How to Hit a Padel Forehand Without a Tennis-Size Swing

A reliable padel forehand is compact: prepare early, create space beside the ball and guide it toward a target. If you come from tennis, the main adjustment is not learning to hit harder. It is learning to do less.

The forehand is the groundstroke played on your dominant side—the right side of the body for a right-handed player. You will use it most often while defending from the back of the court, either directly after the bounce or after the ball rebounds from the glass.

The basic forehand in six steps

1. Start ready

Face the play with bent knees, your weight toward the front of your feet and the racket in front. Hold the throat of the racket lightly with your non-dominant hand. This can help you begin the shoulder turn instead of taking the racket back with the hitting arm alone.

A continental, or “hammer,” grip is a practical starting grip because it can also be used for volleys, serves and wall rebounds without a large grip change, as Babolat’s padel technique guide explains. Hold it firmly enough to control the racket but not so tightly that the arm becomes rigid.

2. Recognize the forehand and turn early

As soon as you read the ball coming to your forehand, turn your shoulders and take the racket back around hip height. Keep the preparation compact; there is no need for a loop above or far behind the shoulder.

Early preparation matters because a beginner’s padel forehand uses a short swing and prioritizes control. The LTA recommends getting the racket back as soon as you recognize the forehand, then using a short backswing rather than generating unnecessary power (LTA Padel).

3. Move to the ball—do not reach for it

Use small adjustment steps to put the ball beside you. Turn roughly sideways, leave enough room for the racket to travel and establish balance before swinging. For a comfortable right-handed forehand, that often means stepping toward the shot with the left foot.

Checkpoint: at the start of the forward swing, you should not be falling sideways, stretching your arm or finding the ball behind your hip.

4. Contact in front

Let the ball reach a manageable height and meet it slightly in front of your body. Keep your head steady and watch the contact rather than looking early at the target.

Think “push through,” not “whip up.” The racket travels through the back of the ball and continues toward the intended line. A mostly neutral face is easier for a beginner to repeat than an exaggerated attempt to create topspin.

5. Finish under control

Allow a natural follow-through, but keep it proportionate to the shot. Your racket should not pull you off balance. The LTA describes the action as pushing through the back of the ball while keeping the racket face aligned with the target (LTA Padel).

6. Recover with your partner

Return the racket to the front and regain a balanced court position before the opponents strike again. Do not admire the shot. Use the “hit, recover, prepare, read, move” sequence in this guide to stopping ball watching in padel.

Hit now or use the glass?

This decision comes before the swing.

The service line is a useful beginner’s reference, not a rule:

• Bounce clearly before the service line: usually move forward and play the forehand directly.
• Bounce beyond the service line: usually make room and let the ball rebound from the back glass.
• Slow ball: you may have time to take it before the glass.
• Fast ball: the glass can absorb pace and give you more time to organize the return.

This depth-and-speed framework comes from the LTA’s groundstroke guidance. Do not stand on the service line and apply it mechanically; read the trajectory, pace and available space.

If you choose the glass, resist stepping toward the first bounce and jamming yourself against the wall. Prepare early, create room for the rebound and time your forehand to the ball coming away from the glass. After the ball bounces on your side, it may hit the glass and remain in play, but you must return it before its second bounce (LTA beginner guidance). For the wider court rules, see padel rules for tennis players.

A simple point example

You and your partner are defending behind the service line while both opponents hold the net. A moderate ball lands short of the service line on your forehand side.

1. Call “mine” early so your partner knows you are taking it.
2. Turn your shoulders and set the racket around hip height.
3. Use adjustment steps to meet the ball in front.
4. Send a controlled ball cross-court or through the middle rather than trying to pass through a tiny gap.
5. Recover alongside your partner.

Now change only one detail: the opponent’s shot arrives faster and lands beyond the service line. Instead of lunging at it, clear space, let it rebound from the back glass and play the later contact. The forehand action remains compact; the timing and position change.

What tennis players should unlearn

• Large takeback: it consumes time and makes late contact more likely. Prepare early but keep the racket close.
• Automatic heavy topspin: first learn a clean, controlled ball with a simple racket path.
• Winner-first thinking: from the back court, a forehand often keeps the rally neutral or creates a chance to lob; it does not have to end the point.
• Charging every deep ball: sometimes the correct movement is to make space and receive the rebound.
• Recovering alone: padel is doubles. Move in relation to your partner so a gap does not open between you.

A 15-minute forehand progression

Work on one half of the court with a partner feeding from the other side.

Five minutes: direct forehands. Ask for gentle feeds that bounce before the service line. Hit at 50–60% pace toward a generous cross-court target. Count a repetition only if you contact in front and finish balanced.

Five minutes: make the decision. The feeder mixes shorter balls with deeper balls. Say “now” before playing a direct forehand or “glass” before allowing the rebound. The call forces you to decide from depth and speed rather than changing your mind at the last moment.

Five minutes: rally and recover. Play cooperatively. After every forehand, bring the racket back in front and reconnect with your partner’s position. Set a target of ten controlled shots rather than counting winners.

Your final checkpoint is simple: short preparation, space beside the ball, contact in front, balanced recovery. If one of those disappears when you add speed, reduce the pace and rebuild the same shape.