If you have ever taken a lesson from me you may know that I stress pickleball fitness. Not because I really love going to the gym…but because it is critical to my ability to be on the court.
injuries
Before I began playing pickleball I had a ton of major injuries. I have had back, knee and shoulder surgery. Because of these things, I need to keep my body as strong as I can. I also need to work hard to avoid injuries on the court, and I want my students to be as injury free as possible. That I why I stress three keys:
- Technique – While many players are just concerned with getting the ball over the net, I look at the way my student is using their body. Proper body position and moving efficiently is key to minimizing strain and injury. Here are just a few examples:
- Players complain of back pain. Often this is caused by hunching over at the NVZ and not engaging their core. Off court work to strengthen your core by incorporating exercises such as the one shown above.
- Ankle and knee injuries can be caused by excessive (and heavy) movements on the court. These players should take some time off and work to make their movement more deliberate, and work to improve their range of motion.
- Tennis elbow is often caused by overusing the elbow and wrist. Again I work with a student on their range of motion, focusing on proper use of their shoulder.
- Slow Down – Many players are too worried about getting to the ball. This is especially true of newer players who may rush about and lose control. Worst yet, they lead with their head making them subject to falls. Even at the intermediate level, there is almost always too much movement, particularly at the NVZ line. This can lead to foot faults, failing into the “kitchen” and may even result in hitting your partner. It is important to be stable and paddled while moving my paddle around me. To improve this movement hold a small medicine ball between to hands extended in front of you. Rotate the ball around your body while keeping your feet in place.
- Trust – While we have often talked about trusting our partner…we also have to trust our own body. Students may tell me they can’t step to a ball because their knees are bad…but then I see them hunched over, nearly squatting, at the NVZ. Off the court, I will work on directional lunges, focusing on keeping my body upright and loose and my knees relaxed. I don’t need to get into a deep lunge where I might be straining. Instead, I just want to move with control, deliberately from side to side, on the diagonal and back. When you move on the court, I want you to imagine a puma. They don’t just let their prey know they are there. They slowly stalk their prey until the can jump on it and surprise them. The court really isnt as big as we make it. When we work on slower more delierberate movements we learn to trust our movements.
My pickleball fitness challenge
I challenge all of you who don’t exercise off the court to spend 5-10 minutes, 3 times a week focusing on exercises that will improve your game. Most should focus on balance and range of motion exercises. This can be done without any equipment!I have recently added some CrossFit exercise for fun, but I don’t think that is for everyone. I try to challenge myself physically but always gear it towards what will help me on the court. Pickleball fitness not only helps us be stronger and faster when we play but more importantly minimizes further injury.
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