So, You Want to Improve Your Pickleball Game!
If you’re reading this I can assume you are looking to improve your Pickleball game! Well, I have some good and bad news for you!
I’ll give you the bad news first…
It’s going to take some time, effort, and consistency on your part! (Time will pass anyways, so you might as well put in the effort and consistency to get better at your favorite sport!)
GOOD NEWS…
It’s no secret that ANYONE can improve their game with a couple simple “tricks!”
I am going to give you the secret to improving your game, how to dominate on the court and play your best longer!
Pickleball is a fun activity that has increased in popularity, especially in the older adult populations!
“...pickleball has gained popularity during the pandemic, growing 14.8% between 2020 and 2021. According to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry report, more than half (52%) of core players—those who play eight or more times a year—are 55 or older, and almost a third (32.7%) are 65-plus.” TIME, 2022
With the growing popularity of the game and the older adults (55+) taking full advantage of its added benefits, what are some things you can do to help improve your game?
Here are a couple things you can start doing today!
1) Work on Mobility
As we get older one of the first things we tend to notice is the loss of ability to move well and increase stiffness. This can translate over to your sport and bring about limitations in plays and drills. While taking time out the day to work on shoulder, upper back, hip and ankle mobility can improve your balance, power output, and mechanics needed on the court!
Focusing on upper back and shoulder mobility can help improve the serve and your agility to position your paddle in play from a forehand to backhand position. Being able to have the mobility to rotate quickly before attacking the ball can cost you points or even worse, the game!
Here are some Mobility Drills you can start doing to help unlock the upper back and shoulders:
The Side Lying Windmill or Arm Sweep
The T-Spine Rotation or Prayer Stretch
Wall Slides
You will want to add in some ankle and hip mobility in the mix to make sure you’re able to get in the right stance to reach for the ball in play and move into a new position! Here are a few you can start today:
Wall Ankle Mob or Ankle Flexion
Split Stance Adductor
2) Strength Training
Now that you are starting on your mobility, one of the ways you will be able to access the new range of motion and keep it for a long time is to strength train using the new range of motion! This can be the real game changer here! By adding in strength training you are able to produce more power, which means better and stronger serves, and plays on the ball. You can dominate your opponent on the court and build the endurance to play longer in tournaments!
Take it from Andy:
“Doing workouts that specifically target my posterior chain has helped minimize that pain. It has also increased my mobility, specifically my ability to get to the kitchen area just a little bit quicker, and to move laterally a little more efficiently. It’s made all the difference!”
This does not mean you have to start going to the gym every day for hours. You can gain these benefits by going a little as 2 times a week for 30 minutes, but ideally 3 times a week will give you the best carry over.
Strength training will also help you decrease the risk of injury. Even though Pickleball is a low impact sport there are still risks of injury. Developing a strength training routine centered around total body fitness, can help you maintain balance, healthy knees, back, and shoulders. We want to be able to play not just for the day or the tournament but in the coming years too! You can make this possible when dedicating just an hour or 2 a week on strength training!
If you are unsure on where to start or even how to start incorporating mobility and strength training into your routine I know a great “place” you can go! I am a coach on FUTURE! We have some of the top coaches that can help you reach your potential on and off the Pickleball courts!
If you are interested in getting started with a coach that can help you play your best, work around any limitations, and reach your goals you can contact Andy or myself at nikki@future.co for a 1-month free guest pass, just mention this article and include “I’m Ready to Play my Best.”
Author
Nikki Jarrett, FUTURE Performance Coach, and Owner of NJ Training Systems
