Dynamic warm-up with paddle and ball

Setup

1. Pairs on opposite sides of the net, each player starting at the kitchen line with a paddle.
2. Outdoors in the heat, have water at the court and plan short shade breaks.

How it runs

1. Two minutes: easy jog around the court, then arm circles forwards and backwards, shoulder rolls and slow wrist circles.
2. One minute: calf raises and small ankle hops, then gentle leg swings holding the net post or a partner's shoulder.
3. One minute: shuffle sideways along the kitchen line and back, facing the net, paddle up.
4. One minute: from the kitchen line, turn side-on and shuffle or cross-step back to the baseline, then walk back in. This is the safe way to chase a lob; never backpedal.
5. Two minutes: bounce the ball on the paddle face, alternating forehand and backhand faces, while walking.
6. Three minutes: soft dinks across the net, then gentle volleys at half pace with paddles up.

Coaching points

• Build gradually: every movement starts small and slow and gets bigger.
• Pay attention to the shoulders, wrists and calves; these take the most load in pickleball.
• Keep the feet light and the knees soft in every footwork section.
• In the final rally, keep the pace low: this is a warm-up, not a contest.

Common mistakes

• Skipping straight to hard hitting with cold muscles.
• Static stretching for long holds before play instead of moving.
• Backing up to the baseline while facing the net.