The Modern Way To Hold Your Paddle

Pickleball is changing...

Author

Shea Underwood
March 14, 2025

Week 43

Welcome back to the Road to Pro Newsletter! Just by opening this issue, you are now automatically eligible for this week’s paddle giveaway! Last week’s winner was Melanie.

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

  • One tip for optimizing your grip

  • One drill to help you put this into practice

  • A chance to win a new paddle

  • A free book full of game-changing tips

Now, let's get to it!

Big shoutout to Selkirk for sponsoring this newsletter and making all the paddle giveaways I do possible! I personally have been using a Selkirk paddle for over five years now, and every paddle I’ve used has been better than the last one. Currently, I’m using their newest paddle - the Project 008, and it’s giving me power and spin than I’ve ever had before. You can pick yours up at Selkirklabs.com and use code INF-Shea for a gift card on a future purchase.

Tip of the Week

The way you hold your paddle can affect a lot of things on the court. There are many different grips to use, and they can all be valuable depending on the situation. One big misconception that players have is that they have to stick to just one grip. However, it can be really advantageous to play around with a few different grips and find a couple that work best for different areas of the court.

You’ll often see professional players change grips based on their court positioning. They’ll use one grip for their serves or drives, and another when they’re at the kitchen line hitting dinks and speedups. For example, you could use a semi-western grip (forehand grip) for extra topspin on your serve, a continental grip (balanced grip) for smooth and consistent drops, and an eastern grip (backhand grip) for a roll at the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to experiment. When you start trying out different grips in various situations on the court, you’ll figure out which grip best suits each situation, giving you a more dynamic game overall. You often have time on the court to slightly adjust your grip between shots, so take advantage of it when you can. Check out the image below so you can understand how to hold your paddle using the different grips.

Check out the video below for more detail on your grip and for more visuals!

Literally Everything I Know About Pickleball

I created a small free book called, “The Golden Rules of Pickleball” that consists of the most foundational rules of pickleball that remain true at every level. You can download it for free by clicking on the link below!

I also created a longer book called, “Literally Everything I Know About Pickleball,” which is a compilation of 200 tips covering everything from serves and dinks to speedups, counterattacks, drives, training, and even pickleball products. You can get it for free by referring three new subscribers to this newsletter, or you can purchase it for only $10 here. You’ll find the referral information located at the bottom of this issue.

Drill of the Week

It’s important to practice switching grips when you drill so you can easily transfer that skill into your games. Practicing it beforehand will also help you build comfort and ease using different types of grips. I recommend grabbing a drilling partner and playing a game of singles - full court or half, it’s up to you. During the game, your main objective should be to practice using one grip when you serve, and being able to switch to another for the remainder of your shots.

On your serve, I recommend using a semi-western grip for extra topspin, then switching to a continental grip for the rest of the rally. As I mentioned above, the continental grip is very balanced, making your forehands and backhands really comfortable. It’s a super solid grip all around and will help with consistent shots overall.

Of course, this is all just my personal recommendation. You should play around with different grips, practice switching mid-rally, and see what feels best for your style of play.

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