Step-by-step guide
How to hold a padel racket: the grip, step by step
Direct answer
Hold a padel racket as if you were going to hammer a nail with the edge of the frame: the handle runs diagonally across the palm, thumb and index finger form a V on the top edge, and the little finger sits against the butt cap. That is the continental grip, and it is the grip for almost every shot in padel.
Marco LucasAURO
The short answer
Hold the racket like a hammer. Edge down, V of thumb and index finger on the top edge of the handle, little finger next to the butt cap, and the face perpendicular to the court. That is the continental grip. Learn it first and hit every shot from it: serve, volley, bandeja, smash and lob. The steps below show where each part of the hand goes and how to check it.
Step 1: lay the handle across your palm
Hold the racket by the throat with your free hand, edge pointing at the ground. Open your playing hand. Lay the handle diagonally across the palm: it enters at the base of the index finger and exits at the heel of the hand, on the little finger side. Do not grab it yet. If the handle lies straight across the fingers, like a suitcase handle, the face will end up flat.
Step 2: close the hand and find the V
Close your fingers around the handle. Look at the V your thumb and index finger make: it sits on the top edge of the handle, the narrow side that points at the sky when the edge points at the ground. The thumb wraps around the far side; it does not lie flat along the handle. Your index finger can sit slightly apart from the others, like on a trigger. That gives you control of the face without squeezing.
Step 3: little finger against the butt cap
Slide the hand down until the little finger sits just above the butt cap. Holding the racket higher up, near the throat, feels safer but shortens your reach and takes length away from the lob and the smash. Holding it at the end gives you the full length of the racket. The butt cap is the one part of the handle your hand can find without looking, so use it.
Step 4: check the face and loosen the hand
With the hand closed, the face is perpendicular to the ground. If it faces up or down, the hand has turned: open it and start again from step 1 rather than fixing it with the wrist. Then loosen. Hold just firmly enough that the racket does not move and no more; the hand closes a little at contact and relaxes again. A hand that squeezes all point long tires the forearm and loses feel.
Which grip for each shot
In padel the answer is almost always the same, and that is the point. One grip means no decision between shots, and at the net there is no time for a decision. The only place where coaches accept a small variation is the forehand from the back of the court, where some players open the hand towards the eastern to add topspin. Learn that later, if at all. First, one grip for everything.
| Shot | Grip |
|---|---|
| Serve | Continental |
| Forehand volley | Continental |
| Backhand volley | Continental |
| Bandeja | Continental |
| Smash | Continental |
| Lob | Continental |
| Forehand from the back | Continental. Some players open slightly towards the eastern to lift the ball |
| Backhand from the back | Continental |
Common mistakes
Holding the racket too high on the handle. Letting the face open because the V slipped onto a flat side of the handle. Squeezing from the first ball to the last. Fixing the face with the wrist instead of the grip. And the one nobody notices: picking the racket up any old way at the start of the warm-up, which is the grip your hand stores for the whole session. The full list is in the guide to grip mistakes.
Auro Grip: a reference your hand can feel
Once you know where the hand goes, the problem is keeping it there when the point gets fast. Auro Grip is a physical guide that helps your hand find the continental grip on a padel racket handle. Its shape sits under the little finger and the heel of the hand, so a hand that has drifted feels wrong before the shot goes wrong. It comes in right-hand and left-hand versions and installs instantly, with no tools.
Position 01 and Position 02, on video
Position 01 has the more pronounced reference and is the one to start with. Position 02 is reached by rotating the piece 180 degrees, which changes the orientation of the reference. Start with 01. When your hand finds the grip without thinking, try 02 for a freer hold. The video is in Spanish, but the gesture needs no translation: remove, rotate, reinsert.
AURO
Frequently asked questions
Which grip for the bandeja and the serve?
Continental for both. On the serve it lets you cut under the ball from below the waist. On the bandeja it lets you slice across the ball at shoulder height without opening the face. You do not change anything between them.
Do pros change grip between shots?
At the net, no: they play volley, bandeja and smash from the continental because there is no time to change. From the back of the court some professionals open slightly towards the eastern on the forehand. That is a refinement on top of a solid continental, not a starting point.
How do I know if I am squeezing too hard?
Your forearm tells you. If it is tired after short points or your hand feels tense when you finish, you are holding firmly all point long instead of only at contact. Hold the racket so it does not move, and no more.
Does my hand size matter?
It changes the thickness you find comfortable, not the position. The hand goes in the same place; what changes is how many layers you want over the handle so you can close it without squeezing and without spare room.
Do I need tools to install Auro Grip?
Installs instantly, with no tools It slides onto the butt cap by hand and comes off the same way.
How do I change from Position 01 to Position 02?
Position 01 has the more pronounced reference and is the one to start with. Position 02 is reached by rotating the piece 180 degrees, which changes the orientation of the reference. Remove, rotate, reinsert: that is the whole change.
Does it work for left-handed players?
Yes. Auro Grip has right-hand and left-hand versions, so the ramp reference matches the player hand. Pick the version for your playing hand when you order.
Can I practise the grip away from the court?
Yes. Pick the racket up and put it down several times without looking, and check whether the hand lands in the same place each time. It needs no ball and no space, and it shows how consistent your starting point is.