Aiken Pickleball News

It's Gotta Be the Shoes!

Arguably the most common pickleball injuries experienced in the knee or ankle area could have been prevented by wearing proper shoes. Many people new to the game will step onto the court without even thinking about what type of shoes they are wearing. They will grab whatever pair of athletic shoes they have handy, and begin playing. A case can be made that the single most important piece of equipment you buy when first starting out, is NOT a paddle - but is in fact YOUR SHOES!

Court shoes that allow you to move and shuffle around the court without too much trouble are ideal. You must be able to move forward and backpedal without your shoe catching on the floor.

We have been told and learned first hand (the hard way) that running shoes are the WORST type of shoe for pickleball. They have a tendency to grab and stick to the court at the worst time. This can lead to torn or pulled muscles from the foot, ankle, calf, knee, leg, back, or neck.

Court shoes allow for the proper amount of give. The soles are more flat and smooth. They do not have deep treads like running shoes. The treads on court shoes are much smaller and closer together which allow them to slide. The correct shoes are a must. A good pair of court shoes will help prevent serious injury. This is by far the easiest way to avoid the most common of pickleball injuries.

Change to Guidelines for Odell Weeks court reservations

Due to limited reserved court time slots, if only three time blocks are available a person can only reserve one court at that time slot for the first 24 hours after the courts are posted. And a player still may not appear on a court reservation for more than three days in a week for the first 24 hours after the courts are posted.

Recycle at Odell

One of our players commented to her player representative that there didn’t seem to be a recycle bin at Odell Weeks as the trashcan by the exit door from Gym 2 was full of plastic water bottles among other recyclable items.

Well it turns out that Odell has a beautiful recycle bin located in plain view that we all walk by every time we play. It is on the corner of the hallway leading to the men’s and women’s locker rooms. Problem is it doesn’t have a sign drawing attention, but now that we all know where it is, please take your empties with you when you exit the gym and drop them in the proper recycle container.

Thank you.

A look at the pickle boom and Medical Insights by David Keisler

Less strenuous then tennis, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States. The rapidly growing interest in pickleball is well founded as this is a popular sport that requires very little equipment and it is a great way to exercise indoors or outside. Pickleball also seems to be popular with older adults as the sport does not really require extensive prior experience in racket sports such as tennis or racquetball. There is not a lot of ground to cover during a game and running long distances during competition is not necessary.

However, there are several pickleball-related injuries that need mentioning. Being aware of these possible injuries beforehand could minimize potential discomfort in the future.

Most injuries seem to be related to falls, strains, sprains, joint dysfunction and tendinopathy which is a general term used to describe pain or discomfort around a tendon or joint usually related to overuse. Ligament strains are also graded in a similar manner and recovery for the more serious sprains could be lengthy as well. Tendinopathy is the term used to describe injury or inflammation that occurs where muscles connect to bones. This is usually related to overuse. The most common tendon injuries in pickleball are described as lateral epicondylosis or tennis elbow and patellar tendinosis which involves the area where the kneecap attaches to the shinbone.

Ankle sprains can result in ligament stress or even a tear. An achilles tendon injury could result in recurrent tendonitis or, even less frequently, an achilles tendon rupture. Strains of the hamstring and quadriceps muscles are probably the most common muscle groups injured. Shoulder pain is often related to impingement of the rotator cuff area or falls. The wrist is the most commonly injured bone due to a fall and a fracture can occur as outstretched hands attempt to cushion the fall.

Falls usually occur when a player is backpedaling in an attempt to chase down a deep overhead lob from their opponent on the other side of the net. The wrist fracture is also now known as a "FOOSH" or fall-on-outstretched-hands. Avoid back-peddling at all times. Instead, turn and sidestep toward the baseline or just let your opponent's shot pass over and hope it goes out of bounds which is often the case for many beginners.

The number of pickleball courts in the United States totals over 7,000 with 85 new courts opening each month. It has been estimated that over three million Americans are now playing pickleball on a regular basis. Seventy-five percent of the players are over the age of 55. This number is growing annually. An important part of the game is to know your limitations physically, warm up wisely, wear adequate shoes based on the court surface and avoid injury while having fun.

MEDICAL INSIGHTS: Pickleball injuries provided by DAVID KEISLER Columnist, published in the Aiken Standard

Evening Play at First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church at 102 Chesterfield Street in downtown Aiken will offer drop-in play on Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM starting November 11th. Two courts will be available, with the possibility of a third if there is enough interest. Donations for playing are $2.00 per session. Sign-ups are available at the First Baptist tab on the sign up list or you can click here to sign up.