How to Prevent Injury in Pickleball and Grow Stronger in the Sport

Written by Ben Sonnenburg

 

Pickleball has quickly become one of the most popular sports among all ages and especially among the senior population. 

This is because it is meant to be played at a slower pace compared to tennis where there are fast returns. Within the community, it is also a major social event where people gather to have a good time of fellowship and camaraderie.

The Association of Pickleball Professionals reports that there is currently 36.5 million pickleball players as of January 2023 with 14% of Americans playing at least one time. Unfortunately, the rate of injuries for the players has also risen. Among men there is a 52.9% injury rate and 47.1% rate among women (Casals et al., 2023).

Some of the most common injuries were hamstring tears, sprains, strains, and bone fractures. With the incredible rise in injuries there needs to be something done to prevent it in order for people to keep playing. 

One of the main causes for these injuries is muscle imbalances and improper movement patterns (Vitale, Liu 2020).

To prevent this, the body needs to be properly strengthened with training focused on the hamstrings and developing good movements. 

Normal bodybuilding exercises will not cut it. They focus on one muscle group at a time without any good rotation or movement. 

There is often zero work done in ankle stabilization and control during quick bursts to reach the pickleball.

Functional strength training is aimed towards helping the body perform demands that are placed on it in everyday life. 

One of which is training specifically for pickleball. Some exercises that are helpful are the hurdle hop, hamstring activation, and proprioceptively learning to feel the ground and pull instead of just pushing with the quadriceps. 

By strengthening some of these smaller muscles the risk of injury can be reduced by better preparing the body for the demands of pickleball. 

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References:

Vitale, K., & Liu, S. (2020). Pickleball: Review and clinical recommendations for this fast-growing sport. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 19(10), 406–413. https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000759

Casals, M., Jimenez, S., Caparros, T., Martínez-Gallego, R., & Baiget, E. (2023). Scoping review and quality of studies on the epidemiology of pickleball injuries. Apunts Sports Medicine, 58(217), 100403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apunsm.2023.100403