3 Dynamic Warm-Ups You’ll Actually Do (And Feel) Before Pickleball

If your usual “warm-up” is two dinks and you are ready to go toe to toe with Sally, same. But here’s the truth: three to six minutes of the right movement makes you quicker to the kitchen, kinder to your knees, and far less “why is my back mad at me?” later. Pick one of the routines below based on how much time you have. No equipment. No yoga pretzels. Just simple moves that wake up what pickleball uses most.

How to use this: Pick one routine and do it once through. If anything hurts, skip it or make the motion smaller. You’re warming up, not proving anything.

1. Car-to-Court (about 3 minutes)

Walk onto the court and start with a brisk lap while you swing your arms and gently twist your torso. Think “shake off the car” more than “train for a marathon.”

Stop near the baseline. Rock your ankles forward and back a few times, then swing one leg front-to-back like a pendulum and side-to-side (hold the net post if you need balance). March a few steps and draw a big circle with each knee to open the hips.

Finish with quick feet in place—light bounces on the balls of your feet—then a few split-step pops and a short shuffle right, then left. You should feel springy, awake, and ready for that first return instead of surprised by it.

2. Kitchen-Ready Mobility (about 5 minutes)

Walk the court once a little faster than usual, then roll your shoulders backward in big, lazy circles. You’re signaling to your body: “Game time.”

Step into a gentle lunge, drop your inside elbow toward your front instep, and rotate your chest toward that front knee. Two or three breaths, then switch sides. Slide into a comfortable side lunge, gliding your hips side-to-side to say hello to those adductors that help you stop and start at the kitchen.

Stand tall. Pinch your shoulder blades together for two seconds (like you’re holding a pencil), then release. Tap each shoulder with the opposite hand a few times to wake up your upper body. Wrap with easy ankle “pogo” bounces and three smooth shadow points: split-step, first step forward, reset. Now you feel loose without feeling sleepy.

3. Match-Day Pop (about 6 minutes)

Jog two sideline lengths, then switch to tall, playful skips to wake up hips and posture. Think “bounce,” not “burn.”

At the service line, raise onto your toes slowly for a few reps, then do a few quick calf pops. Plant your feet in an athletic stance and rotate your upper body, reaching your hands where a volley would go—right, left, right, left. Grab a small band if you have one (or a towel if not) and rotate your forearms outward a few times to cue the shoulders. Drop into a comfortable squat, sit for a second, stand tall. 

Now the fun part: two shuffles right, plant, two shuffles left—twice through. Have a partner drop a ball somewhere within a step or two; you split-step and go get it without a swing—six reps is plenty. Finish with three slow, rhythmic serve or third-shot shadows. You’ll feel primed, not gassed.

What the Pros Do (and How to Steal It in Two Minutes)

Watch a pro warm up and you’ll notice a pattern: they raise their temperature, loosen what they actually use (hips, ankles, shoulders), turn on key muscles (glutes and rotator cuff), and rehearse game-specific moves at low speed before they ever hit hard. It looks tidy because it is.

Your two-minute “pro-lite” version:

• Walk fast to get warm

• 4 dynamic lunges with a twist

• Mini-band or towel shoulder rotations

• 20 seconds of quick feet with split-step timing

• 30 seconds of gentle dinks/volleys or shadow swings.

That’s it. Intentional beats complicated.

A Few Friendly Reminders

• Dynamic first, static later. Save long stretches for after you play.

• Small dose, big payoff. Even three minutes helps if you actually do it.

• Make it yours. If a move doesn’t feel good, swap it: go slower, shorten the range, or choose a different joint you know needs attention.  

Pick one routine, try it before your next game, and notice how much sharper your first few points feel.