Backhand Padel: how to do it properly

You have a good reverse padel? Are you sure you're doing this heist right? Or did you follow the advice of some wise “cousin”?

A question that arises spontaneously because, on balance, there are many players who think they know how to do it but, in reality, they are completely wrong.

This is because the dynamics with which it is achieved are completely different from those of other racket sports such as, for example, tennis.

If you need a little clarification or if you just want to compare your backhand to the official version, then let's see how it's done.

How to do the Backhand in Padel

Let's start immediately from a fundamental point to understand, namely that the padel backhand is not done with two hands as in tennis, but with one hand.

In addition to this, even if the few tennis players who do a one-handed backhand were taken as an example, the execution would still be different.

In tennis the stroke is very loaded, with the movement of the arm(s) continuing to reach the other side of the body, but not here.

To make a perfect backhand to padel, the altarpiece starts just behind the left shoulder, and then ends a little ahead on the right.

In addition to this, to prepare it you need to turn your feet and body in the direction in which the ball will pass, so if you're right-handed you'll have to turn left and vice versa if you're left-handed.

So, to give a quick recap of how it works, let's try to give a mental picture of the action through our words.

As the ball is coming, you approach the point of impact by turning to the side of the ball and starting to prepare your arms.

You grip the racket with two hands, one on the handle and the other (the one you don't use) just need to hold the tubular area between the handle and the face with your fingers.

As soon as the movement starts, keep the grip with only the main hand, hit the ball and continue the movement without rotating the body or fully extending the arm.

If you want to know more about padel you can read our articles on how to play padel, the field size, or on classic questions of playing padel.

At this link, you will find the best padel rackets of 2022!

Backhand Volée Padel

We talked about the classic backhand, but there would be a few more words to spend on the backhand of volley, as it has substantial differences.

In this case (also applicable when the ball has a high and slow bounce), the best thing to do is to charge a spin shot.

What effect? A rotation opposite to that of the direction of the ball, or a backspin.

To do this you will have to hit the ball with the racket positioned on the edge, preferring the lower part of the ball to impress the rotation.

In this way, when it touches the ground, it will suddenly lose speed, planting itself and causing the opponent to make a mistake.

The effectiveness depends on the skill of who is in front of you of course, with less experienced players who will be surprised more easily by any effect.

In general though, a tricky ball will always give you a higher chance of success, so you need to master your shot.

To do it you have to charge with the racket behind your head (as in the photo), maintaining the two-handed grip of the classic backhand.

Tilt the blade to the angle you can afford (based on the speed and direction of the ball), then strike hard, ending the swing in front of your body.

If well executed, the ball will come out quickly and then abruptly slow down as soon as it hits the ground.

If you want to know the best drip rackets or le better than the Nox, you can read our articles.

Backhand Two Hands Padel

But how? Didn't you say that the backhand is done with one hand? Yes but, among professional players, there are rare cases of a two-handed backhand.

The main executor is Martha Marrero, but not the only one. Either way, it's a very situational hit and not a hard and fast rule.

Those who use it point out that it no longer applies to many game situations, especially after the ball bounces off the wall.

Since it is a stroke that is only performed by very few pros on the WPT, we do not feel we can recommend it to everyone.

These folks experimented and found that it fell perfectly within their style and capabilities, but that's not the rule.

What works well for a champion may be completely useless in the hands of amateurs or amateurs, so we can only encourage you to experiment.

If you find that doing a two-handed backhand helps you in certain situations, then make this technique your own.

If, on the other hand, you get disappointing results, stick with the classic tenets and let other people use it.

Conclusions

Now you know everything there is to know about the backhand in padel, go and try to perfect your shot to the fullest.

For those coming from tennis it is difficult to get used to the change of gesture but, after some time, it becomes natural.

We hope you will soon find the squaring of the circle, becoming a player with no weaknesses.