Common Pickleball Injuries (and How to Prevent Them)

Pickleball is gentler than many sports, but its quick stops, lateral cuts and reaches do produce a recognizable set of injuries. The encouraging part is that most are preventable with a few habits. Here are the common ones and how to avoid them. This is general information, not medical advice — see a professional for any injury.

Ankle sprains

The most common acute pickleball injury. The sport is full of sudden side-to-side movement and stops, and an ankle rolls when your foot plants awkwardly — often made far worse by wearing the wrong shoes. Prevention: wear proper court shoes, never running shoes, because lateral support is exactly what protects the ankle; keep the court clear of stray balls (a classic cause of turned ankles); and build ankle strength and balance over time. Court shoes are the single biggest lever here, which is why we labor the point in pickleball vs tennis shoes.

Pickleball elbow (tennis elbow)

An overuse injury of the forearm tendons at the outside of the elbow, from thousands of repeated impacts. Prevention:use good technique (drive with the body and legs, not just the forearm), do not grip the paddle in a death clench, build up your playing volume gradually rather than jumping to daily play, and consider a paddle that dampens vibration — our best paddles for tennis elbow covers the gear side. Forearm stretching and strengthening help too.

Achilles and calf injuries

The push-off to the ball, or a sudden sprint forward, can strain or even rupture the Achilles tendon or calf muscle — a more serious injury that tends to affect players over 40 who go from cold to full effort. Prevention: a proper warm-up is genuinely protective here; ease into intensity rather than sprinting flat-out on your first point; and keep your calves flexible and strong.

Knee pain

The squatting, twisting and lunging of pickleball can aggravate knees, especially with existing wear. Prevention:warm up, strengthen the muscles around the knee (quads, hips and glutes), use good bend-with-the-legs technique, and play on cushioned court shoes rather than dead, packed-down ones — see when to replace your shoes.

Falls and wrist injuries

Backpedaling for a lob is a leading cause of falls — players run backward, lose balance and go down, often catching themselves on an outstretched wrist. Prevention:never backpedal; turn and shuffle or let the lob go, and call “switch” with your partner to cover it, as covered in doubles strategy. Good balance work and staying within your movement limits help too.

The prevention checklist

Nearly every injury above is reduced by the same short list of habits:

• Wear proper court shoes and replace them before they wear out.
• Warm up before you play and ease into intensity.
• Do not backpedal for lobs — turn, or let them go.
• Build volume gradually rather than going from zero to daily.
• Keep the court clear of stray balls.
• Use good technique — legs and body, relaxed grip.

Do those and you will avoid the large majority of pickleball injuries and keep enjoying the health benefits the sport offers. Listen to your body, rest niggles before they become injuries, and see a physiotherapist or doctor for anything that does not settle.