A good pickleball warm up takes 10 minutes and lowers your injury risk while sharpening your reaction time before the first serve. These five drills cover footwork, dinking touch, and shoulder mobility, the three things most players skip until they pull something in game one. Do them in order, right before you step on the court.
1. Dynamic Footwork Ladder (2 minutes)
Skip the static toe touches. Start with side shuffles across the width of the court, then add quick split-step hops in place, the same movement you use to react to a return of serve. This raises your heart rate and wakes up the small stabilizer muscles in your ankles and knees that a cold start puts at risk.
2. Shadow Swings, Both Sides (2 minutes)
Without a ball, run through 10 forehand swings and 10 backhand swings at game speed, focusing on a compact paddle path and a firm wrist at contact. Shadow swings groove the motion your body needs before you add a moving ball into the mix, and they are especially useful if you are coming off a long break between sessions.
3. Cross-Court Dinking (3 minutes)
Get in the kitchen with a partner and rally dinks cross-court only, focusing on soft hands and a consistent arc over the net. This is the single most important warm-up drill for match play, since most points at the intermediate and advanced level are decided in the kitchen, not with big drives from the baseline. Warming up this touch shot is exactly why we made a tank dedicated to it, our DINK tank top is built for the soft-hands work you'll be doing here.
4. Third Shot Drop Reps (2 minutes)
Have your partner feed you returns from the baseline while you practice hitting soft third shot drops into the opposing kitchen. Aim for 8 to 10 reps per side. This drill warms up the exact touch and arm speed you will need on nearly every point that starts with your team serving.
5. Overhead and Shoulder Mobility (1 minute)
Finish with a few slow overhead paddle swings and arm circles, then two or three light overhead smashes if a partner can feed you lobs. Pickleball overheads use a different shoulder motion than most players use in daily life, and skipping this step is a common cause of shoulder soreness after a long tournament day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a pickleball warm up be?
Aim for 8 to 10 minutes. That is enough time to raise your heart rate, loosen your shoulders and ankles, and get a feel for the ball without tiring yourself out before your first real game.
Do I need a partner to warm up properly?
Shadow swings and the footwork ladder work solo. Dinking and third shot drop reps are more effective with a partner, but you can still get some benefit by dinking against a wall or fence if no partner is available yet.
Should I stretch before or after playing pickleball?
Save static stretching, holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, for after you play. Before a match, dynamic movement like the drills above prepares your muscles better than static stretching does.
Once you're warmed up, dress for the way you actually move on court. Our pickleball tank tops are built for full range of motion on drills like these, drive after drive.