The third habit · Georgia Spine & Sports Rehab · Buford, GA
The AnnualDeep Look.One hour. One year. One plan.
The third habit in The Long Game is the one you cannot do alone. Morning Five is daily. Two Sessions is weekly. The Annual Deep Look is yearly, in person, with a qualified professional. This is where Dr. Joe Krzemien performs it.
Definition
What it is.Not what it isn't.
The Annual Deep Look is a 60 to 75 minute movement capacity review built for people who play pickleball and intend to keep playing. Dr. Joe measures the physical qualities that show up in the research on recreational racquet athletes, compares them to your age and activity norms, and writes down what he finds.
It is not a physical exam, not an injury visit, and not a promise. A screen tells you where you stand today. What you do with that for the next 364 days is the point.
What gets measured
Ten tests.Ten reasons.
Pickleball T-test
The court-modified change-of-direction test used in the 2024 IJSPT study by Myers and Hanks. Players who reported falling were slower on it.
Hip abduction strength
Measured with a handheld dynamometer. Stronger hips were associated with faster T-test times in the same study. Lateral movement lives here.
Single-leg balance
Timed on each side, eyes open and closed. Lunging and backpedaling were the two leading causes of reported falls.
Heel-rise to fatigue
Single-leg, with published age norms. Calf capacity is the first line for the Achilles, the most feared pickleball injury over 50.
Ankle dorsiflexion
The knee-to-wall test. Measures how far the shin can travel over the foot. Limits here shift load to the knee and low back.
Split-squat and lunge
Video-scored. The lunge is the most common pickleball position and the most common fall trigger.
Shoulder rotation
Internal and external range on the paddle side versus the other side. Asymmetry shows up in overhead and serve mechanics.
Grip strength
Dynamometer. A simple, well-studied marker of overall strength in older adults, and the interface between you and the paddle.
30-second sit-to-stand
Leg power and endurance, normed by decade.
Movement inventory
Squat, hinge, reach, rotate. A qualitative look at how you move, used to build your plan, not to predict injury. The research on screen scores as predictors is weak, and Dr. Joe treats them accordingly.
What you leave with
Paper.Not opinions.
Every Deep Look ends with a written report you take home the same day.
- Your ten numbers, each next to the published norm for your age group.
- Your three priorities for the year, ranked.
- A Morning Five prescription: which five movements you do daily, adjusted for what the tests showed.
- A Two Sessions template: what your two weekly strength sessions should emphasize for the next twelve months.
- A recheck date. Next year's Deep Look starts by comparing against this year's sheet.
If the tests turn up something that needs care rather than training, Dr. Joe tells you plainly and explains the options.
Who it is for
Who it is for.And who should call first.
The Deep Look is built for recreational pickleball, tennis, and paddle players, most often 45 and up, who are currently playing and want an honest baseline. It fits readers of The Long Game who are ready for the third habit, players coming back after a layoff, and anyone whose game feels slower than it used to.
If you are currently injured, in pain, or recovering from surgery, call the clinic first. That is a different visit, and Dr. Joe will tell you which one you need.
Pickleball injuries we treatWho performs it
Twenty-three years.One standard.
Dr. Joe Krzemien has practiced sports chiropractic for 23 years. He is in his tenth season with the Atlanta Dream and spent 13 NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He was inducted into the Professional Football Chiropractic Society Hall of Fame on February 28, 2025. He wrote The Long Game so the same yearly review he ran on professional athletes could be done for the people who play on Tuesday nights.
What it costs
The Annual Deep Look is a cash-pay service. Pricing is quoted by phone so we can confirm what is included for your situation. Georgia Spine & Sports Rehab does not bill insurance for this visit. Members of our ChiroHealth program receive an itemized superbill for out-of-network reimbursement.
Questions
Beforeyou book.
Does the Deep Look prevent injuries or falls?
No single assessment can promise that. What it does is measure qualities that research on recreational pickleball players has associated with falls and performance, such as hip strength and change-of-direction speed, and gives you a plan built around your results. Outcomes depend on what you do with the plan.
Do I need to have read The Long Game?
No. The book explains why the three habits fit together, and readers will recognize the structure of the report. But the Deep Look stands on its own. Dr. Joe walks every patient through Morning Five and Two Sessions during the visit, whether or not they own the book.
What should I wear and bring?
Court shoes, shorts or athletic pants, and a shirt that lets your shoulders move. Bring your paddle if you have one, and any recent imaging or surgical notes. Eat normally and do not play hard the day before. The tests are submaximal but some, like the heel-rise, go to fatigue.
Is this covered by insurance?
No. The Annual Deep Look is a cash-pay service, and pricing is quoted when you call. Members of our ChiroHealth program receive an itemized superbill for out-of-network reimbursement. If the visit uncovers a problem that requires treatment, that care is scheduled and handled separately from the assessment.
How is this different from a regular chiropractic visit?
A treatment visit addresses a complaint. The Deep Look has no complaint to address. It is a measurement session with a report and a year plan, and nothing is adjusted or treated unless you decide to book that separately. Think of it as a baseline, repeated once a year, with the same tests each time.
Georgia Spine & Sports Rehab · 4325 S Lee St, Buford, GA 30518
The third habitis the oneyou do not do alone.
Morning Five you own. Two Sessions you own. The Deep Look you book.