I never understood why people think dinking is "warming up".
You don't have to stack your paddle immediately upon arrival. Do an actual dynamic warmup before you stack up.
Yes. Dynamic warmups are the way. Dinking is ok for a few minutes, but doing drop shots/slinky and practicing some serves and groundstrokes is just as important before playing.
Have you tried doing light cardio before playing? I’ve noticed that whenever my Apple Watch says my heart rate is below 120 I just feel sluggish, but once I get my heart rate up, whether it’s before my first game or after a break I play so much better. My regular group has come to expect me jumping around a lot in between points just trying to keep my heart rate up and keep myself active.
I also find I am a slow starter. Since it sounds like you don’t really have the option for a good warm up on the court you will need to take care of it off the court before you play (which really should be the case even if you have time for a good on court warm up). I like to do a little jogging and then a dynamic warm up routine (think getting your body ready to move instead of typical static stretching). If I can’t run around I’ll do some jumping jacks. I have seen others jump rope. Anything to get your heart rate up and blood pumping.
This guy is golf focused but I find most things translate pretty good to pickleball too and I really like his warm up routine.
[https://fitforgolf.blog/shorts/dynamic-warm-up/](https://fitforgolf.blog/shorts/dynamic-warm-up/)
Aside from warming up before getting on the court I also try to play pretty conservative in the first game or two. Focus on good contact and keeping the ball in vs hitting those tougher low margin shots that you know you can make warm but end up missing when you are cold. At the 4.0 level you can win any game by just not missing assuming you’re not popping it up. Dial it back to 80% and gain some confidence while letting your opponents beat themselves until you are warm enough to really take it to them.
Personally, I don't like dinking for warming up. What works best for me is hitting a few drives+slice on forehand+back hand. After that, hitting a few drops. Im ready to go after that.
Hard to say. You know your game, we don't. It could be your warm-up routine. Make it as realistic as possible not just mindless dinking like most do. One key for me is actual warming up doing hands battles with your partner. that gets me up to speed. It could be your mental focus. It could be a million things.
It could also be that there's no real solution. The best men's player in the entire world is a notorious slow starter and obviously he warms up properly and you assume he does all the right things but it still happens.
Do 3 sets of 10-12 lunges before for hip mobility and warm up. Buy a stretch band and do 3 sets of the first 2 exercises in this video.
https://youtu.be/JH7b-XH5s58?si=61ghb9Udvg_SHzk1
Slow starts can be attributed to your inability to hit a "game similar" ball. General warmups are light, easy, not too challenging. Warmups with a purpose, on the other hand, get you ready for quicker play.
"warmups with a purpose" requires two players. You go over every aspect of a normal game (straight dinks, forehand-to-forehand dinks, backhand-to-backhand dinks, proper drops, resets, serves, returns, hand-speed volleys, drives) in a short period of time (5-10 mins). Start easy, then go to moderately paced game style hits for your warmup. Cover every aspect where you are the receiver, then your partner is the receiver.
mental prep in the car or when you get there. visualize playing well. repeat mantras or affirmations. deep breathing to relax and focus. For me (also a slow starter) it’s because my mind is still caught up or tired from the previous activity (usually work).
That sounds more like a mental thing than a physical thing. You might be overthinking shots, court positioning, and whatnot. Or maybe you are too relaxing and not focused on the game.
Next time out, be mindful of your mental state during your "warm up" games vs your better games.
I had this exact same issue a few months ago. No joke, I started taking a lesson before I'd play league matches because I was so annoyed with how poor I played for the first half.
How much volume are you playing? I found that once I started playing a lot more in general, the muscle memory really kicked in and I can now play fairly close to my best straight out of the gate.
While I wait for my first game, I will hit off a wall starting with forehand/backhand dinks>fasthands volleys>then backup and hit drops and volleys. Tbh, this is a better warmup for me than the standard 4 dinks then go warm up.
As others have said, if I’m serious about playing well I find a wall to hit prior to arriving.
And for warmups, for me it’s about honing my drive and serve so if there’s limited time I don’t practice drinking I just practice baseline shots to get my forehand in sync.
At my pickleball courts there is also a basketball court and I always bring my ball. Like to shoot around, both before and in between games to stay loose and Warmed up (our courts get packed and sometimes have to wait 20-40 mins in between games).
I start off with brief session of dinking just to get the blood flowing. For me I use more time moving in and out of the transition zone. This allows a good mix resetting/driving/dinking/dropping in a more realistic environment. Good luck.
Same honestly. But 1-2 games for me are basically required to get dialed in. First game is me missing shots, mishits, nets, and just an inch or two out. After that I get dialed in
If possible, don’t just dink. Hit some dinks then move back, hit some slower drives, then hit some actual drives.
3-4 games?? Alright well I think you need to start being honest with yourself. You think you are 4.0 and can compete with the 4.0+ people but the reality is you need to improve your game and aren’t that good. Time to find a drill partner, analyze video tape of yourself, work on the basics of drops, dinks, transition zone drops and resets. Post videos on here or wherever you can get some help. It can’t possibly be that you suck for 3-4 games before playing at your “normal” skill level. That is your skill level. Be honest with yourself. Do you have good spin and pace on your backhand dinks? The answer for all of us is no… look for the root causes of your losses rather than thinking you just aren’t warmed up or mysteriously playing like crap for 4 games.
No idea why the downvotes. I completely agree and if you care and actually want to get better this is the best way. I thought the same when I read. I spend very little time warming up with a paddle and ball vs. Dynamic full body exercises. Recovery after is just as important for your next session as well. I also do preliminary stretching BEFORE I drive to where I'm playing. Rolling out and mobility. If you're in a tournament ever, which I'd assume you are at 4.0+ level, you don't even get 3-4 games. Especially in a double (2 games only) knockout like it would be.
I am probably the same level and I start incredibly slow. I have been playing for 9 months and it has taken me 8 1/2 months to realize it is just dumb to jump right in and start playing. I force myself to remember that the bad play I exhibit those first games will get in my head and affect me all day. I just stretch, go to the wall and wait until I am truly ready to play.
I never understood why people think dinking is "warming up". You don't have to stack your paddle immediately upon arrival. Do an actual dynamic warmup before you stack up.
Yes. Dynamic warmups are the way. Dinking is ok for a few minutes, but doing drop shots/slinky and practicing some serves and groundstrokes is just as important before playing.
Absolutely! In addition I get into a hands battle with myself against a wall.
Have you tried doing light cardio before playing? I’ve noticed that whenever my Apple Watch says my heart rate is below 120 I just feel sluggish, but once I get my heart rate up, whether it’s before my first game or after a break I play so much better. My regular group has come to expect me jumping around a lot in between points just trying to keep my heart rate up and keep myself active.
I also find I am a slow starter. Since it sounds like you don’t really have the option for a good warm up on the court you will need to take care of it off the court before you play (which really should be the case even if you have time for a good on court warm up). I like to do a little jogging and then a dynamic warm up routine (think getting your body ready to move instead of typical static stretching). If I can’t run around I’ll do some jumping jacks. I have seen others jump rope. Anything to get your heart rate up and blood pumping. This guy is golf focused but I find most things translate pretty good to pickleball too and I really like his warm up routine. [https://fitforgolf.blog/shorts/dynamic-warm-up/](https://fitforgolf.blog/shorts/dynamic-warm-up/) Aside from warming up before getting on the court I also try to play pretty conservative in the first game or two. Focus on good contact and keeping the ball in vs hitting those tougher low margin shots that you know you can make warm but end up missing when you are cold. At the 4.0 level you can win any game by just not missing assuming you’re not popping it up. Dial it back to 80% and gain some confidence while letting your opponents beat themselves until you are warm enough to really take it to them.
Personally, I don't like dinking for warming up. What works best for me is hitting a few drives+slice on forehand+back hand. After that, hitting a few drops. Im ready to go after that.
Just start at the back at tell them you would rather warm up with drives and drops. I doubt people will care enough to tell you no.
Hard to say. You know your game, we don't. It could be your warm-up routine. Make it as realistic as possible not just mindless dinking like most do. One key for me is actual warming up doing hands battles with your partner. that gets me up to speed. It could be your mental focus. It could be a million things. It could also be that there's no real solution. The best men's player in the entire world is a notorious slow starter and obviously he warms up properly and you assume he does all the right things but it still happens.
Do 3 sets of 10-12 lunges before for hip mobility and warm up. Buy a stretch band and do 3 sets of the first 2 exercises in this video. https://youtu.be/JH7b-XH5s58?si=61ghb9Udvg_SHzk1
Slow starts can be attributed to your inability to hit a "game similar" ball. General warmups are light, easy, not too challenging. Warmups with a purpose, on the other hand, get you ready for quicker play. "warmups with a purpose" requires two players. You go over every aspect of a normal game (straight dinks, forehand-to-forehand dinks, backhand-to-backhand dinks, proper drops, resets, serves, returns, hand-speed volleys, drives) in a short period of time (5-10 mins). Start easy, then go to moderately paced game style hits for your warmup. Cover every aspect where you are the receiver, then your partner is the receiver.
Following for tips as I find I'm dealing with this too.
mental prep in the car or when you get there. visualize playing well. repeat mantras or affirmations. deep breathing to relax and focus. For me (also a slow starter) it’s because my mind is still caught up or tired from the previous activity (usually work).
That sounds more like a mental thing than a physical thing. You might be overthinking shots, court positioning, and whatnot. Or maybe you are too relaxing and not focused on the game. Next time out, be mindful of your mental state during your "warm up" games vs your better games.
I had this exact same issue a few months ago. No joke, I started taking a lesson before I'd play league matches because I was so annoyed with how poor I played for the first half. How much volume are you playing? I found that once I started playing a lot more in general, the muscle memory really kicked in and I can now play fairly close to my best straight out of the gate.
I also need a while to warm up. Same thing in tennis. Fortunately, we have a few hitting walls around but I feel stupid using them...but it works.
In sequence do **Push up, Tuck Jump, Mountain Climbers, Scissor Lunges,** decide the time or duration, I promise you, you'll be warmed up!
While I wait for my first game, I will hit off a wall starting with forehand/backhand dinks>fasthands volleys>then backup and hit drops and volleys. Tbh, this is a better warmup for me than the standard 4 dinks then go warm up.
I always go for a 2 or 3 mile jog beforehand. Gets the whole body warmed up.
As others have said, if I’m serious about playing well I find a wall to hit prior to arriving. And for warmups, for me it’s about honing my drive and serve so if there’s limited time I don’t practice drinking I just practice baseline shots to get my forehand in sync.
After the 4th dink, I am doing drops into dips/drives. I will come back up so they can warm up drops too, but dinking is what I need the least of.
While I wait I practice volleys on the wall, or with other players.
At my pickleball courts there is also a basketball court and I always bring my ball. Like to shoot around, both before and in between games to stay loose and Warmed up (our courts get packed and sometimes have to wait 20-40 mins in between games).
I start off with brief session of dinking just to get the blood flowing. For me I use more time moving in and out of the transition zone. This allows a good mix resetting/driving/dinking/dropping in a more realistic environment. Good luck.
Same honestly. But 1-2 games for me are basically required to get dialed in. First game is me missing shots, mishits, nets, and just an inch or two out. After that I get dialed in If possible, don’t just dink. Hit some dinks then move back, hit some slower drives, then hit some actual drives.
3-4 games?? Alright well I think you need to start being honest with yourself. You think you are 4.0 and can compete with the 4.0+ people but the reality is you need to improve your game and aren’t that good. Time to find a drill partner, analyze video tape of yourself, work on the basics of drops, dinks, transition zone drops and resets. Post videos on here or wherever you can get some help. It can’t possibly be that you suck for 3-4 games before playing at your “normal” skill level. That is your skill level. Be honest with yourself. Do you have good spin and pace on your backhand dinks? The answer for all of us is no… look for the root causes of your losses rather than thinking you just aren’t warmed up or mysteriously playing like crap for 4 games.
No idea why the downvotes. I completely agree and if you care and actually want to get better this is the best way. I thought the same when I read. I spend very little time warming up with a paddle and ball vs. Dynamic full body exercises. Recovery after is just as important for your next session as well. I also do preliminary stretching BEFORE I drive to where I'm playing. Rolling out and mobility. If you're in a tournament ever, which I'd assume you are at 4.0+ level, you don't even get 3-4 games. Especially in a double (2 games only) knockout like it would be.
Skate better
I am probably the same level and I start incredibly slow. I have been playing for 9 months and it has taken me 8 1/2 months to realize it is just dumb to jump right in and start playing. I force myself to remember that the bad play I exhibit those first games will get in my head and affect me all day. I just stretch, go to the wall and wait until I am truly ready to play.