Pickleball injury prevention strategies
Pickleball injury prevention strategies focus on preparing the body and brain for the dynamic demands of the game. This includes proper warm-ups, strength, mobility, and hydration to reduce injury risk and improve performance.
Many common injuries stem from skipping preparation, poor movement patterns, and fatigue. A structured approach that includes athletic training can help players stay consistent and pain free.
By building strength, improving coordination, and staying hydrated, players can extend their longevity on the court. The goal is not just to play, but to keep playing without setbacks.
5 min Read
Pickleball is notorious for its warm ups….or lack there of!
I’m guilty of this as well….a court needs a 4th as you walk in so you
Throw you stuff down and run on the court, take 5 dinks and say “I’m good!”
Personally I’ll do a little groin stretch as I’m taking my dinks.
Let’s be real….this is not good. This is not adequate by any sports standards!
And that’s exactly why so many pickleball players end up hurt.
Why Pickleball Injuries Are So Common
Pickleball feels like a low-impact sport.
But it’s actually very dynamic:
Quick starts and stops
Lunging in multiple directions
Rotational swings
Repeated overhead and shoulder use
And most people playing aren’t preparing their body for those demands
That’s where injuries creep in.
The warm up is meant to get the BRAIN and Body ready for what it is about to do! I emphasize the brain here because it likes predictability. Giving it input about what’s coming next is what makes it feel safe It feels safe this way. If we just step out on the court and start doing all sorts of movements, it gets a little scared and scared means tight and protective.
When you gradually expose it to movement:
👉 it feels safe
👉 it allows more motion
👉 it coordinates better
When you skip that process?
The brain goes:
“Uh…we’re doing WHAT right now?!”
And that leads to:
Tightness
Poor coordination
Protective movement patterns
And that’s where injuries start.
Common Mistakes That Lead to Pickleball Injuries
Most pickleball injuries don’t come out of nowhere.
They’re usually the result of a few common habits that add up over time:
1. Skipping a Warm-Up
Jumping straight into play without preparing your body is one of the biggest risk factors.
2. Relying Only on Stretching
Stretching feels good, but it doesn’t prepare you for the speed, coordination, and strength pickleball requires.
3. Playing Through Fatigue
That “just one more game” mentality?
That’s when form breaks down and injuries happen.
I can’t tell you how often I hear people say “I knew I should not have played that last game”
4. Using Your Arm Instead of Your Body
If you’re generating power mostly from your shoulder instead of your hips and trunk, you’re putting a lot of unnecessary stress on your shoulder.
5. Ignoring Small Warning Signs
Tightness, stiffness, or minor pain that “goes away after a game” is often your body’s early warning system.
Ignore it long enough… and it won’t stay small
A Simple 5-Minute Warm-Up That Actually Works
Instead of 5 dinks and hope… try this:
1. Lateral lunges: Prep for side-to-side movement
2. Standing Thoracic Twist: Get the trunk and hips involved
3. SLD: Wake up coordination, balance and your brakes!
4. Goal Posts: Prep the shoulders for repeated use
5. Pencil Pushups (a What?!): Gets the eyes tracking and give the brain a ton of input!
This doesn’t need to be long
It just needs to tell your brain: “We’re about to move”
The warm up is just one piece of the injury prevention strategy.
Another piece and maybe the more important part is having the proper strength and mobility to play.
Look I get it….the time we have we want to use playing. It’s fun, it’s social, if we are lucky it’s outside in fresh air! But even just 1 session of strength training a week can help prevent injuries!
The most common injuries from pickleball that I have seen are low back, knee and shoulders.
Pickleball is a VERY dynamic game!
Knees Need to Handle Load
We need to lunge for balls.
That means your knees need to comfortably go over your toes.
You Need a Strong, Stable Core
And not just abs.
Your “core” is everything from your shoulders down to your hips. (Technically it’s everything from head to toe, but for this, think shoulders to hips)
This is what allows you to:
stay low in a ready position
react quickly
control your movements
Rotation Is Key
Pickleball requires a lot of rotation as well. If we don’t rotate we then place extra stress on joints like the shoulder, trying to get more power from just shoulder and arm strength instead of using our hips.
Hydration: The Most Overlooked Strategy
One last piece that is mostly overlooked is hydration! Especially now as we are moving toward warmer temperatures, staying hydrated is a must! It is so easy to just change sides and start a new game without getting something to drink. I get it, games are “Only 15-20 long” But play 4 games in a row and that is now an hour to almost an hour and a half and no hydration breaks!
Our bodies are over 70% water….we need to keep that in order to work properly, As we get more dehydrated tissues don’t move as well, things get sticky and tight and that is a recipe for injury!
Dehydration also begins to cause cognition issues meaning our brain can’t make decisions as well because it isn’t safe!
So again hydrations is Muy Importante!
My general recommendation for hydration is you need a minimum of half your body weight in ounces per day if you NOT active. So if you weigh 150, you need to drink 75oz/day. When you are active especially when it is hot that goes up to 90-100% so you replenish what you lose while you are active….especially if you are a big sweater!
I also like to have a mix of water and electrolytes. The electrolytes are key for cell health and activity.
I actually wrote a whole blog on this topic, you can read that here:
Hydration For Injury Prevention
If You Only Do 3 Things This Week
If all of this feels like a lot, start here:
1. Do a 5-minute warm-up before you play
Not perfect, just do something!
2. Add 1 strength session this week
Focus on lunges, rotation, and core stability.
3. Stay on top of hydration
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty, especially as temperatures rise…hydration starts way before you are thirsty!
This alone will put you ahead of most people on the court.
The Bottom Line
If you want to keep playing pickleball without getting hurt:
Warm up your brain, not just your muscles
Build some baseline strength
Move well (especially rotation + lunging)
Stay hydrated
Because the goal isn’t just to play…
It’s to keep playing.
If you live in the South Bay and you’re dealing with pain while playing pickleball, or want to prevent it before it starts, this is exactly what I help people with. If you would like to learn more go HERE. Let’s keep you on the court!