Pickleball: Strength and conditioning can help prevent injuries
Last week I talked about injuries and exercises, but this week let’s look at some workouts that can prevent injury.
I have had some major personal challenges with foot drop, numbness and recovery from a fractured femur at the medial condyle. Now I have some meniscus issues. How to avoid this?
Water workouts – safe, non-weight bearing.
Swimming – aerobic, safe, non-weight bearing.
Focused walking practice. Work on proper gait so you can recover without issues.
Yoga – controlled moves, no risk of further injury. Modify as needed.
Pilates – same – controlled moves, little risk of injury. Modify as needed.
Drill only, no playing with pickleball. Be in a safe, controlled environment to practice. Eliminate lunging, going for a ball out of your comfort zone, and risking further injury.
RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. This is crucial to joint rehabilitation.
Stretch! Hamstrings, quadriceps, Achilles tendon, shoulders, wrists, elbows. Make time for this every day.
Cross-training. Do not count pickleball as your only exercise during the week. Walk, cycle, join an aerobics class, do yoga, Pilates, get on the recumbent bike or stationary bike, hike, swim.
Massage: Every two weeks if you can afford it. Take the time to breathe and relax and get in touch with your soreness and injuries as your therapist works on you.
Take a break. Step away for a few weeks to let your body rest and recover. Pickleball will be there when you return.
Julie Shiller, owner of The Other 23 Hours Coaching, is hosting a pickleball strength and conditioning workshop at 10 a.m., March 18 at 111 Conditioning in Cathedral City. The site is at 35688 Cathedral Canyon Dr. Registration is $20 and participants must sign up 48 hours in advance.
Coach Mary's Tip of the Week: Return of Serve
The return of serve is probably the most important set up shot in pickleball. Be sure to watch the attached video from the Pickleball Journey boys, Elijah and Justin, on the key points to an effective service return.
Start back behind the baseline, maybe 4-5 feet behind the line. This helps you get your hips and body behind the ball, instead of hitting off your back foot. If it is a short serve, it is always easier to run in than to run back. Use a wider stance, bent knees. Side note: be aware of your opponent’s habits. Do they serve wide? Deep? Hard? Short? Lob? Adjust! The footwork comes before the ball gets to you!
Keep your momentum forward, so you can get to the net. The advantage for the returning team is that they can immediately come to the net – take advantage of this!
Keep your return soft and deep, rather than hard. This gives you more time to get to the net! Using a slice or a cut also gives you a spin that keeps the ball in the court and deep. A flatter slice will be better than a hard cut. A slower return gives you more time to get to the NVZ.
Placement: I want to place my return deep, and also to 1) the weaker player, who cannot hit a third ball drop, 2) the middle of the court, to the T, so they have to communicate, and 3) to the power player, so I can keep them off the net for one rally.
Here is a great video: https://bit.ly/3ZkyZtH
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Pickleball: Strength, conditioning can help prevent injuries
