Continental grip in padel: how to hold the racket, play forehand, backhand and volley without regripping, and go easier on your elbow.
The continental grip is the standard padel grip: you hold the racket so that you can hit forehand, backhand, volley and overheads without changing your hand position. That is exactly why it is the first skill you should have in place – at the net you often have only fractions of a second.
The honest answer to "how hard is it?": the grip itself can be explained in ten minutes. What is hard is holding it loosely and not falling back into a "tennis grip" after a bad ball. Expect it to take a few sessions until it feels right without thinking – that is a rule of thumb from practice, not a study result.
Why it pays to be clean here: in a systematic review of padel injuries the elbow was the most frequently reported site [1]; in a Chilean and a Belgian survey, foot/ankle and the lower limb, respectively, came first [2][4]. For elbow and forearm, 85.7 % of complaints in a Chilean survey started gradually [2] – through overload, not a single accident. A loose, fitting grip is one of the few levers you control right now.
Hold the racket in front of you with the frame edge pointing down to the floor. Now place your hitting hand on the handle as if shaking someone's hand. The V between thumb and index finger sits on top of the handle edge. The head stands like a hammer – which is why many call it the "hammer grip".
Milestone: you find the grip three times in a row with your eyes closed.
Fan your fingers out slightly, with the index finger a little further forward on the handle. Grip with about half your maximum strength – enough that the racket does not fly away, but still lets it "breathe". Tighten only at the moment of contact.
Milestone: you can swing the racket with a loose hand without it shifting in your grip.
Stand in the ready position (knees slightly bent, racket in front of the body). Swing forehand, backhand and a short volley movement – without changing grip. Three sets of ten are enough. Notice that the racket face "opens" on the backhand by itself.
Milestone: you swing all three movements without turning your hand once.
Have someone feed you 20 gentle balls and hit them as alternating forehand and backhand volleys. Your goal is not power but: no regripping. Afterwards, check whether you find the handshake grip again after every mistake.
Milestone: 15 of 20 balls in play without a grip change – then move on to the serve.
The continental grip is not a dangerous skill – but padel has a high overuse rate. A systematic review found about 3 injuries per 1000 training hours and 8 per 1000 matches [1]. That is roughly one injury per 330 hours of training. The elbow was the most frequently reported site.
This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training.
Use the shake reset: after every lost point, let the racket hang loosely in your hand for a moment and consciously reset the grip. This mini ritual costs two seconds and stops a tense or twisted grip from creeping in over a match.
In padel the continental grip is the standard. You use it for forehand, backhand, volley and overhead without regripping. That saves time because balls come back quickly from the net and the walls. The "handshake" is the easiest way to find it.
No. The continental grip is built so both sides work without regripping. The racket face opens almost by itself on the backhand. If you do regrip, it costs time and is usually a sign of uncertainty or an old tennis reflex.
About half your maximum strength, tighter only at contact. There is no study value for this – it is a rule of thumb from training. If your forearm burns quickly, you are probably gripping too hard.
The elbow was the most frequently reported injury site in a systematic review of padel [1]; at elbow and forearm, 85.7 % of complaints in a Chilean survey started gradually, i.e. through overload [2]. Possible contributors are too much playing volume and unsuitable equipment; a tense grip is plausible but not proven. Persistent pain should be checked by a doctor or physiotherapist.
Padel Serve: Underhand Saque – Rules, Technique, Placement