The Main Causes of Tennis Elbow

Players at the recreational level can quite oftenly experience a pain in their elbow. This unfortunate pain in the arm is called tennis elbow. It is also known as lateral epicondylitis, and it affects the outer part of the elbow. Despite its name, it is not only caused by playing tennis, but it can also result from any activity that involves repetitive use of the forearm muscles. To add, this condition can obviously affect your performance on the court, as well as debilitate daily activities, including work and other hobbies.

Therefore, lots of people wonder what can be done to heal this, but asking someone like me without a medical background is a bad idea. Instead, in this article, we will discuss the main causes of tennis elbow and how to manage this condition.

Poor Technique

The first reason why people get tennis elbow is due to incorrect technique. Interestingly, usually a badly executed one-handed backhand gives players a lot of trouble. In other words, when you are hitting a backhand all the impact on your arm is going to be on the outside of the arm.

On the other hand, shots like the forehand and the serve are protected when it comes to tennis elbow. When playing a forehand, your interior muscles are being used more than the outer ones.

Unfortunately, you can still get pain in the elbow on this side of the arm. Most likely you will instead hear of players experiencing pain on the outside of the arm when striking a non dominant sided shot.

However, generally speaking, whichever shot you're executing with improper technique and lack of fundamentals is usually going to result in isolation of the arm. Hence, the arm gets worked overtime and sometimes not only sends pain shocks to the elbow, but to the wrist and shoulder as well.

Incorrect Grip Size

Another reason why you may experience tennis elbow is if you have a grip size that's either too small or too big. If the grip size is too big, you're going to have to hold the racket a little bit tighter.

The fingers are not going around the racket completely and there's going to be a gap between the palm of your hand and your fingers. Therefore, when you're hitting all your shots, you're going to be gripping the racket tightly, which can cause pain.

On the other hand, if you play with a grip that is too small, like if you pick up a kids racquet, your hand is completely overlapping the grip. Once more, if your fingers are overlapping your palm, you will be holding the racket in an odd way that can cause discomfort.

The best way to check for the proper grip size is by holding the racket and sticking your non-dominant hand’s index finger in this gap. If it is snugly fitting in the gap, that is the correct grip size for you.

Racquets

It makes sense that choosing a racket is very personal, for we all have different bodies and mobility. For example, someone who is very strong might be able to play with a racket that's very heavy. Doing this will not have any effect on this person’s arm.

However, someone who is a little bit weaker, perhaps an elderly player, is going to have a hard time with a heavy racket. These players are better off with a lighter racket, usually somewhere around 260-270 grams and have a high RA rating. This is exactly why you usually see the older players at your club have an oversized racket in their hand. The specs of their preferred racket are extremely responsive and do not require a lot of strength to swing the racket.

On the other hand, there will still be some stiff rackets that suit more of an advanced player. Rackets like the Pure Aero or Pure Drive are used by loads of juniors and professional players. It is possible that recreational players also choose to play with these frames, but must be a little bit more careful if they do.

What’s more, if you are currently looking for a racket, make sure that you're looking at the racket's weight, head size, and stiffness. Some frames are marketed as soft and flexible, but you won;t know until you test it out yourself.

String Tension

The last reason I will mention today that causes tennis elbow is string tension. At the recreational level, polyester strings are the most popular. This makes sense, for it gives you easy access to spin and power, and has great durability.

Now, when you get your rackets strung correctly with polyester, the strings snap back in place. However, what happens with most string jobs is that they get strung too tight. By pulling on them, they will not go back into their original location, meaning they are literally dead.

Having such tight strings on your racket will result in no power, since at contact, the ball will have no chance to really pocket into the strings. As a result, you start swinging harder and faster, meaning you are likely to hurt yourself. I would say that this is the primary reason why players experience pain in their elbow across the entire globe.

The best thing you can do to prevent this is to start stringing your rackets looser. Do not string the racket over 52 pounds if you have regular polyester string on your racket. Now, if you play with professional grade polyester, it is acceptable to even go below 45 pounds.

To add, when you walk into the pro shop requesting that tension, you will have to be brave and ignore the employee’s comment. I promise your arm will thank you later.

Final Thoughts

Tennis elbow is a condition that recreational players all over the globe experience. Not only can it hinder how you play on the court, but in some cases, it also affects your daily life. Making sure you play with proper technique, have the correct racket in your hand, and string your frames loosely can help prevent the discomfort in your arm. However, the best thing you can truly do is consult with your doctor, who will have numerous remedies for you.

If you do start experiencing pain in your arm, I highly recommend you to listen to your body and stop playing until you recover. It is not the end of the world, but only the end of your tennis for a while.