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Elevate Your Performance

Hey Picklebackers! 🏓✨

Pickleball is exploding in popularity — but with all the quick pivots, sudden stops, and repetitive swings, it’s no surprise that aches, strains, and injuries can creep in. The good news? With the right preparation and habits, most pickleball injuries are completely preventable.

In this week’s guide, we’ll walk you through proven strategies to keep your body strong, resilient, and ready for many more games ahead.

🏓 How to Avoid Injuries in Pickleball

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, attracting players of all ages because it’s fun, social, and easy to learn. But like any sport that involves quick changes of direction, repetitive swings, and time on your feet, it comes with a risk of injury. The most common issues include ankle sprains, pickleball elbow (similar to tennis elbow), shoulder pain, and lower back strain. The good news is that most of these problems are preventable with the right preparation, smart movement, and good recovery habits.

Below is a detailed guide on how to stay healthy and avoid injuries so you can keep enjoying pickleball for years to come.

🔥 Pre-Game Preparation

One of the biggest mistakes recreational players make is skipping a warm-up. Jumping straight into a fast-paced game when your muscles are cold increases the risk of strains, tears, or rolled ankles. A proper warm-up only takes 10–15 minutes and significantly reduces the chance of injury.

• Light Cardio (3–5 minutes): Jog around the court, do side shuffles, or jump rope to get your blood circulating.

• Dynamic Stretching (5 minutes): Focus on moving stretches rather than holding positions. Examples include leg swings, walking lunges with a torso twist, torso rotations, and arm circles. These prepare your joints and muscles for explosive movement.

• Movement Drills (2–3 minutes): Shadow a few dinks and volleys without the ball. Practice split-step hops and shuffle side to side. This not only activates your muscles but also primes your brain for the type of footwork you’ll need in a match.

Starting every session with this routine makes you quicker, sharper, and less injury-prone.

🎾 Safe Movement During Play

Many injuries in pickleball happen during play when players move incorrectly or push too hard for a ball. Paying attention to your footwork and body mechanics is critical.

• Stay Low: Bend your knees and keep your weight slightly forward. This protects your back and keeps you balanced.

• Shuffle, Don’t Cross: When moving sideways, use small shuffle steps rather than crossing your feet. Crossing increases the risk of tripping and ankle sprains.

• Avoid Backpedaling: Running straight backward for a lob is dangerous. Instead, pivot sideways and retreat with your body turned. This gives you stability and reduces the risk of falling.

• Compact Strokes: Overswinging puts extra strain on the shoulder and elbow. Use your legs and core to generate power instead of relying only on your arm.

• Grip Pressure: Many players squeeze their paddles too tightly. A relaxed grip (40–60% pressure) helps prevent elbow strain.

• Communicate: Doubles partners often collide when both go for the same ball. Calling “mine” or “yours” loudly avoids accidents.

Another important tip is knowing when not to go for a ball. Diving or lunging awkwardly may save a single point, but if it leads to a pulled hamstring or twisted ankle, it can keep you off the court for weeks.

🏋️ Off-Court Conditioning

Pickleball is not just a casual game — it’s a sport that demands agility, endurance, and strength. Building your body off the court pays dividends in injury prevention.

• Leg Strength: Squats, lunges, calf raises, and step-ups strengthen the muscles that stabilize your knees and ankles.

• Core Strength: A strong core reduces lower back strain and improves balance. Planks, side planks, and Russian twists are excellent choices.

• Upper Body: Use resistance bands or light weights to work on your shoulders and forearms. Rotator cuff exercises and wrist curls prevent overuse injuries.

• Balance Training: Standing on one leg, using a balance board, or practicing yoga poses improves stability, making it less likely you’ll roll an ankle.

• Flexibility: Regular stretching or yoga sessions keep muscles long and resilient, reducing the risk of pulls and tears.

Even two short strength-and-mobility sessions per week can make a huge difference in how resilient your body feels on the court.

🧊 Recovery and Post-Game Care

Injury prevention doesn’t stop when the game ends. Recovery is when your body repairs and prepares for the next session. Skipping cool-downs or neglecting soreness can allow small issues to grow into long-term problems.

• Static Stretching (5 minutes): Focus on calves, hamstrings, quads, shoulders, and lower back. Hold each stretch for 20–30 seconds.

• Walking Cool-Down: Spend a few minutes walking slowly around the court to lower your heart rate gradually.

• Hydration: Replace fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. Dehydration increases cramping risk.

• Ice or Compression: If your elbows, knees, or ankles feel sore, use ice or compression sleeves to reduce inflammation.

• Rest: Don’t push yourself to play high-intensity games every single day. Overuse injuries, particularly in the shoulder and elbow, often come from not allowing enough recovery time between sessions.

@benjohns.pb

How I recover and reset for the next match during a pickleball tournament ☝️ #pickleball #propickleball #pickleballtips #pickleballcoach

🚑 Common Pickleball Injuries and How to Prevent Them

• Pickleball Elbow (Tennis Elbow): Usually caused by gripping too tightly or overusing the forearm. Prevention: relax your grip, use proper paddle size, and strengthen forearms.

• Ankle Sprains: Often happen when wearing running shoes without lateral support. Prevention: always wear court shoes and do balance drills.

• Shoulder Injuries: From overswinging or weak rotator cuff muscles. Prevention: compact swings, proper warm-up, and rotator cuff strengthening.

• Lower Back Pain: Usually from bending at the waist instead of knees. Prevention: strengthen your core, bend your legs on low shots, and avoid twisting awkwardly.

✅ Final Takeaway

Pickleball injuries aren’t inevitable. By warming up, practicing safe footwork, building strength and balance off the court, and cooling down properly, you can dramatically reduce your risk. Think of yourself like an athlete — because even if pickleball is social and fun, your body still needs preparation and care to perform at its best.

Staying injury-free not only keeps you on the court, but it also helps you play better, improve faster, and enjoy the game longer.

Injuries don’t have to be part of your pickleball journey. With smart warm-ups, safe on-court movement, strength and balance training, and proper recovery, you’ll be setting yourself up for long-term health — and more fun on the court. So next time you lace up, think like an athlete, treat your body with care, and enjoy the game without setbacks.

Here’s to more rallies, more wins, and fewer trips to the ice pack!

Dill-lighfully yours,
Your PICKLEBACKCLUB Team 🥒🎾

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Invest While You Still Can

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