ask the pickleball doctor
The Importance of
Balance Proprioception
In Pickleball
As most of us know , the key to being
successful when playing pickleball is creating scenarios where your opponents are compromised in order to gain an advantage during the rally . Moving the ball around the kitchen and getting your opponents off-balance is a great way to create unforced errors . So , in order to be successful on the court , improving your balance and reaction strategies can help you stay in a point longer , and possibly avoid making unwanted mistakes . But what is balance , and how can you train it ?
There are three main systems in our bodies that control our balance : visual , somatosensory ( our brain ’ s awareness of touch , pressure , and body position [ also known as proprioception ]), and vestibular . We mostly rely on visual feedback during regular activities since our eyes are very good at judging depth and informing our brain on movements needed to balance . However , when playing pickleball , our heads move a lot , therefore making it harder to rely solely on vision since our eyes are constantly tracking the ball . Therefore , we have to use our vestibular system ( inner ear ) and somatosensory information ( pressure through our feet ) to compensate .
So how does each system affect our balance ?
As mentioned earlier , the visual system is our primary feedback mechanism for balance . Our eyes convey most of the needed information to function in our daily activities .
The vestibular system is based in our inner ear . We have two separate components in our inner ears : one