PLAY SMART
Intro
Your enthusiasm can improve faster than your body's capacity.
Pickleball has a way of finding more room on your calendar. You start once a week. Then someone invites you to open play. Another group needs a fourth. Before long, you may be playing far more often than when you started, which is one of the reasons so many of us enjoy the game.
The challenge is that enthusiasm can increase faster than your body adapts. There isn't a perfect number of games, hours or playing days for everyone. Fitness, age, intensity, previous activity, injury history and recovery all matter. A good approach is to add more pickleball gradually and notice how your body and your game respond as you play more.
A 2026 review of common pickleball injuries points to conditioning, dynamic warm-up and appropriate footwear as practical prevention considerations. The point isn't to make you cautious every time you step on the court; it's simply to recognize that a few basic decisions can help you play smarter.
Play Smart
1 BUILD YOUR PLAYING VOLUME
If you've recently discovered pickleball, returned after time away or suddenly have more opportunities to play, resist the urge to increase everything at once. More playing days, longer sessions and harder competition all add demand. Increasing gradually gives your body time to adjust, and gives you a chance to learn how much pickleball works well for you.
2 PAY ATTENTION BEFORE YOU'RE EXHAUSTED
You don't need to wait until you're completely spent to notice fatigue. Pay attention to your movement. Are you standing taller and reaching instead of moving your feet? Are you getting to balls a little later than you were earlier? Are you stumbling after shots you controlled earlier? Those can be signs that fatigue is beginning to affect how you play.
3 FOOTWEAR AND THE COURT MATTER
Pickleball requires repeated starts, stops and changes of direction. Court-appropriate footwear, adequate traction and awareness of cracks, wet areas, stray balls and other court hazards are basic pieces of playing smart. A 2026 systematic review of lower-extremity pickleball injuries recommends sport-specific footwear guidance, including court-specific footwear with adequate lateral support.
4 BE CAREFUL MOVING BACKWARD
A lob can tempt you to backpedal while looking overhead, not a great combination for balance and awareness. Developing controlled ways to turn and retreat can be worth practicing rather than waiting until a ball is sailing over your head in the middle of a game.
5 ONE MORE GAME
Playing smart doesn't mean playing scared. It means making decisions that let you enjoy plenty of pickleball. Sometimes the smartest decision late in a long session is recognizing that 'one more game' doesn't have to be one more game.
THE GOAL
Play as much pickleball as you enjoy while learning when your body, and your game, may be telling you it's time to ease up.
P.B.'s Fit Tip
WATCH WHAT CHANGES
During a longer session, don't wait until you're completely exhausted to check in. Every few games, notice your fatigue, footwork, control and how your body feels. The goal isn't to look for an excuse to stop, it's to learn what changes first when you've had enough for the day.
This Week's Challenge
During your next longer session, check in after every few games. How's your energy? Are your feet still moving? Are you still playing under control? See if you can recognize when your game first starts telling you that you're getting tired.
Weekly Poll
Next Week
RECOVERY
Playing smart is only part of staying ready. Next week, we'll look at what happens after you leave the court, and some simple ways to help your body get ready to play again.
Around the Court
CALL THE MIDDLE BALL
One of the easiest ways to avoid confusion in doubles doesn't require a new shot, just your voice. A quick "mine" or "you" can keep both players from reaching for the same ball or, even worse, watching it land between them. Good communication may not show up on the scorecard, but it can make a partnership feel a whole lot better.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: The PB Court Report shares general information, personal experiences, and research for educational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter should be considered medical advice. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare professional before beginning a new exercise program, particularly if you have existing health concerns or injuries.
