Most recreational-level pickleball players stick to one grip — but the pros don’t. We will show you how and why to change your pickleball grip mid-rally. Learn the Continental, Eastern, and Semi-Western pickleball grips, when to use each, and how switching your grip mid-rally can unlock better control, power, and spin.
Whether you're a beginner or intermediate pickleball player, mastering your grip could be the fastest way to level up your game.
Continental grip
- Hold the paddle like you're holding a hammer and hammer down.
- The v-webbing of your fingers should be right on the side of the paddle.
Semi-Western grip
- The Semi-Western grip is the opposite of the Continental grip.
- Use a frying pan or a fly swatter grip.
- Imagine picking your paddle up straight from the ground.
Eastern grip
- The Eastern grip is a combination of the Continental and Semi-Western grips.
- The Eastern grip is similar to shaking someone’s hand.
Which grips work for which pickleball shots?
How can the different grips be advantageous for different shots on the pickleball court?
Continental grip
The Continental grip can be a great shot for hitting a one-handed backhand. If you are going to roll or flick the ball, the continental grip will close the paddle face, giving you a lot of top spin. If you block or counter the ball with one hand, the continental grip will close that face so that you don't pop the ball up.
However, the opposite is also true. If you go to the forehand side, you will not have a lot of wrist flex. So to hit a successful forehand with the Continental grip, you have to work on extra footwork and body rotation to allow you to generate power and pace on the ball.
Semi-Western grip
The Semi-Western grip, or “fly swatter” grip, can help you on the baseline to create a lot of topspin and shape for shots like your serve, groundstroke, or drive. When you use the Semi-Western grip, you can create a lot of wrist lag and you have a windshield wiper motion that can really be helpful to generate spin.
However, if you're back on the baseline and you're using a Continental grip and you're trying to hit top spin or hit a drive, a lot of spin is going to be created from a low-to-high motion rather than your wrist. Because when you're using the Continental grip, you don't have as much wrist flex to create topspin. So you may notice a little bit of a difference in the flight path of a ball on a drive.
When you're using the Continental grip, you're going to see that ball travel on more of a flat plane with maybe a little bit less shape, but possibly a little bit more pace as it's more of a slapping motion. When you're using the Semi-Western grip, you're going to see the ball have a lot more arc and a lot more dip. That's true for your ground stroke and your serve.
However, if you take the Semi-Western grip up to the kitchen line, it can create a lot of issues in terms of covering the backhand because your wrist doesn't flex that way.
A lot of players that play with a Semi-Western grip at the kitchen line are going to be very brushy with the topspin roll. A lot of these players have to put a second hand on the paddle when hitting the backhand so that they can angle the paddle down and forward. It's virtually impossible to hit a backhand with your Semi-Western grip unless you use two hits.
Eastern grip
The Eastern grip is the preferred grip amongst a lot of pro and high-level players because it allows them to change their grip throughout the point more easily than the Continental or Semi-Western grips.
The Eastern grip is preferred by many players because, if a ball is left up and you want to flick or roll the ball, you can go from your Eastern grip to your continental grip quickly and easily.
What pickleball grip is right for you?
If you're a beginner, the Continental grip may be a good place to start. But eventually you can start to rotate the paddle in your hands with your knuckles toward the outside of the grip as you get more advanced to try to impart more spin.
While the Eastern grip may not give you a significant advantage on the backhand or the forehand side, it's a great neutral ground that allows you to get to certain places and get to certain contact points with just a little wrist flex.