Get Court Ready: Your Complete Pickleball Pre-Season Training Guide

Lakeshore Recreation
1 day ago
4 min read

Pickleball season is almost here — and whether you're a seasoned player or picking up a paddle for the first time, how you prepare your body off the court determines everything that happens on it. Use this pre-season pickleball training guide to get you started on the right foot.

Quick rallies, sharp direction changes, overhead serves, and long matches put real demands on your neck, shoulders, arms, core, and legs. The players who show up strong, mobile, and injury-free aren't just lucky — they trained for it.

The fitness experts at Lakeshore Recreation Centre have put together a 6-part Court-Ready Pickleball Series — and Angela Hupalo , a Co-President of the Saugeen Shores Pickleball Club, is here to demonstrate. The club plays out of LRC’s 16 pickleball courts, and these are the exact warm-up drills and strength moves their players are using to get ready for the season ahead. All six parts, in one place.

Thanks to Angela for your help in creating this series, and the Saugeen Shores Pickleball Club for the support and effort in building a great pickleball community here in Saugeen Shores.

Watch along, try the moves, and get ready to play your best pickleball yet.

Part 1: Neck — Stay Mobile, React Faster

Fast rallies and constant head rotation put real strain on your neck. These three moves will keep you loose, reduce post-game stiffness, and improve your reaction time from the very first point:

Upper Trap Stretch: Gently drop your ear toward your shoulder with your chest lifted to open the upper traps and side neck muscles that tighten during rallies. Hold 20 seconds each side.
Chin Tucks: Slide your chin straight back to reset posture, activate deep neck stabilizers, and counter forward-head strain. 5–8 slow reps.
Band Pull-Aparts: Pull a light resistance band apart with straight arms to strengthen the upper back, stabilize the shoulder girdle, and support better posture throughout your match. 10–12 reps.

These three moves reduce neck stiffness, improve reaction speed, and help you stay sharp from the first serve to the last point. Watch it on Facebook.

Part 2: Shoulders — Protect Your Serve

Your shoulder is your serve's secret weapon — and the first thing to break down if it isn't properly conditioned. These three exercises are non-negotiable for anyone swinging a paddle:

Y-T-W Raises: Lying face-down, lift your arms into Y, T, and W positions. This strengthens the upper back, improves shoulder stability, and activates the postural muscles that protect your rotator cuff. Thumbs up, back down.
Scapular Wall Slides: Stand against a wall with elbows bent and forearms flat. Slide your arms upward while keeping ribs down and shoulders away from the ears. This teaches your shoulder blades to glide properly — key for reducing strain during serves and swings.
Cable External Rotations: Stand sideways to the cable, elbow tucked to your side, and rotate outward with control. This builds the rotator cuff strength that stabilizes your shoulder joint through an entire season.

Strong shoulders mean stronger serves, more power, and fewer injuries — game after game. Watch it on Facebook.

Part 3: Biceps — Control, Power, and Endurance

Strong arms mean smarter serves and snappier swings — and the endurance to keep them sharp late in a match. Three moves every pickleball player should add to their routine:

Isometric Biceps Hold (90° Hold): Hold your elbows at 90 degrees and don't move. Deceptively simple, genuinely effective for building arm endurance when rallies go long.
Hammer Curls: Palms in, core tight — this variation strengthens the full arm for more control and power through every swing.
"Serve It Up" Curls: Finish each curl with your palm up to target the exact movement pattern used in pickleball serves. Great for building serving strength and keeping shots crisp.

Build the arm strength to keep your shots dialled in from the first game to the last. Watch it on Facebook.

Part 4: Lower Body — Get to the Ball Faster

Pickleball isn't just about the paddle — it's about the legs that get you to the ball. These three exercises build the speed, stability, and endurance to move with confidence all match long:

Wall Sit: Builds quad endurance so you can stay low, react faster, and keep your legs under you deep into a match.
Goblet Squat (Foam Roller on Wall): Controlled squat depth and power for quick lunges and sharp direction changes. Foam roller on the wall teaches proper form.
Banded Monster Walk: Band above the knees, wide lateral steps — fires up the glutes for better balance, stronger lateral pushes, and the stability to reach for those just-out-of-range shots.

Stronger legs mean quicker movement, better positioning, and more confident play on the pickleball court. See this routine.

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Part 5: Core — Where Your Power Starts

Want more power in your shots and a happier back? It starts in your core. A strong, stable core improves rotation, protects your spine, and keeps every swing powerful — not painful:

Cat / Cow: Flow slowly between spinal flexion and extension. Inhale as you lift the chest and lengthen the spine; exhale as you round the back. No rushing — your spine responds to kindness.
Bird Dogs: From hands and knees, reach the opposite arm and leg while keeping the hips perfectly level. This builds deep core stability and the balance you need to stay composed on the court.

Two minutes of core work before every match changes everything. Your spine will thank you. Your shots will too. See how to do it here.

Part 6: Barre — The Sneaky Secret Weapon

Think barre is just for ballet? Think again. These barre-inspired moves target the smaller stabilizing muscles that most workouts miss — and they're exactly what pickleball demands:

Calf Raise + Tricep Kickback: Build calf strength for quick footwork while conditioning the triceps to stay powerful through long volleys.
Heel Raises with Weights: Develops balance, foot stability, and arm endurance — perfect for steadying yourself at the net when the rally won't end.
Goddess Stance with Heel Lifts + Weights: Wide stance, lifted heels, weights on thighs — trains the inner thighs, glutes, and ankle strength for your ready position. Stay low, stay stable, stay dangerous.

Sneaky? Yes. Effective for pickleball? Absolutely. Here's how do it.