How to Hold a Pickleball Paddle: Grips That Actually Work

Most beginner problems at the kitchen line come from the grip, not the paddle. Hold it wrong and dinks pop up, backhands feel impossible, and you have to change grips mid-rally you do not have time for. Here is the grip almost every coach starts with, and how to check yours in ten seconds.

Start with the continental grip

The continental grip, sometimes called the handshake grip, is the default in pickleball. Hold the paddle out in front of you with the face perpendicular to the ground, then shake hands with the handle. The V shape between your thumb and index finger should sit on the top bevel, roughly in line with the edge of the paddle.

The reason it wins is speed: one grip covers forehand, backhand, volleys, dinks, and overheads. At the kitchen line, exchanges happen too fast to switch grips, so a neutral grip that handles both wings is worth more than a specialised one.

How hard to squeeze

Loose. On a scale of one to ten, aim for about a four on soft shots and firm up slightly on drives. A death grip transmits every bit of pace straight back into the ball, which is exactly why hard-gripped players pop dinks up over the net. Light hands are how you absorb pace and drop the ball into the kitchen.

Ten-second self-check

• Paddle face perpendicular to the ground when your arm hangs naturally? Good.
• Can you hit a backhand dink without rotating your hand? Good.
• Index knuckle on the top bevel, not on the side? Good.
• Are your forearm and paddle roughly in line, not bent at the wrist? Good.

When to change grips

Two exceptions are worth learning once you are consistent. A slight shift toward an eastern forehand grip adds topspin on drives, and some players rotate slightly for a two-handed backhand. Both are refinements. Neither is worth learning before your continental grip is automatic.

Grip size and overgrips matter too

A handle that is too big forces you to squeeze harder, which is the fault we just told you to avoid, and it strains your elbow. Too small and the paddle twists on off-centre hits. Our grip size guide walks through measuring your hand, and a fresh overgrip is the cheapest way to fix a slippery or slightly undersized handle: it adds about 1/16 inch and restores tack in a couple of minutes.