Pickleball Warm-Up & Injury Prevention: Protect Your Elbow, Knees & Ankles

Pickleball is easy on the body compared to most racquet sports — but "easy" isn't "injury-proof". A few minutes of preparation prevents the strains that sideline players for months.

The 7-minute warm-up

1. 2 min light cardio — jog the court perimeter or skip in place until you're warm.
2. Leg swings & lunges (2 min) — forward and side leg swings, then walking lunges. Your first lunge of the day should not be for a drop shot.
3. Arm circles & wrist rolls (1 min) — small to large circles both directions; roll the wrists.
4. Shadow swings (1 min) — slow-motion forehands, backhands and overheads with your paddle.
5. Progressive dinks (1 min) — start every session dinking softly before anyone drives the ball.

The common injuries — and how to avoid them

"Pickleball elbow"

Tendon overload from gripping too tight and mishits off-centre. Fixes: relax your grip (hold the paddle like a bird, not a hammer), and use a paddle with a large sweet spot — the 16 mm core and balanced weight of the DYSSC HexCore Pro noticeably reduce the vibration that aggravates elbows.

Ankle rolls

Almost always from backpedalling for lobs. Turn and run back instead; wear court shoes, not running shoes — running shoes grip wrong for lateral movement.

Knee strain

Comes from lunging with a straight leg. Stay low with bent knees in a ready position so lunges start from loaded muscles, not locked joints.

Shoulder pain

Usually from serving or smashing while cold. That's what the warm-up is for — never open a session with full-power overheads.

Cool down and recover

Two minutes of gentle stretching (calves, forearms, shoulders) after play speeds recovery. Hydrate — Indian summer sessions can be sneaky-dehydrating even indoors.

Play tomorrow depends on how you treat your body today. Warm up, wear the right shoes, and let a forgiving paddle absorb the shock your joints shouldn't.