I'm Steve Kennedy. I coach pickleball at Bamford Park in Davie, and a large share of my students are over 50. Many of them came to the game after decades away from competitive sport, and the question I hear most often after "how do I get better" is "how do I keep from getting hurt."
That's a smart question to ask early. Pickleball is gentler on the body than tennis, but it still asks you to move quickly in short bursts, change direction, and reach for balls you probably should have let go. Most of the injuries I see on the court were preventable, and prevention usually comes down to a few habits that take minutes a day.
One thing up front: I'm a coach and a former professional athlete. I know a lot about how players get hurt and how technique reduces risk. I'm a doctor for exactly none of you. When I talk below about when to see a physician, take that seriously.
The warm-up most players skip
Here's what I watch happen every morning at public courts across South Florida. A player arrives, chats for five minutes, hits three dinks, and starts a game. Cold muscles, cold tendons, full-speed lunges within two minutes.
A proper warm-up for a player over 50 takes about ten minutes and looks like this:
- Walk briskly for three or four minutes. Around the courts is fine. You want a light sweat starting before you touch a paddle.
- Dynamic movement for three minutes. Leg swings front to back and side to side, arm circles, gentle torso rotations, and ten slow bodyweight quarter-squats. You're rehearsing the motions the game will demand.
- Calf raises, slow, fifteen of them. I'll explain why below. This is the single most protective thirty seconds of your day.
- Progressive hitting. Start with dinks at the kitchen line, then move back and lengthen the swing gradually. Don't hit a full-pace drive or serve until you've been hitting for five minutes.
Static stretching, the old touch-your-toes-and-hold routine, belongs after you play. Before play, keep everything moving.
The big three: falls, Achilles, elbow
Almost every serious pickleball injury I've seen in players over 50 falls into one of these categories.
Falls
Falls cause the injuries that actually end seasons: wrist fractures, shoulder damage, and worse. Nearly all of them come from the same two situations, and both are correctable.
The first is backpedaling for a lob. Never run backwards for a ball. Turn your hips, sideskip or crossover step back, and if you can't get there comfortably, let it bounce or let it go. I tell my students that no rec-game point is worth a trip to the emergency room, and I mean it literally.
The second is overreaching at the kitchen line for a ball that's already past you. Train yourself to recognize a lost point. Good players concede unwinnable balls; it's part of what makes them good.
Court shoes matter here too. Running shoes are built for forward motion and they roll ankles on lateral movement. Wear actual court shoes with lateral support, and replace them when the tread wears smooth.
The Achilles and the calf
The classic pickleball injury for players in their 50s and 60s is the calf strain or Achilles tear, and it almost always happens the same way: a cold tendon, a sudden push-off toward the kitchen, and a pop. Players often say it felt like someone kicked them in the back of the leg.
Prevention here is boring and effective. Do slow calf raises daily, both before you play and on days you don't. Fifteen to twenty reps, lowering slowly, ideally with your heels dropping below a step edge. Strong, conditioned calves and tendons tolerate the explosive first step this game demands. Weak, cold ones eventually don't. Hydration and not playing your fourth game on exhausted legs both help as well, because fatigue changes your movement before you notice it.
The elbow
Pickleball elbow is real, and in my experience it's usually a technique problem wearing a medical disguise. Players who hit with a stiff wrist and an arm-only swing, especially on backhands and on flicked speed-ups, load the tendons on the outside of the elbow over and over. Add a paddle that's too head-heavy or a grip that's the wrong size, and the tendon eventually complains.
If your elbow aches, look at three things before anything else: whether you're swinging from the shoulder and trunk instead of snapping the forearm, whether your grip pressure is a relaxed four out of ten rather than a strangle, and whether your paddle's weight and grip size actually fit you. A coach can spot the mechanical cause in a single session. I do this regularly, and the fix is usually smaller than the player expects.
When to see a doctor and when to adjust technique
Here is the honest dividing line I give my students.
Adjust technique and equipment first when the problem is a mild ache that warms up out of the joint as you play, appeared gradually, and improves with a day or two of rest. Elbow soreness, mild shoulder tightness, and general next-day stiffness usually live in this category. Change the mechanics, lighten the schedule for a week, and see if it resolves.
See a doctor promptly when any of the following is true: you felt a pop or sudden sharp pain, there's swelling or bruising, pain wakes you at night, you can't bear weight or grip normally, or an ache has lasted more than a couple of weeks despite rest. Don't play through those. I've watched players turn a two-week problem into a six-month one because they didn't want to miss Tuesday doubles. A sports medicine physician or physical therapist will get you back on court faster than stubbornness will.
The habit that ties it all together
The players over 50 who stay healthy year after year share one trait: they treat their bodies like part of their game. Ten minutes of warm-up, daily calf work, real court shoes, technique that a coach has actually checked, and the discipline to stop one game before exhaustion. None of it is complicated. All of it compounds.
If you'd like an experienced set of eyes on your mechanics, whether that's an elbow-friendly swing or footwork that keeps you off the pavement, text Steve at (954) 461-9946. I coach privates and small-group clinics at Bamford Park in Davie, and keeping my students playing for the long haul is a core part of the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common pickleball injuries for players over 50?
Falls (often causing wrist or shoulder injuries), calf strains and Achilles injuries from sudden push-offs on cold tendons, and elbow tendon pain from arm-heavy swing mechanics. Most are preventable with a proper warm-up, daily calf strengthening, court shoes, and sound technique.
How should I warm up for pickleball after 50?
Spend about ten minutes: a brisk walk to raise your heart rate, dynamic movements like leg swings and gentle squats, slow calf raises, then progressive hitting that starts with dinks before any full-pace swings. Save static stretching for after you play.
How do I avoid falling on the pickleball court?
Never backpedal for a lob; turn and sideskip instead, or let the ball go. Don't lunge for balls that are already past you. Wear court shoes with lateral support rather than running shoes.
Is elbow pain from pickleball serious?
Mild elbow soreness that eases with rest is usually a technique or equipment issue, often from a stiff-wristed, arm-only swing or a poorly fitted paddle. Pain that is sharp, persistent beyond a couple of weeks, or interferes with gripping warrants a visit to a doctor.
Where can I get coaching to make my pickleball technique safer near Davie, FL?
Steve Kennedy, USA Pickleball Nationals Senior Pro Champion and former ATP tour player, coaches privates and small-group clinics at Bamford Park in Davie. Text (954) 461-9946 to book.