serving and volleying grip. The difference is that padel uses it for almost every shot, where tennis switches between several.
How tight should you hold a padel racket?
About 4 to 6 out of 10 during rallies, firming up only at contact on a hard ball. Holding at 8 or more costs you touch and is the main cause of forearm fatigue and elbow pain.
Do you change grip for the backhand in padel?
No. The racket has two identical faces and there is no time for a change. Some players rotate very slightly for a low defensive backhand or for side spin on an overhead, but that is a refinement, not a different grip.
Why does my hand hurt when playing padel?
Usually because the handle is too thin and you are compensating by squeezing. Add an overgrip and check for a finger’s width of gap between your fingertips and the base of your thumb.
Sources. Grip technique as taught by padel coaching sources consulted on 30/08/2026, including The Padel School’s grip guidance. Racket dimension limits and the wrist cord requirement: Rules of Padel, International Padel Federation (FIP).