Better Breathing for Better Pickleball

The True men of old did not dream when they slept, had no anxiety when they awoke, and did not care that their food should be pleasant. Their breathing came deep and silently. The breathing of the true man comes (even) from his heels, while men generally breathe (only) from their throats.

- Zhuangzi

Breathing is an overlooked facet of pickleball. I have seen and heard other coaches mention it in passing, but there is little to no content (as far as I have seen) that talks about the why, let alone the how. We take it for granted because we do it all the time, but there are ways you can use breathing rhythms and techniques to improve your game.

Sometimes players tense up and stop breathing while they are playing. Not breathing can increase a feeling of pressure and anxiety unnecessarily. It can also increase a sense of urgency, anxiety, and even dizziness if you hold your breath unconsciously while you are playing. This seems to happen (most often) at the kitchen during dinking rallies because people are intensely focused. Not breathing will not help you focus. If you find yourself habitually holding your breath, please keep reading.

On the flip side, there are many benefits to proper breathing techniques. Quality breathing can help give you energy (this is the way your blood gets oxygen to fuel your muscles), it can help you to be present and focus, breathing can have a calming effect, and if you learn to combine your breathing with your motion, it can help you exert force and maintain control while executing your strokes.

Breathe from your diaphragm

Try this exercise. Stand to your feet. Bend your knees slightly. Put your weight on the balls of your feet, but keep your heels touching the floor/ground. Distribute your weight evenly on both feet and feel your weight pressing into the balls of your feet. Take a deep breath, drawing air from your abdomen and then let it out. Just practice this a few times drawing in controlled, but comfortable deep breaths and releasing them. Feel your belly rise and fall. When you breathe this way, you are drawing air into your lungs using your diaphragm muscle. This fills your lungs and provides maximum oxygen to your body. Feel your feet against the ground.

If you practice this, even for a few seconds before you play, see if it doesn't help bring sense of calm and feeling of connection to the moment. You will play better pickleball if your brain is not spinning because the dog threw up this morning, your kid got in a fight at school, your boss sent a meeting invite for first thing on Monday morning, or whatever else is going on in your world. When you are on the pickleball court, be on the pickleball court. Take a few breaths. Center yourself. Feel your breath. Feel the ground beneath you. Be.

Like Zhuangzi says, breathe deeply, from your heels. Feeling that connection to the ground, imagine your breath filling your body down to your toes. Exhale through your mouth, slow and controlled. Push your arms, palms forward as you breathe out. Imagine you are pushing a rock away from you. When you breathe in again, draw your arms back toward your body, then push forward again as you breathe out. 

Okay. That is preparation breathing. Breathing while you are in motion can entail some of the same elements if we work on it, but it is useful to have that static breathing as a starting point. 

Inhale in your backswing

You have to take in oxygen to fuel your muscles. To the extent you can, you want to breathe in with your diaphragm (again, you will feel the expansion in your abdomen if you are inhaling this way). Breathing in with your backswing helps your body prepare for the exertion to come. The ocean recedes before it sends the wave to crash on the shore. As you draw back to prepare for your stroke, you inhale.

Exhale as you execute your stroke

Exhale as you swing to hit the ball. This is your exertion. By exhaling as you exert force, your diaphragm contracts, which helps to stabilize your core and your spine. When your feet are set under your body, you are balanced, and your motion is fluid through your stroke, you will also gain control.

Practice your motion in coordination with your breath

You don't need to be on a court. You don't need a paddle or a ball. In your mind, picture that you have moved to receive the ball. You are lined up behind it as it comes to you. As you draw back to prepare for your stroke, inhale. As the ball arrives and you begin to swing forward, exhale. Do this in super slow motion and practice the motion with the breath. Practice on your forehand side as well as your backhand side.

Stroke mechanics is a different subject for a different day, but watch how the top pro players move to receive the ball and then hit it. When it's a slow ball, like a dink, they typically involve their whole body. Watch what happens with their feet, their hips, their shoulders, and their arms. Their large muscles do 99% of the work to hit the ball. Replicate that motion, but slow everything down. Repeat the motion, multiple times and tie in the breathing with it.

Doing this will help set your muscle memory for the stroke in coordination with your breathing. Marry your motion to your breathing by practicing your motion with your breathing. This will also help you to break the habit of holding your breath when you play if that is something you struggle with.

Explosive power

People sometimes laugh because I grunt when I hit powerful overhand shots. It may sound funny, but I'm exhaling as I crush the ball in the air. Those diaphragmatic contractions help to stabilize my core and give me leverage. Exhaling with a staccato quick burst can increase your power when you are hitting hard. It is as much a part of body mechanics for an athlete as rotation with your hips and shoulders and weight transfer through your stroke. If you don't think so, try to throw a forceful punch while inhaling. Try it while holding your breath. Then try it while exhaling.

In some martial arts, they teach about "qi" as a vital force and they visualize focusing this force through your body. I don't believe that there is actually a force like that, but I do believe there can be benefit to visualizations; ocean withdrawing and waves crashing, energy from the ground rolling out through your hands, Ryu from Street Fighter loading up before "Hadouken!".

Ryu loading up

HADOUKEN!

It's probably not going to improve your shot if you yell "Hadouken!" when you hit your smashes, but practice exhaling every time you swing through and inhale with your backswing. Forming this habit will improve your energy, your muscle function, and even help your mechanics.

Your inhale loads the energy, your exhale expels the energy. Link these ideas in your mind and practice them on and off the court.

Presence and calm

One final thought on proper breathing techniques, being focused on your breathing can help to anchor you in the moment. Athletes sometimes talk about "being in a flow state" when they aren't consciously thinking about what they are doing and they are simply executing their strokes with efficiency and fluidity. To get to that point, you need to practice the motions, but when you are practiced and your muscles and body can execute on auto-pilot, bringing your attention to your breath can help you focus and eliminate distractions.

Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi described men who breathed deeply (from their heels) and that their sleep was not disturbed by dreams, their waking hours were not troubled with anxiety nor bothered when their circumstances were not to their liking. Can you find your Zen state on the court? Intentional breathing may help you find that place.

It's been a little while since I have published an article. This is a subject I really enjoy, and as I said at the top, I think it is neglected. I hope you found this helpful or at least entertaining.

BTW, I recently completed a second coaching certification. I was previously certified as a Level 1 (basic) coach through Mark Renneson's Pickleball Coaching International (PCI) instructor program. In April, I took a course and tested through the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) certification. They have 2 levels, coaching (certified to teach beginners) and professional (beginners to intermediate players). I was certified as at the professional level. After 7 years of playing pickleball and 3 years of coaching, it's good to know that some people who know what they're talking about agree that I kind of know what I'm talking about.

If you've taken a lesson with me and you feel you got your money's worth, give a shout out in the comments here on the blog or on Facebook.

I'm available weekends and evenings for lessons. I have also created a No Fun Pickleball page on Facebook. You can reach me there, through GroupMe, private message on facebook, or email no.fun.pickleball@gmail.com.

Thanks for stopping by,

No Fun David