The Top Core Exercises Every Pickleball Player Should Be Doing

The Top Core Exercises Every Pickleball Player Should Be Doing

When most people think "core," they think crunches, sit-ups, or maybe a plank.

But for pickleball players, true core training is the MVP to moving better, reacting faster, and staying injury-free.

Your core is more than just your abs, it’s the control center for everything you do on and off the court.

What Is the Core Connection, Really?

At StackTrax, we define core connection as the ability to link your upper and lower body through a stable, responsive, and reactive center.

It’s what allows you to:

  • Stay balanced when lunging wide

  • Rotate with control and power during a serve or backhand

  • Absorb and redirect force without straining your back, shoulder, or knees

  • Move efficiently and without hesitation

When your core is connected, your body becomes a single, powerful unit—not a collection of isolated parts.

Learn More About Core Connection HERE

The Current Gap: Most Core Training Misses the Point

Doing sit-ups won’t help you stop short at the net or recover after a cross-court sprint.
A strong, functional core needs to:

  • Resist rotation (anti-rotation)

  • Generate rotation (twisting with control)

  • Stabilize during movement

  • Coordinate with the breath

The Best “Core” Exercises You Can Start Doing Today!

Here are some surprisingly effective core exercises you can add to your training ASAP:

1. Half-Kneeling Pallof Press

A powerful anti-rotation exercise that builds core stability and teaches your spine to stay centered as you move your arms- what you spend most of the time doing in the Kitchen.

2. Bird Dog 

This cross-body movement challenges your core to stabilize while your opposing limbs move. Mimics pickleball’s demands for balance and reach.

3. Split Stance Overhead Press (Unilateral)

Most people think this is a shoulder exercise. It’s not. Your core fires hard to keep you stable, especially in a staggered stance... Total control.

4. Banded or Cable Rotations 

Teaches your core to produce and control rotation—key for powerful shots and safe follow-throughs.

5. Dead Bug (with Breathing Focus)

When done with breathing and control (inhaling through the nose at center, exhaling as the limbs reach long), it teaches you to brace under pressure and move your limbs with precision.

Click Here For An On Demand Bodyweight Core Workout You Can Try

Why This Matters for Pickleball Longevity

A reactive, stable core helps you:

  • Move quickly in any direction

  • Avoid low back pain

  • Protect your shoulders and hips

  • Stay consistent as the speed and intensity of your matches increase

If you don’t build that foundation, the rest of your body pays the price.

Want a Core Routine Made for Pickleball?

That’s exactly why we created the Pickleball Training Blueprint for Life.
It’s more than just workouts, it’s a movement system built around our Core 4 Principles, including core connection, to help you:

  • Improve your game

  • Reduce injury risk

  • And train efficiently (even if you only have 20 minutes)

Start moving better. Start playing longer.
[Click here to get the Pickleball Training Blueprint for Life.]

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