You finish a match, grab your bag, and head to the car. The adrenaline fades, and then it hits: that creeping ache in your low back. It follows you home, stiffens up while you sit at dinner, and reminds you the next morning when you bend down to tie your shoes.
Sound familiar?
You’re not broken. You’re not “too old” for pickleball. What you’re feeling is a signal; your body telling you that it’s been moving from the wrong places.
Pain Isn’t the Enemy, Poor Rotation Is
Your low back isn’t the villain. It’s just overworked.
Here’s the anatomy:
- Your low back (lumbar spine) only has about 13° of safe rotation.
- Your thoracic spine (mid-back) and hips? Together, they’re designed for 70°+.
- When those areas lock up from years of sitting, stress, or poor movement habits, your low back steps in to do all the twisting.
But your lumbar spine was built for stability, not wild rotation. So when it tries to carry the load, it screams. That scream is what you feel as pain.
The fix isn’t more stretching. It’s smarter training — teaching your nervous system to trust rotation again.
4 Drills to Unlock Your Rotation
These movement resets that give your hips, ribs, and core back their jobs — so your spine can finally rest.
1. Palloff Presses
- A banded anti-rotation drill.
- Trains your core to stay quiet so you can create power in the right places.
- Think: keeping your spine steady while your hips and arms take over.
2. Woodchops
- Diagonal power.
- Builds the same torque you need for drives and overheads.
- Teaches your body to link hands, ribs, and hips in one fluid chain.
3. Figure 8 Coils
- Flow-based spiral drill.
- Wakes up fascia, ribs, and breath.
- Teaches you to coil and release like a whip, not grind through your low back.
4. Ball Side-Arm Pitches
​Watch video here
- The most pickleball-specific drill here.
- Trains speed, timing, and rotational snap without paddle overload.
- Helps you groove safe, powerful side-arm mechanics that protect your spine.
Every rep is a vote for longevity. You’re teaching your body to move like a spiraled spring instead of a rusty hinge.
The Court Feels Different When You Rotate Better
When your rotation is unlocked:
- Pain fades because your spine isn’t overworked.
- Power increases because energy transfers cleanly from the ground up.
- Movement feels smoother, less jerky — like your whole body is in on the swing.
This isn’t about chasing another quick fix. It’s about training for decades, not days. Because the game rewards rotation. And so does life.
Where to Go From Here
Start with the Pickleball Power Ebook — my free guide for pain-free play.
Then, if your low back has been barking, check out my 7-Day Pickleball Performance Challenge. Day 4 is all about reclaiming rotation, with a full follow-along to make these drills second nature.
Your low back doesn’t have to decide how long you play. Your movement does.