As a budding padel enthusiast, you may find yourself wrestling with a multitude of questions, all leading to one crucial point: "How to hold a padel racket?" You may have wondered if it's comparable to the grip of a tennis or squash racket. Let me tell you, it's a valid curiosity and one we're about to unravel together.
From understanding the essential continental grip and the Eastern forehand tennis grip to unraveling the intricacies of the squash finger grip, this guide will lead you through the labyrinth of padel racket grips. We will discuss the right grip and its correlation to various shots, such as backhand shots, forehand shots, and dealing with shallow balls. Moreover, we’ll illuminate how the right grip can enhance your racket head control and play a pivotal role in the ball spin, forward velocity, and overall performance on the padel court.
Join us as we delve into the world of padel, unraveling the art of wielding a padel racket correctly for beginners and advanced players alike. Let’s explore the unique blend of power and precision required to excel in this dynamic game, ensuring you step on the padel court confidently, padel racket in hand, ready to hit the ball with finesse and vigor.
The Quintessential Grip: The Continental
Navigating the world of padel, especially for beginners, often involves understanding the grip that rules the court: the Continental Grip, also known as the handshake grip. The grip received its moniker due to the similar feeling of shaking someone’s hand when grasping the padel racket. It’s the most commonly used grip and offers maximum comfort and control.
This grip involves holding the racket such that the ‘V’ created between your thumb and index finger aligns with the edge of the padel racket. Once you’ve mastered the essential continental grip, there are variations that you can explore to add diversity to your padel game.
Professional Padel Players and the Continental Grip
Beginners can take comfort in knowing that top-tier professional players share their first steps into mastering the grip. Every player, regardless of gender or rank in the World Padel Tour, resorts to the continental grip as their default way of wielding a padel racket.
Imagine the padel racket‘s face as a flat surface. Position your thumb on one face and your fingers on the other. Notice the ‘V’ created between your thumb and forefinger, bridging the racket’s spine. Maintaining this position while gripping the handle results in the sought-after continental grip.
Teaching Methods for Continental Grip
Shaking Hands with Your Racket
This method, ideal when taught by a partner or coach, mimics the action of shaking hands. Start by shaking hands with your partner, who should hold the racket by its face, ensuring it remains vertical. Substituting their hand with the padel racket grip in your subsequent handshake lets you control the racket in the continental grip.
Using the Racket Face for Hand Positioning
This self-guided method involves holding the racket halfway up its head, thumb on one face and fingers on the other. As you slide your hand towards the handle, maintaining your thumb and fingers’ position will land your hand in the continental grip.
Fancy Grip Methods: Eastern Forehand and Squash Finger Grip
Eastern Forehand Tennis Grip for Top Spin
Renowned tennis player Rafa Nadal uses the Eastern Forehand Grip to deliver topspin shots. Despite its popularity among top-level tennis players, it’s less prevalent in padel, occasionally used to make the ball dip over the net during serves.
Mastering the Eastern Forehand Grip involves placing the padel racket flat on the ground, then reaching down to grab the handle, which will instinctively position your hand correctly. Remember, this grip requires a clear arc to play topspin shots, making it unsuitable when you’re near the back wall or preparing for a volley.
Squash Finger Grip for Back Wall Shots
The Squash Finger Grip shines when playing off the back wall, particularly for backhand shots. Unlike the flat and full-hand grips of continental and Eastern Forehand grips, the Squash Finger Grip requires control primarily from your thumb and forefinger, with the rest of the fingers supporting the racket’s grip.
Bottom Line
As we reach the culmination of our journey into the dynamic world of padel, we’ve unlocked the mastery of holding a padel racket correctly, an indispensable skill to play padel with panache. We’ve explored the standard continental grip, the Eastern forehand grip’s potential for topspin, and how the squash finger grip can afford us more racket head control when playing off the back wall.
Your fingers, thumb, and the alignment of your index finger with the racket’s neck play crucial roles in mastering the art of padel. It’s not just about employing the right grip but how it translates into the different shots, whether backhand, forehand, or dealing with shallow balls. The key is to find the right balance between holding the racket comfortably and having good control over the racket head to generate speed and spin on the ball. While the world of padel grips extends beyond the horizon with other fancy grip methods, remember to avoid getting tangled in complexity.
Whether you’re an advanced player aiming for professional tournaments or a beginner setting foot on the padel court for the first time, the beauty of padel lies in the game’s fun, not the perfection of the technique. After all, as we’ve discovered, even top-level tennis players and professionals favor the basic continental grip. And if it works for them, why shouldn’t it work for you? So pick up your racket, step onto the padel court, and embrace the joy of playing padel. Let the game commence!
FAQs
How should you hold the racket?
The most common way to hold a padel racket is with the continental grip, wherein your hand sits slightly to the inside line of the racket’s neck, making a ‘V’ shape with your thumb and index finger. This grip offers a comfortable grip and is excellent for forehand, backhand shots, and even very low balls. However, there are also other grips you can experiment with as your skills advance.
How do you put a grip on a padel racket?
To apply a padel grip, start by wrapping a specially designed overgrip around the handle of your padel racket. Begin from the bottom of the handle and carefully wrap the overgrip, ensuring a firm yet comfortable hold. The objective is to enhance the racket’s grip while also absorbing sweat, resulting in increased power and control during gameplay.
How do you swing a padel racket?
The swing in Padel depends on the shot you’re executing. The swing starts from your arm for forehand shots, extending through your wrist to connect the racket head with the ball. The swing is fluid and follows the ball’s trajectory, whether you’re dealing with low balls or aiming for a powerful shot from a very cramped position.
Is Padel tennis easier than tennis?
Padel tennis can be considered easier than tennis for beginners due to its smaller court size, underhand serves, and the ability to use the walls, similar to squash. However, mastering the game requires understanding the correct grip, controlling the racket head connecting with the ball, and learning to adjust to different ways the ball can come at you.
What is the proper grip on the racket called?
The proper grip on the padel racket is called the continental grip. This grip is the most common way to hold the racket and is suitable for all types of shots, including forehand, eastern backhand, and even when returning the ball toward the receiver’s racket. A correct grip will make you feel comfortable and allow you to make fewer common mistakes.
How do you hold a racket when returning?
When returning, it’s advisable to hold your racket in the current grip you feel most comfortable with, often the continental grip for many players. This position will allow you to adjust quickly, whether the ball comes to your forehand or backhand side, enabling you to respond swiftly and effectively.
