by Kelly Campbell
Happy New Year!
We’re a little over a week into the New Year, which means our New Year’s Resolutions are in full swing. If improving your pickleball game is one of your goals for 2023, TrackitHub has put together some more specific ideas you should follow to make that a reality.
Approximately 80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail, but that’s mainly because general resolutions lack specificity in planning. For pickleball players of all skill levels, we recommend setting specific and attainable goals as your first step in developing pickleball New Year’s Resolutions. Whether you want to push yourself to practice pickleball at least once every day or improve your rating by x points, staying away from general promises and incorporating small steps will keep you on track.
To develop your 2023 game plan to improve your pickleball skills, TrackitHub has compiled a list of concrete, manageable pickleball resolutions that you can stick to throughout 2023.
- Practice Daily Pickleball Drills
Of course, the best way to perfect your abilities is to practice daily, but that can seem daunting when life gets busy and exhausting. Try incorporating smaller practice sessions at the start or end of every day, or during your lunch break. Even a 10-minute daily drill will make you feel good –– and it’ll add up to over an hour of practice by the end of each week.
Here are some TrackitHub-approved daily drills you can start adding to your routine:
Pickleball Central Pickleball Solo Wall Drills
PrimeTime Pickleball How To Practice Pickleball By Yourself – 3 Different Ways
- Find an Accountability Buddy
Recruiting another player with similar goals to keep you accountable will increase the likelihood that you’ll reach your 2023 goals. Partnering up with a friend can provide healthy competition and positive social outlets. If you don’t know any pickleball-playing friends, try to recruit a newbie and show them our blogs, Beginner’s Guide: How to Play Pickleball and Top 10 Pickleball Tips for Beginners to get them started.
- Stretch Every Day
Stretching is an underrated way to improve athletic performance and avoid injuries that will set you back. No matter your age, stretching is crucial to growing and maintaining strong muscles and improving flexibility. Some benefits to stretching include: helping joints move to their full range of motion, a decrease in injury risk, an increase in muscle blood flow, and improvements in athletic performance. Be sure to stretch before and after any pickleball practice or match, but also try to incorporate a daily stretch –– even on days off. Here’s a quick 10-minute stretch sequence to get you started: Better Pickleball 3-Minute Stretch Routine.
- Invest in Quality Pickleball Gear
One of the best things about recruiting new pickleball players is that the sport is relatively cheap. So many players can get hooked on (and succeed with) the sport with inexpensive pickleball gear, but if you want to step up your game, you should step up your pickleball equipment. Here are quality pickleball paddles, balls, and other pickleball equipment you should consider investing in:
Selkirk Paddle – Vanguard Power Air Invikta
Armour HELIO Hybrid Carbon Graphite Pickleball Paddle
K-Swiss Women’s Express Light Pickleball Shoe – Women
FitVille Wide Pickleball Shoes – Men
- Hydrate (even when you’re not playing!)
Hydration is key to successful athletic performance, and it’s something you always need to be aware of. Drinking water while you play is not enough to combat dehydration. Your body will thank you for incorporating more water all day, every day. Some benefits of drinking more water include increased energy levels and brain function, a regulated body temperature, improved athletic performance, and improved movement and recovery.
Consider incorporating electrolyte drinks (like Gatorade or Liquid IV) after a pickleball or workout session to replenish what you lose while sweating. If you are susceptible to heat, check out our blog (with hydration tips!) to overcome the heat while playing pickleball.
- Condition Your Body Outside of Pickleball
Staying in good baseline shape will improve your athletic performance in any sport. Moving your body more throughout the day will increase your mobility on the pickleball court, and high-intensity training and running will improve your cardiovascular endurance and stamina through multiple matches. Even low-intensity workouts like yoga or pilates positively impact your flexibility, and the results of weight training will make your smashes and aces unreturnable. All types of exercise (even if they seem unrelated to pickleball) are likely to improve your overall health and pickleball performance, so you should develop an exercise routine you love and can stick to 3-5 times per week.
Here are some short workouts you can incorporate daily:
Desk Exercises at Work – 10-Minute Desk Stretches For Energy, Posture & Flexibility
30-Minute Full Body Cardio HIIT Workout (Intense, No Equipment)
20-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout
- Join a Club or League
Joining a pickleball league can feel daunting if you don’t know where to start, but it’s one of the best ways to become a better player. When playing in a league, you’ll be forced to challenge yourself against new competitors with more consistent accountability. Joining a league will open up your pool of players to learn from, give you access to different pickleball tournaments, and can be a good way to network with others. Check out TrackitHub’s pickleball management platform to connect with clubs and players near you.
- Set Realistic Rating Goals
A pickleball rating will help you find compatible competitors and keep track of your pickleball progress. Usually, to be rated, you’ll need to compete in sanctioned pickleball tournaments. For more information, check out our blog with everything you need to know about pickleball rating systems –– The Evolution of Pickleball Standardized Rating Systems.
If you already have a pickleball rating, evaluate how your skills can realistically improve within the year and start with that number in mind. If you start with smaller goals, you’re more likely to achieve them. If you achieve them before the year’s end, you can keep setting new ones. Check out this video to boost your pickleball skills for a better rating: PrimeTime Pickleball Develop 4.0+ Control & Feel BY YOURSELF in Less than 10 mins/day
- Invest in Lessons
Pickleball lessons are an investment worth making if becoming a better player is a high priority for you in 2023. Many coaches and facilities offer private 1:1 sessions or small group sessions. Although it can get a little pricey, working with professionals will give you unparalleled access to the best pickleball strategy and advice. Inquire about pickleball lessons at your nearest pickleball facility. If private coaching sessions aren’t for you, you also might want to sign up for online pickleball classes to learn tips and rules from experts. Check out these options: Pickleball Academy Udemy, Pickleball Central, and Selkirk.
- Get Involved & Hit the Books
Pickleball is a mental game just as much as a physical game. Getting involved with the sport off the court via joining in-person and online pickleball groups, learning about strategy, and mastering the rules will give you tools that will translate to your matches.
- Pickleball Forum Facebook Group (84.4k members)
- Performance Pickleball Drill Book by Brett Noel
- The Art of Pickleball by Gale Leach
Thinking about pickleball and engaging off-court connects you to other players while informing you about current pickleball news and developments. And, of course, always stay up to date with TrackitHub blogs for the latest pickleball information and advice.
Sources-
Recent Comments