The Importance of Playing Balanced

When I think of being balanced in pickleball I picture someone standing in an athletic stance with the knees bent and body weight tilting at the feet and chest both tilting the weight forward.

But, examples of dynamic balance can be as simple as jogging or as complicated as a figure skater leaping into the air off of their skates. Having the ability to stay upright, be in control of the body, and hit the ball the way one intends is often taken for granted in pickleball, I believe because entry into this sport is so easy.

Someone can hit the ball pretty much on their first try and can be rallying with others on the court in just a matter of minutes. On a daily basis, I see players tilting their bodies and making their shots on one foot. 

Here's why it's so important to play balanced...

To improve in this area, first there should be some recognition and the desire to move efficiently on the court.

Work can always be done to improve the level of footwork, and learning to incorporate the split step and developing overall core strength are also ways to boost your balance.

Some quick tips that I can share with you on developing balance and core strength...

Image credit: Women’s Running

- Stand on one leg with the entire weight of your body on that leg and move your other leg up and down, repeat a few times then switch legs

- Imagine you’re standing on a clock and stand on one leg, then move your other leg to a specific time and tap that spot then bring that leg back to center (try not to touch down with that second leg the entire time) - this works best when someone else is calling out the time

- Incorporate calf raises into your exercise routine

- Practice sitting down and getting up from a chair without using your hands

- Increase the amount of squats and lunges you do - to increase difficulty hold weights

- Add yoga or pilates to your exercise routine

- Swimming improves overall body strength

If you’re wondering how to turn this into a drill session it can be as simple as head-on and cross court dinking with your partner with the common goal of moving the other person until they are off balance and then looking for the attack opportunity.

Keep in mind: sometimes someone is off balance or appears to be but is mentally focused and can stay within a rally; therefore not every attacking opportunity will win you the point.

The Quick Breakdown

If you’re off balance, do not attack the ball but fully expect to be attacked. Typically, if you’re taking a shot off balance you’re leaving a gap on the court or yourself vulnerable to receive a body shot.

On the flip side, playing rooted into the ground is also something to avoid. Being rooted limits the type of shots one can hit and severely reduces mobility during a point.

Oftentimes, players will root themselves to the ground due to their sports background (ie. they come from sports such as volleyball, soccer or baseball - all sports where you ground yourself with at least one foot to stabilize before hitting, shooting or defending the ball).

What tends to happen to players who root themselves to the ground is that they play with a loose wrist, because something has to provide momentum and the wrist seems to be the default for most.

The other thing that I’ve seen happen is that the player will sit heavily on their forehand (less common) or backhand (most common because the backhand can cover a larger area). Rooting to the ground and cheating to the backhand is a fairly one-dimensional approach and will limit one's ability to increase their skill level.

So, maybe you feel that your balance is pretty solid - or certainly enough for pickleball - but have you ever felt yourself raising one foot to lean into a shot?

Or do you feel yourself getting slower and lazier as the tournament unfolds? As fatigue starts to creep in, one of the first things to go is footwork. 

Image credit: The Desert Sun

I also often see taller people doing the lean and reaching for the ball rather than getting, or staying, low; but as we all know, having a lower center of gravity stabilizes a person.

Along this same vein, taller people also have longer strides, but in pickleball having shorter, smaller steps can help maintain your balance during a rally.

To get a better sense of solid on court balance, take a look at some professional matches on YouTube. You’ll very rarely see players like JW Johnson or Ben Johns off balance.

You may see the odd lean from a top player but their athleticism will more than likely carry them through the moment. But that said, pros will also look to get their opponents off balance and then go for the attack.

Check out this clip (49:15) and how balanced they all are in their shots. The reason why the point ended is because Johnson sped up the ball while Loong was equally balanced and therefore fully prepared to respond to Johnson’s speed up.

A great way to confirm your movement on the court is to record some footage and watch or analyze it. This is a great task to do with your partner(s) or coach.

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