Improving your pickleball game goes beyond practicing your shots for better serves, dinks, and drops. Paying attention to your lower body is just as important. In particular, ankle mobility is crucial for strong pickleball performance.
Good joint mobility — that is, the ability for a joint (like the ankle) to move easily through its range of motion — can help your body successfully complete the movements necessary for pickleball. Good ankle mobility can reduce the stress on your knees during pickleball matches as well.
Why Pickleball Can Be Tough on Ankles
Pickleball requires players to move side to side quickly and stop and start suddenly. Doing these motions repeatedly can cause overuse injuries like tendinitis, stress fractures, and muscle strains. It can also irritate a previous ankle injury or arthritis flare-up. But the number-one challenge is an injury to the Achilles tendon.
“The biggest issue that we see with pickleball is Achilles injuries from lunging for a ball,” said Summit foot and ankle surgeon Michael Anderson, D.O. “The sudden eccentric contraction of the calf muscle puts a tremendous load on the Achilles and can result in a tear.”
Protecting Your Achilles Tendon
“Eccentric calf stretching exercises, during which the calf muscles lengthen while they contract, can help reduce the tension on the Achilles,” Dr. Anderson said. “They are a good habit to develop generally, but especially before playing pickleball.”
Here is a quick list of simple ways to protect your Achilles:
- Calf stretches – gently pull your toes toward your shin or stand on the edge of a step and drop your heel over the edge (a stretch called a “heel drop”)
- Calf strengthening – calf raises, lunges, and squats can make the calf muscles stronger, enabling them to protect the Achilles better
- Good shoes – proper footwear, with enough heel cushioning, can protect against unnecessary Achilles strain
Other Ways to Improve Your Ankle Mobility for Pickleball
Basic ankle exercises include:
- Ankle circles – Rotate your ankle in circles, moving just your foot and ankle, keeping the rest of your leg still. Aim for 10 to 15 circles going clockwise, and then repeat with another 10 to 15 going counterclockwise.
- Heel lifts – Standing near a wall or counter in case you need help balancing, slowly lift your heels off the floor, so you’re balancing on the balls of your feet. Hold for a few seconds, and then slowly put your heels down. Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
- Balancing on one leg – A couple of times a day, try balancing on one leg. Slowly extend the amount of time you’re balancing, with a goal of 60 seconds. To make it more challenging, you can close your eyes. Just make sure you have a wall or counter nearby, so you have something to grab onto. Switch and repeat with the other leg.
There are many free online resources available to help you work on ankle strengthening.
As pickleball season heats up, remember to pay attention if something hurts and the pain doesn’t go away in a few days. Make sure to warm up, cool down, and stretch, and see a foot and ankle specialist for any nagging problems.
