Pickleball 101: The Continental Grip

Learn to grip your pickleball paddle consistently for maximum power with these pickleball tips.

In some racquet sports, you’re required to constantly shift your grip along the handle to maximize your impact with a variety of hits.

Pickleball is not so complicated. One of the greatest pleasures of the game is the simplicity of it, allowing players to pick it up quickly and immediately start building skills.

The first skill to master is the continental grip, which can be used to hit every kind of pickleball shot. This grip keeps the face of the racquet in line with the palm, and because of this flatness, it can help you maximize your forward power during volleys, backhands, dink shots and overheads.

HOW TO USE THE CONTINENTAL GRIP

Performing this grip is simple. As Wayne Dollard, founder of Level-Up Pickleball Camps, explains:

“Grab the handle and shake hands with it. Imagine it’s a hammer striking a nail. That’s your grip.”

As you play, check to make sure that you’re maintaining this grip and keeping the face of the racquet flat. Maintaining a consistent continental grip can help bring you one step closer to mastering the pickleball court.

To learn more about how to play pickleball, check out our videos on dinking technique and how to serve.