Recovery 101: How to Bounce Back Like a Pro

You just left it all on the pickleball court, and now your body is letting you know.

That deep soreness, stiffness, and tightness you feel 24–48 hours after a hard session? That’s Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), and it’s your body actively repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue. While DOMS is a normal part of training, it can temporarily reduce mobility, slow performance, and increase injury risk if recovery is ignored.

The good news? We put together this Ultimate Recovery Guide for you. Packed with science-backed recovery strategies, you’ll learn what tools you need to feel better faster — and come back stronger.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick hit list of the top recovery tools we trust:

• Massage Guns – Target tight muscles and reduce post-workout soreness

• Foam Rollers – Improve blood flow and relieve muscle tension

• Compression Therapy – Enhances circulation to accelerate recovery

• Cold Therapy (Ice Baths) – Helps reduce inflammation and muscle pain

• Infrared Saunas – Boost circulation for deeper, full-body recovery

• Stretching – Maintains flexibility and supports long-term muscle health

• Breathwork – Lowers stress and promotes faster nervous system recovery

Recovery isn’t about doing less — it’s about using the right tools at the right time.

Want to level up your pickleball game without touching a paddle?

Unlike hours of drilling on the court, this performance trick is as easy as taking a nap… because it is a nap!

While most players obsess over technique, gear, and court time, growing research shows that strategic napping can meaningfully improve reaction speed, decision-making, and overall athletic performance.

In our latest deep dive, we break down the science of rest — including how long to nap, when to nap, and why timing matters, especially before competition.

Whether you’re a weekend player looking for sharper instincts or a competitive athlete chasing marginal gains, this article shows how to use recovery as a performance tool, not a luxury.

👉 Read the full article to unlock the power of strategic rest for your pickleball game.

If you’re like us, a little cold weather won’t curb your pickleball addiction this winter.

That feeling of winning a match is totally worth the frozen fingers and toes.

If you're brave enough to turn into a human popsicle, playing in the cold can keep your game sharp during the offseason — but there are a couple of risks you shouldn't ignore…

1️⃣ Risk: Injury

• Reason: Cold muscles and connective tissues are less elastic, making strains, sprains, and falls more likely.

• Solution: Prioritize a proper warmup to get your body ready. 🏋️‍♂️ Download the Ultimate Pickleball Warmup Guide for a quick, effective routine.

2️⃣ Risk: Dehydration

• Reason: Cold weather increases moisture loss through breath and urine, while also dulling your thirst signals.

• Solution: As a general rule of thumb, drink ~16 oz of water 1-2 hours before you play, and consume 6oz of water with electrolytes for every 15 minutes of playing time. You can read this article to learn more about fueling your performance with proper hydration.

A New Way to Win More Pickleball

We have some exciting news. After months of diligence, evaluation, and real-world testing, we’re proud to announce SLAMIT Hydration as our exclusive hydration partner—and that means a big 20% discount for you.

Just use the discount code AIM7 when you check out at slamit.com

Pickleball places unique physical and mental demands on players, and SLAMIT is addressing a major performance gap with two purpose-built products designed specifically for the sport: SLAMIT HYDRATE and SLAMIT FOCUS.

Performance hydration is quickly becoming the next major differentiator in pickleball. SLAMIT was founded by exercise scientist Mady Wolfe, who partnered with world- renowned formulator Shawn Wells, MPH, LDN, RD, to build the formulas from the ground up. Shawn has developed hundreds of performance and longevity supplements and is known for creating clinically substantiated, research-driven formulations.

SLAMIT didn’t develop these products in isolation. Over the past year, professional players and respected creators helped test and refine the formulas during real match play. Players using SLAMIT include #2 PPA player Anna Bright, Kyle Koszuta (That Pickleball Guy), Tanner Tomassi, John Cincola, Shea Underwood, Danea Zeigle, and Brandon Nespong. Their feedback shaped everything from flavor to on-court performance. Interesting side note: After using SLAMIT consistently, players like Tomassi went on a winning streak earning two APP Golds and a silver over the last few months.

But SLAMIT isn’t just for elite players, 40+ players are using it to turn back the hands of time of their overall energy, focus and power output. SLAMIT HYDRATE is the foundation product. It’s a premium electrolyte hydration powder designed to keep players consistently hydrated through long sessions and tournament days. Unlike most hydration products that rely on processed table salt (like LMNT and Liquid IV), SLAMIT HYDRATE uses Baja Gold Sea Salt—an unprocessed, sun-dried sea salt harvested from the Sea of Cortez. Baja Gold contains over 90 naturally occurring trace minerals that support hydration, nerve signaling, muscular control, and sustained concentration.

SLAMIT HYDRATE also delivers double the electrolyte load of many leading brands, helping players avoid the performance drop- offs that come with dehydration.

SLAMIT FOCUS builds on that hydration foundation and adds a cognitive-performance edge. It’s an electrolyte and energy-drink alternative designed for sharper focus and faster reaction time without caffeine, jitters or crashes. Its key ingredient, Paraxanthine, has been shown in human research to improve sustained attention by 29% and reaction time by 26%. Those are big results when you’re in a close game. SLAMIT FOCUS also includes Alpha-GPC and L-Tyrosine to support mental clarity, neuromuscular efficiency, and resilience under fatigue.

Why did AIM7 choose SLAMIT?

SLAMIT stood out because of their commitment to science-backed ingredients. SLAMIT HYDRATE establishes a strong hydration baseline, while SLAMIT FOCUS adds a research-backed cognitive advantage built for fast-decision sports like pickleball. SLAMIT also offers a “Play Better Pickleball Guarantee.” If you don’t win more games, they will refund your entire purchase price. 

As a special offer for our readers only, SLAMIT is giving AIM7 followers 20% off their first order this week only. Just use the discount code AIM7 when you check out at slamit.com. But don’t delay, SLAMIT has gone viral and stock outs are inevitable.