Learn the padel backhand: one-handed with the continental grip, short backswing, contact in front – plus typical faults and a drill for your weaker side.
The padel backhand, called the "revés" in play, is the groundstroke on the side opposite your hitting hand. You play it mostly one-handed with the same continental grip as the forehand, take a short backswing and meet the ball in front of the body.
The honest answer to "do I really need to learn the backhand?": yes – because your opponent will find it. The backhand is the side players like to target when they suspect a weakness. And it is not only a groundstroke: in an analysis of 1089 points from eight men's professional matches, the backhand volley was the most frequent second shot after the return [1].
On top of that, among pros women play more backhand and cross-court returns than men [2] – so the backhand is not a beginner problem but part of the game at every level. How long it takes to feel secure depends on your background. If you come from two-handed tennis, expect a re-learning phase of a few sessions (rule of thumb).
The grip stays as for the forehand. From the ready position turn your shoulders to the backhand side and take the racket briefly behind the hip. The non-hitting arm helps with balance.
Milestone: you turn in without changing your grip.
Meet the ball at hip height and in front of the front foot. On defensive shots such as groundstrokes and wall strokes, trained players meet the ball, depending on stroke type, 7 to 32 cm further forward than novices [3] – roughly a hand width up to a forearm. Arm slightly extended, racket face minimally open.
Milestone: with a side-on phone video you see contact in front of the body.
After contact, swing through to the target and let the racket finish under control in front of the body. This keeps the racket face stable and brings depth. No whipping, no wrist flick.
Milestone: the ball flies low over the net and lands in the back third of the opponents' court.
Hit 10 balls in a row diagonally with a partner. If you miss, you start again. Only when it works three times in a row do you add pace or switch to down the line. Among high-performance players (men, national tournaments) the diagonal dominates [4].
Milestone: 10 out of 10, three times in a row.
This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training.
Do the weakness drill: ask your partner to feed only your backhand for 10 minutes, with varying heights and lengths. It feels unfair – which is exactly why it works. Variable practice improved the number of successful forehands at the double wall in a study of experienced players [8]; that it works the same on the backhand is a transfer, not a study result.
Three practice notes (no study): first, after each error check briefly whether you were late or too close to the ball – those are the most common reasons the backhand goes into the net. Second, the racket face stays open through the swing and the racket finishes in front of the body instead of tipping away sideways. Third, a side-on video is worth it: many only see there that the contact point is behind the body. If you film the same 10-ball drill every two weeks, you can see progress even when it does not yet show in matches.
Usually one-handed, with the continental grip and a short backswing. Two hands are not common in padel because of the small court and the short racket. If you are unsure at first, a supporting second hand can be a transition – a rule of thumb, not a study result.
With a short backswing, contact in front of the body and a clear target – cross-court first. Spend 10 minutes per session only on the backhand, with varied feeds. Variable practice improved the number of successful forehands at the double wall in experienced players in one study [8] – for the backhand this is a transfer.
Not in the long run. If you avoid the backhand you open up space and signal the weakness. Better: play the backhand securely and deep and build the ball up under control.
Mostly because the contact point is too far back or the racket face tilts down. Meet the ball in front of the front foot, open the face slightly and swing through to the target.
Padel Back-Wall Return: Playing Balls Off the Wall Safely