Stanford Medicine On How To AVOID Pickleball Injuries

Stanford Medicine Talks Pickleball Injuries

An estimated 20 million Americans have caught the pickleball bug, and the inevitable rise in injuries is following. While pickleball is lauded as a low-impact sport, even the most seasoned athletes are falling victim to achilles tears, calf strains, and other lower body injuries that are sidelining them for weeks. Luckily for pickleballers, top medical institutions are also catching the bug and starting to combat injuries with prevention tips.

Stanford Medicine recently shared an article detailing pickleball injury prevention methods from one of the leading orthopedic doctors in the country, Michael Fredericson. These are his top suggestions:

Prep Well — Including Your Shoes!

Start your warmup with dynamic movements that both lightly stretch and strength train the muscle. Short jogs, calf raises, and lunges are a great way to loosen your body and prevent injuries. Fredericson says static stretching that strains the muscle for an extended period is better left for after exercise because your tissues are more pliable. In fact, static stretching before activity can reduce the amount of power you produce during play.

Using the right shoes is also crucial. Running shoes are not an acceptable type of footwear for pickleball because they are only designed for forward or backward movement. Instead, make the investment in proper court shoes.

Strengthen Your "Foot Core"

Just like with your abdomen, your foot has a core group of muscles that promote balance and integrate with your lower leg muscles. Constantly wearing shoes can lead to foot muscle atrophy, so Fredericson recommends walking barefoot or doing foot-specific yoga exercises to keep your "foot core" strong.

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Win $25k At TKO Atlanta

Our friends at The Kitchen are hosting The Kitchen Open Atlanta, the second of two annual tournaments for amateur pickleball players! Join the action November 1st-3rd at ITA Atlanta in Atlanta, GA for 3 days of gameplay, prizes, and parties, including a Finals Party where one winning team will take home $25,000. Here's the rundown:

Along with $25,000, the Open Division winner will also win a clothing sponsorship from Wringer which includes FREE ENTRY to 8 PPA pro tournaments in 2025!
There are divisions based on age (open age play and 40+), skill level (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and OPEN), as well as gender and mixed doubles.
All teams in EVERY division will play a MINIMUM of 5 games to 15 (standard scoring)
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Pickleball Overtakes Rahm v. Koepka $4M Showdown

Top golfers Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka have been known to draw crowds, but their $4M weekend showdown viewership numbers were barely half of what Championship Sunday at the PPA Bristol Open garnered in the same weekend.

Crush Your Opponents With High Percentage Pickleball

You'll often hear top players and coaches say you need to play the "high percentage" shots in pickleball, but what does that really mean? High percentage shots are the shots with the highest chance of success and lowest chance of error. Playing high percentage pickleball means playing smart, reducing errors, and planning your shot strategy before plays.

In this video, pickleball pro James Ignatowich talks high percentage shot strategies in the transition zone, and when power players should take a little more risk on hip-height balls.

High percentage pickleball is extremely important as a server because you start at a disadvantage. One way to combat this is by planning your shot selection through your fifth shot so you can manipulate your opponent's movements and regain control. Singles expert and pro player Collin Shick discusses how to plan for your opponent's most probable shots off your serve.