How to Improve Your Padel Backhand: Techniques, Drills & Tactical Tips
If you’re serious about becoming a better padel player, it’s time to stop treating your backhand like an awkward relative at Christmas. You can’t just hide it and hope it doesn’t show up, it’s going to get exposed, especially by players who know how to sniff out a weakness.
In padel, your backhand is far more than a rescue shot. It’s a cornerstone of both your defence and your attack. Done right, it keeps you in rallies, wins you points, and earns you respect. Done badly? It’s a free point machine for your opponents. Let’s fix that.
The Standard Padel Backhand: Bread and Butter, Not an Afterthought
Think of the standard backhand groundstroke as your daily brew, it doesn’t need to be fancy, but if it’s not solid, your whole game starts to unravel. A clean, consistent backhand is what gets you out of tight corners and lets you stay toe-to-toe with stronger players. Forget trying to blast winners, this shot is about control, placement, and doing the basics to a ridiculously high standard.
Grip and Preparation
Start with a continental grip, not just because it’s textbook, but because it’s versatile. It sets you up for flat or slice shots without a faffy grip change.
Get your racket up early. Think shoulder height with a slightly open face, ready to go before the ball even bounces.
Use your non-dominant hand to balance and rotate. It’s not just for show, it controls your prep and your shoulder turn.
Footwork and Execution
Step into the ball with purpose. Your lead foot isn’t just for decoration, it anchors your body and transfers weight.
Keep your head steady and your base low. Balance is your best mate here.
Follow through towards your target, not across your chest. You’re guiding the ball, not fencing.
Backhand Drill
Rally cross-court with a partner using only backhands. Aim for 50 clean hits in a row at 70% intensity. If you lose your rhythm, reset and try again. It’s about feel, not force.
Slice Backhand: The Silent Assassin of the Padel World
This one doesn’t shout, but it gets the job done. The slice backhand in padel is a deceptively nasty shot, it stays low, skids off the glass, and makes your opponent’s life miserable. If you’re not using it, you’re missing out on a proper tactical weapon.
The goal isn’t spin for spin’s sake, you’re trying to keep the ball out of your opponent’s strike zone and make them generate their own pace (which most players hate doing). Plus, it’s a lifesaver for low balls and awkward rebounds.
Technique Breakdown
Slightly open racket face, not pancake-flat, but tilted enough to slice through the ball cleanly.
Controlled high-to-low swing path, think “sweep the crumbs off the table” rather than “chop a log.”
Contact out in front, gives you more control and keeps the shot compact.
Keep it deep and low, aim for that awkward zone just above the net but still well into your opponent’s half.
Slice Drill
Practice cross-court slices against the side glass. This isn’t about power; it’s about keeping the ball low, skidding, and unpredictable. Bonus points if you force your partner into a slice of their own.
Backhand Volleys: Where Control Beats Chaos
At the net, everything happens in a flash, especially in padel, where reflexes often matter more than brute strength. Your backhand volley isn’t about hitting winners from waist height like you’re Novak on Centre Court. It’s about staying solid, tidy, and giving your opponents absolutely nothing to work with.
This is one of those shots that separates decent club players from the ones you hate playing on league night. When done properly, a compact backhand volley kills pace, redirects pressure, and helps you hold your ground like a brick wall in trainers.
Technique Essentials
Racket up and ready, ideally around eye level. If it’s dangling near your knees, you’re already too late.
Short backswing, no time for dramatic prep. Think of it as a jab, not a haymaker.
Absorb or punch, if the ball’s coming in hot, soften your grip and let it die on contact. If you’ve got time, push gently forward with intent.
Engage the legs and core, not just your arm. Your lower half is your stabiliser and power base.
Coaching Insight
The most common mistake? Trying to "do something" with every volley. Sometimes the best shot is a boring one. Place it smart, stay balanced, and wait for your moment.
Salida de Pared: Conquering the Glass Monster
The ball’s just come off the back wall. You panic. Do you sprint in and scoop it up? Wait too long and it’s on your shoelaces. The salida de pared, literally, the “exit from the wall” is one of the trickiest shots to master in padel. But once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s like a cheat code for calm under pressure.
This shot is all about timing, reading the bounce, and resisting every urge to rush it. If you’re swinging like you’re swatting flies, it’s time for a rethink.
What You Need to Do
Wait for the ball to come to you, don’t lunge in early. Let it rise off the glass and settle into your strike zone.
Prepare early, racket low, have your racket face ready to go, with a compact backswing.
Shot choice matters, use a slice if the ball stays low, or a flat stroke if it sits up nicely.
Stay balanced, footwork over flash. You want to step in, not stretch and hope.
Wall Drill
Have a coach or mate feed balls that bounce off the back wall. Start slowly, focus on clean, controlled contact and keeping your returns deep. Build up to game-speed reps once you’re consistent.
Tactical Awareness: Backhand as Your Game Manager
The backhand isn’t just a shot, it’s a decision-maker. Whether you’re under the cosh or looking to open up space, the right backhand at the right time can completely flip the dynamic of a point. And no, it doesn’t always need to be a scorcher down the line.
Your backhand is often the tool you use to reset, neutralise, or transition, three of the most underrated skills in modern padel.
Match-Smart Moves
Deep cross-court backhands can buy you breathing room when you're scrambling.
Down-the-line winners are rare, but deadly when your opponent’s been dragged wide.
After a lob, use your backhand to push forward, especially if they’re slow getting into position.
Keep your shape when defending, don’t overplay a backhand just because you’re bored of rallying.
Tactical padel is clever padel. And clever padel is what wins at every level, from the courts at your local club to the WPT show courts.
Pro Tips from the Backhand Bosses
Want to know what top-level padel players do that most amateurs don’t? They respect the backhand. They drill it. They analyse it. They don’t moan about it, they master it.
Here’s a selection of wisdom worth applying every time you hit the court:
Repetition is everything: Top players don’t need motivation, they’ve hit thousands of backhands. Get used to the grind.
Film your stroke: Your memory lies. Video doesn’t. Watch your setup, your follow-through, and most importantly, your footwork.
Train your off-hand: It guides your prep and rotation. Neglect it and your backhand prep will always be half-baked.
Wall practice = timing mastery: The wall doesn’t lie either. It rewards precision and punishes laziness.
Final Word: Build a Backhand You Can Trust
You don’t need to have a flashy backhand. But you do need a functional, reliable, and deliberate one. It’s not about impressing your doubles partner with a screaming winner, it’s about making fewer errors than your opponents and being a pain to break down.
So whether you’re working on slicing it low, volleying it tight, or taking it calmly off the back glass, give your backhand the love it deserves.
Because in padel, when your backhand holds up… everything else just gets easier.
