A 10-Minute Pickleball Warm-Up You Can Run Before Any Game

Most recreational players walk onto the court, hit a few dinks and call the first game their warm-up. That works until a cold calf or shoulder reminds you it was not. A good warm-up takes about ten minutes, needs no equipment beyond your paddle and a ball, and gets you playing your real game from the first point. This guide gives you a routine you can run before any session.

What a warm-up is for

A warm-up has two jobs. The first is physical: raise your heart rate and loosen the joints and muscles you are about to load. The second is skill: get your eyes and hands used to the speed and bounce of the ball on that day, on that court. Doing only one of these leaves you half ready. Stretching without hitting leaves your timing off, and hitting without moving leaves your legs cold.

Pickleball asks for short bursts of movement: split steps, lunges to the kitchen line, quick sideways shuffles and the occasional sprint back for a lob. Your warm-up should look like a gentle version of that.

The 10-minute routine

Minutes 1 to 3: raise your temperature

• Brisk walk or light jog around the court, about one minute.
• Side shuffles along the baseline and back, about one minute. Stay low and keep your feet from crossing.
• Arm circles forward and backward, ten of each, starting small and getting bigger.

You should feel slightly warm and breathing a little harder, not tired.

Minutes 4 to 6: move through the ranges you will use

• Leg swings, front to back and side to side, ten per leg. Hold a fence or a friend for balance.
• Bodyweight lunges with a small twist toward the front leg, six to eight per side. These mimic reaching for a wide dink.
• Hip circles and gentle trunk rotations, ten each way.
• Wrist and forearm rolls, plus ten gentle wrist flexes and extensions. Pickleball grips and wrist snaps ask a lot of small muscles, and our guide to pickleball elbow explains why they deserve attention.

This is dynamic stretching: you move through a range instead of holding a position. Many coaches prefer it before play, and long static holds are better saved for after you finish.

Minutes 7 to 10: hit, from soft to fast

1. Mini rallies from the kitchen line, about two minutes. Hit soft, controlled dinks with a partner. Focus on contact point and keeping the ball low. If you have no partner, wall drills work for the same purpose.
2. Move back to mid-court and trade easy groundstrokes for about one minute, adding a little pace each time.
3. Practice a few drops from the baseline into the kitchen. This is the third shot drop, and it is the shot most people try first in a real game while still cold.
4. Hit a handful of overheads and a few serves. Five serves is enough. Hit your real serve, not a lazy one, so your first serve in the game is not a surprise.

Warm-up mistakes to avoid

• Static stretching only. Holding a stretch for 30 seconds on a cold muscle is not a warm-up. Move first.
• Full-power swings in the first minute. Build pace gradually. Your shoulder and elbow take the strain of any sudden hard swing.
• Skipping the legs. Many people warm up the arm and forget the calves, which take much of the load from split steps and quick stops. Good footwear helps too, and our shoe cushioning guide covers what to look for.
• Warming up on one side only. Do the same number of reps in both directions, left and right.

Adjust it for the day

If it is cold, add a couple of minutes of walking and shuffling before you start, and keep a layer on until you feel warm. If it is hot, drink water during the routine and keep the movement lighter. If you are returning from an injury, or you have a health condition that affects your joints or heart, ask your doctor or physical therapist what is safe for you. This article is general information, not medical advice.

On days with limited time, cut the routine to the essentials: a brisk walk, leg swings, lunges, arm circles, then two minutes of easy dinks. Even that short version is better than starting cold.

A quick checklist

1. Walk or jog until you feel warm.
2. Move your legs, hips, shoulders and wrists through full ranges.
3. Dink softly, then add pace.
4. Hit a few drops, overheads and serves.
5. Start the game at the pace you warmed up to, not faster.

Ten minutes is a small cost for starting game one at full speed. Make the routine a habit and your first few points will stop being the sloppiest of the day. For more ways to build your game between sessions, see our 13 drills to get ready for pickleball.