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SCIENCE OF PICKLEBALL
IMPROVE MOVEMENT : DO THE SUPERMARKET SHUFFLE !
One of the intriguing benefits of pickleball is that it is suitable for all ages and levels of play . As I get older ( after more than 50 years of playing high-level tennis ), my knees are no longer my best friends . Covering a tennis court effectively is simply too challenging for me to still be competitive to my satisfaction . Pickleball , on the other hand , is much more friendly to seniors . At the same time , although the pickleball court is much smaller than its tennis court cousin , pickleball also requires a substantial amount of movement to compete well .
We will share two options to help you move more effectively on a pickleball court , especially as you age . To help put this issue in perspective , consider this : An average 4.0 to 4.5 pickleball groundstroke takes about 1 second to travel from baseline to baseline . That ’ s fast . In that single second , we need to determine the direction , height , depth , and spin of the incoming ball . To prepare well and set up early , we only have half a second ! Why ? Because we need to make all these determinations before the ball crosses the net to our side of the court !
Both options below can change the way we move and take a much smaller toll on our feet , ankles , knees , and hips . Try both to see if either can replace the more physically intense and rhythmchallenging split step for you !
OPTION # 1 : FLEX AND MOVE
Similar to the snow skiing principle of unweighting , just flex as your opponent hits the pickleball and push off in the direction you need to move as soon as you read the incoming ball ’ s direction !
OPTION # 2 : SUPERMARKET SHUFFLE
If you ’ ve ever had to dodge an incoming shopping cart in the aisle of a supermarket , you know what this means . Why does this little shuffle work well on the court ? The law of inertia says that an object in motion tends to stay in motion and a stationary object tends to remain stationary . This subtle shuffle keeps you in motion and will help you prepare more effectively for all your shots ! •
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR , has written nine books , produced 22 DVDs , and has appeared on the Tennis Channel . His company , at
OnCourtOffCourt . com , designs and manufactures training aids for pickleball , tennis , and yoga . Joe shares that experience and passion in this regular column for Pickleball Magazine . He has also produced dozens of pickleball tips for YouTube .
PICKLEBALL — A WEALTH OF HEALTH
Burn Baby Burn !
Ever wonder how many calories you burn playing pickleball ? A player can burn 250 calories in 30 minutes for casual play if you weigh 150 pounds , and 335 calories if you weigh 200 pounds . If you play more aggressively , you can burn approximately 360 calories in 30 minutes if you weigh 150 pounds , and 475 calories if you weigh 200 pounds .
Step it Up !
How many steps do adults take playing pickleball ? I investigated this at one of our local pickleball facilities , the Pavilion of Pickleball ( PoP ) located in Knoxville , Tennessee . For three weeks , members were asked to record their number of steps and minutes played during a pickleball session . Members used their own step counters , either Apple Watch , Fitbit , or some other device . During the three weeks , 24 members recorded 40 different sessions , with some members playing more than one session . The average age was 63 .
The results ? The length of an average pickleball session was 117 minutes or almost two hours . The average number of steps was 5,817 . The minimum number was 1,922 , and the maximum was 9,465 . A vigorous two-hour pickleball session can probably provide the daily number of steps needed for almost any age . •
— Michael K . Smith