Do You Have Pickleball Feet?


What?

Pickleball Feet?

Yes, that's what I said!

Is that a true medical diagnosis?

No, it's not listed in the ICD-11.

But, it should be!

No, No, that's just my rant. 

Does playing pickleball adversely affect your feet?

It has mine from time to time.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

 1.  Heel pain

 2.  Plantar fascia pain

 3.  Blisters

 4.  Athlete's foot

 5.  Toe pain

 6.  Bunions

 7.  Bunionettes

 8.  Foot neuromas

 9.  Stress fractures

 10. Tendonitis

 11. Foot sprains and/or strains


If you do, then you have "Pickleball Feet."

Okay, I made that up.

But it seems to be a term that encompasses what pickleball players may experience.

So, I say, let's use that term.

Say, "I have pickleball feet."

That's way easier than saying, "I have metatarsalgia," for example.

I recently injured the plantar fascia of my left foot.

I pushed off to reach a short ball, and it popped and was immediately very painful.

I thought it had ruptured.

I saw my orthopaedist. He felt like it was a high-grade strain or partial tear. 

I wore a carbon-fiber insert in my left shoe. 

I didn't play for almost three weeks.  Ouch!!  

But, it healed and stopped hurting.

Add that to the other ways my feet have hurt at times.

When I look at that list of problems mentioned earlier, I've had at least 6 of the 11 listed.

But, like most of you, I keep playing despite those issues. 

It needs to be so painful that it's hard to walk to keep me from playing.

Just like my recent plantar fascia issue. 

I hated not playing.  I just knew others were improving their skills while I wasn't.  

Even worse, I worried that my skills were probably regressing while not playing.

I'm sure you're the same way.

So, we all play through pain and discomfort. Whether it's your foot, back, shoulder, elbow, knee, etc.

We take Ibuprofen, maybe put on a brace or elastic sleeve, add a shoe insert, and play on.

You've got to keep your skills sharp, you know!

And we need to stay in shape.

Now, I'm not trying to minimize that there can be serious injuries from playing pickleball.

There is certainly a point at which a player needs to see the doctor. 

I did.

But, "pickleball feet" is a real issue that most players face at one time or another.

I just thought that, with all the different problems that can occur in the foot, maybe we needed a new, all-encompassing term for them.

I vote for "Pickleball Feet" to be that term.

Hopefully, it's not contagious!!

And remember, proper Pickleball-specific shoes are worth the money. And they can help minimize some of your foot pain.

And just like players' feet are different, the shoe brands fit differently, too.

For example, Babolat shoes are relatively narrow. 

Skechers have a wider toe box.

Sqairz have a wider toe box also. 

New Balance makes their pickleball shoes in larger sizes as well as offering wide shoes in 2E and 4E widths.

So try several different brands. 

Your "pickleball feet" will be glad you did!!


Ben Holt
​CEO, Pickleball Living