The grip and the swing
How to hold a padel racket, why the continental grip does almost everything you need, and the swing that gets a beginner rallying in one session.
What this episode covers
- The continental grip, and why it covers forehand and backhand
- Where your hand sits on the handle, and how tight to squeeze
- A compact swing that keeps the ball in the court
- The two most common beginner mistakes, and the fix for each
The lesson
Hold the racket as if you were shaking hands with it, then turn your hand slightly outward until the V between your thumb and index finger sits on the top edge of the handle. That's the continental grip, and it's the only one you need to learn. Forehand, backhand, volley and smash all work from it, so you never have to change grip in the middle of a rally.
Your hand sits low on the handle, with the heel of your palm level with the end of the grip. That gives you back the reach a short racket takes away. Squeeze about as hard as you'd hold a full glass of water: firm enough not to drop it, loose enough that your forearm isn't aching after two games.
The swing is shorter than you expect. Take the racket back to about hip height, keep your wrist quiet, and push through the ball toward where you want it to land. Padel rewards control rather than power, because anything hit hard and flat comes straight back off the glass to your opponent.
Two mistakes cause most beginner errors. The first is too big a backswing: the ball flies into the back glass every time, so shorten it until it feels almost too small. The second is hitting with a loose wrist, which rolls the racket face over and puts the ball in the net. Keep the wrist firm and the face slightly open, and the ball goes up and forward instead of down.