Preparing for Pickleball!

Contributed by: Marquette Physical Therapy

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April is here and Spring is upon us. We're kicking seasonal depression out the window and taking advantage of extra daylight hours. And I know what all y'all are thinking...time to hit the Pickleball courts! 

Young and old, athletes and non-athletes are participating in this new craze. And let me tell you: I've never seen so many injuries from one sport in my 8 years of practicing. Not just little injuries, like an ankle sprain or shoulder tendinitis. I'm talkin' broken hips, shattered ankles, joint dislocations, and concussions.  What are y'all doing out there?!? 

Let's discuss injury prevention. Although pickleball is targeted to the “older” crowd, that does not mean it's easy. Quick feet and rotational movements require full-body stability and coordination. Here are some tips and tricks to help you when preparing for pickleball: 

Footwear: 

The new footwear fad is supportive, thick-soled tennis shoes (picture Hokas). These shoes are almost too helpful in their support, assisting the rocking motion our foot takes with each step. However, this decreases our body's ability to be in control of this movement. In addition, these tennis shoes are made for sagittal plane movements (moving forward and backward in space). Sports like pickleball require movements in all planes of movement (side-to-side and rotational), and quickly too! Consequently, falls happen which can result in significant injury. Instead, try cross training or court shoes with a higher density rubber sole.

Plyometrics:

Pickleball requires quick movements, aggressive lunging forward and sideways, shuffling, running, and hopping. Unless you're doing specific training, you're probably not used to incorporating these types of movements into your workouts or daily life. We need to prepare our bodies for these movements; otherwise, injury is nearly inevitable.

This is where plyometrics come in: exercises that use speed and strength to improve power. To start, I recommend performing a plyometric movement in each plane of movement.

- sagittal: forward and backwards shuffling

- frontal: grapevine

- transverse: 90 degree turn hops

Take these tips into account to prevent injury the next time you play Pickleball!

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Dealing with pain or injury? Need help returning to activities you love? You do NOT need a physician’s prescription to see a physical therapist in the state of Kansas and yes, insurance still applies (check if your state has a similar practice law - in some states you still need a physician's prescription to see a PT). Marquette Physical Therapy has two locations - Leawood & De Soto, KS. We treat one-on-one with a focus on manual therapies with specialties in Graston Technique™, Dry Needling, Pelvic Floor, Vestibular/Concussion, golf, and diagnostic ultrasound.

Marquette Physical Therapy Contact Information:

• Find us at: www.marquettept.com  

• Call us at 913-484-7632.

• Follow along on Instagram for more info and exercise ideas: https://www.instagram.com/marquettephysicaltherapy/