5 Mobility Tips for Senior Pickleball Players

Aches, pains, and decades of wear on your joints aren't obstacles to ignore. They're signals to train smarter.

Pickleball is booming, and everyone wants to jump in. But here's the thing: if you're a more senior player, the game demands a different approach than what you'll see in most online tutorials.

Better Pickleball's CJ Johnson and Tony Roig have built their channel around a simple truth: younger content creators often skip the nuances that matter for senior players.

Aches, pains, and decades of wear on your joints aren't obstacles to ignore. They're signals to train smarter.

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One: Warm Up Before You Play (Seriously)

The first rule isn't even a tip about technique. It's about preparation. CJ and Tony stress that warming up isn't optional for senior players; it's essential.

Better Pickleball offers a free dynamic stretching guide built specifically for pickleball players. The goal is simple: get your body ready to play your best quickly and reduce your injury risk. Don't waste the first two or three games of your session as a warm-up. That's just asking for trouble.

Two: Master Your Ready Position

As we age, we naturally stand taller with less knee flex and minimal hip bend. That's a recipe for tipping over when you're moving side to side on the court.

Instead, widen your stance slightly so you feel balanced on the balls of your feet. Flex your knees and let your hips bend just a little. The moment you flex your knees, your hips follow.

This puts you in a much better position to move laterally and keeps you from toppling over as you shuffle across the court.

Three: Bend from Your Knees, Not Your Back

Tony demonstrates what happens when you bend from your back to pick up a low ball: your chest goes nearly parallel to the ground, you're uncomfortable, and you're putting unnecessary strain on your spine.

The fix is straightforward. Make the flex come from your knees using that nice wide stance from tip one. Your back will thank you, and you'll be in a much better position to move after you pick up the ball.

Four: Pick Up Your Feet

There's a tendency for players over thirty to shuffle across the court. It looks lazy, it's ineffective, and it's a tripping hazard.

Instead, pick up your feet as you move. Think of it as athletic movement, not a casual stroll. If you hear your shoes dragging across the court, you're shuffling. Stop that. The goal is to move from a balanced position, not to glide.

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Five: Take Larger Steps

Small, choppy steps might feel safe, but they're actually the opposite. They slow you down and increase your risk of tripping.

Take naturally larger steps as you move side to side or forward. You're not lunging or overextending; you're just moving with purpose and efficiency.

Watch experienced senior players, and you'll notice they cover the court with fewer, more deliberate steps.

Don't Forget About Joint Mobility

Our joints change over time, but we can do specific exercises to help them perform more normally. Better Pickleball shares two simple ones:

• Arm circles: Put your arms forward with your pointer fingers extended and circle your arms all the way around. Start with small circles if you don't have full mobility yet. This shouldn't hurt; keep it simple.
• Knee mobility: Hold onto something stable, lift your leg, and move your knee back and forth. Think of it like oiling your joints. Don't forget the other leg.

These exercises take just a few minutes but can make a real difference in how you move on the court and in your daily life.

The Bigger Picture

CJ and Tony's message is clear: mastering pickleball as a senior player isn't about copying what younger players do.

It's about understanding your body, respecting its limits, and training in a way that keeps you healthy and playing for years to come.