The Pickleball Doctor by NOE SARIBAN
PT, DPT, CERT. DN, TPI MII, CPTP THEPICKLEBALLDOCTOR. COM
The Role of the
Rotator Cuff
F
For the most part, pickleball involves motion of the arm below shoulder level. However, there are times when reaching above shoulder height is necessary, such as during an overhead smash or just hitting a high ball. Most often, when our opponent has hit a high ball or popped it up, we end up hitting the ball harder in order to win the point.
While the overhead position is not inherently bad for the shoulder, it may cause pain or discomfort for someone who has an underlying rotator cuff problem, especially as we generate more force as we hit the high ball harder.
In this article, we will cover basic shoulder anatomy and gain an understanding of the role of the rotator cuff musculature as it applies to pickleball.
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