Pickleball warm-up
“Warming up - You’ll Play Better!
A good pickleball warm-up combines dynamic movements to increase blood flow and prepare muscles, such as light jogging, arm circles, side shuffles, and lunges, with exercises to improve agility like grapevines or high knees. Conclude with practice volleys and serves to synchronize the body and mind for the game.
Warm-Up Exercises
- Jogging in Place or Around the Court: This gradually increases your heart rate and warms up your leg muscles.
- Lateral Movement: Move side-to-side, front-to-back, or do a grapevine to activate the muscles used for lateral movement.
- Arm Circles: Perform forward and backward arm circles, gradually increasing the size of the movement.
- Torso Twists: Gently twist your trunk from side to side, incorporating your core and back.
- Forward Lunges with Rotation: Step into a lunge and gently rotate your torso to the side of your front leg.
- Leg Swings: Swing your legs forward, backward, and from side to side to improve hip flexibility.
- Inchworms: Walk your hands out from a standing position into a plank, then walk your feet up to your hands to stretch your hamstrings.
- Side Shuffles: Get into a mini-squat and shuffle sideways for a few steps, then switch directions.
- High Knees: Lift your knees high as you march or jog in place to stretch the hip flexors.
- Butt Kicks: Bring your heels up towards your glutes to warm up your quadriceps and calves.
On-Court Practice
Paddle and Ball Control:
Volley Warm-up: Start with close-range volleys, gradually increasing the distance as your timing improves.
Serve and Return Practice: Practice your serves and returns to get a feel for your timing and coordination before the first rally.
Key Principles
Dynamic Over Static: Focus on active movements to warm up your muscles, rather than holding static stretches, which are better for after your game.
Progressive Intensity: Start with gentle movements and gradually increase the speed and range of motion as your body gets warmer.
Engage the Whole Body: Make sure your warm-up includes exercises for your legs, core, and arms to prepare all the major muscle groups.
Here you will find more example and detail about the importance of a dynamic warm-up before pickleball
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