There are three basic paddle grips in pickleball.

1. Eastern Grip – All beginner and intermediate players should be using the basic Eastern paddle grip on the pickleball courts. This is because the basic Eastern paddle grip is universal or neutral, as this paddle grip allows you to hit both a forehand and backhand shot with the same grip.

To find this Eastern paddle grip, hold the paddle directly out in front of you with your opposite hand, such that the paddle face is looking to the left and right of your body. Take your hand that you hold the paddle with and place it on the face of the paddle. Slide your hand down the paddle face and shake hands with the paddle grip.

2. Western Grip – To find the Western grip, start in an Eastern grip and turn your wrist 90 degrees clockwise for righties, or 90 degrees counterclockwise for lefties. The Western grip produces a lot of top spin, but makes it very difficult to hit backhand shots. Oftentimes, players using the Western grip will hit a backwards forehand shot on the backhand side because of this. So, if you face a player with a Western grip, target the backhand side.

3. Continental Grip – The Continental grip is the complete opposite of the Western grip (in other words, pivot your wrist 180 degrees on the paddle grip). The Continental grip produces nice dinks and backhands, but makes it very difficult to hit forehand shots. If you face a player with a Continental grip, target his or her forehand-side shoulder and try to get them in an uncomfortable chicken wing, as he or she will have trouble flipping the paddle to hit a forehand.

Again, most players should use the Eastern grip because it is universal or neutral on both your backhand and forehand shots. If it is more comfortable for you, consider giving a small turn toward the Continental grip (in other words, a slight mix of the Eastern and Continental grips), given that so much of the game in pickleball will be played at the net, which consists mostly of dinks and fast volleys with little reaction time. In other words, most shots will play into the benefits of a Continental grip—nice dinks and backhands.

Key Takeaways:

1. Use the Eastern paddle grip.

2. Be aware of the pros and cons with the other paddle grips, so that you can make small grip changes (to be discussed in the next lesson) and take advantage of weaknesses in your opponents’ grips.