Tennis Elbow

[Victor68]

If you ask me this question 6 months ago, I don't even know what you are talking because I have never encountered this pain before although I have been a active racket player for many years.

 

Maybe I am more active and younger, thus the muscles are there to take those stress. Recently, I pick up badminton, I game I played 30 years back and use a very light racket. Yes, I experienced this pain 'tennis elbow'. I applied  mentholatum, massage, etc the pain is slightly better till I play the next game and it is back.

 

I tried some light weight training to build some muscles and this other one very important, stretch you arm straight and squeeze a ball hard with your fingers, let go completely and squeeze again. Do this for at least 20 mins per day. 3 weeks and definitely I am feeling 80% better.

 

Hope the above helps.

[Throttle2]

Bringing this topic back.

since early 2020 after Covid disruption, i have picked up my Tennis game again at least weekly.

in the process, have also switched to a heavier racket with full poly strings (becos multifilament breaks within a few months) 

most recently i have had several intensed singles games, hard playing 2 hrs non stop.

the tennis elbow came back and pain dragged over 2 weeks so i have been resting.

best remedies for me so far and not in any order

1. softer, strings with lower tension 

2. Massages and stretching pre and post game

3. kinesio tape or arm braces for support 

4. reworking swing techniques and improving timing of hits, pace and strength

5. anti inflamation pills to alleviate pain in serious cases

6. rest

 

[Acewin]

5 hours ago, Throttle2 said:

Bringing this topic back.

since early 2020 after Covid disruption, i have picked up my Tennis game again at least weekly.

in the process, have also switched to a heavier racket with full poly strings (becos multifilament breaks within a few months) 

most recently i have had several intensed singles games, hard playing 2 hrs non stop.

the tennis elbow came back and pain dragged over 2 weeks so i have been resting.

best remedies for me so far and not in any order

1. softer, strings with lower tension 

2. Massages and stretching pre and post game

3. kinesio tape or arm braces for support 

4. reworking swing techniques and improving timing of hits, pace and strength

5. anti inflamation pills to alleviate pain in serious cases

6. rest

 

@Throttle2 Can try putting softer poly on the main and gut on the cross and try to lower tension as low as possible. Do not know what racquet and string you using currently. 

[Throttle2]

47 minutes ago, Acewin said:

@Throttle2 Can try putting softer poly on the main and gut on the cross and try to lower tension as low as possible. Do not know what racquet and string you using currently. 

Yeah thats what i did to one racket

the other one i use multifilament 

currently using pure aeros 

[Acewin]

3 minutes ago, Throttle2 said:

Yeah thats what i did to one racket

the other one i use multifilament 

currently using pure aeros 

IMHO there are softer poly string e.g Signum Pro Firestorm, Weisscannon turbo twist, Volkl cyclone and many many more can try try

Your pure aero is the 300g version?

[Throttle2]

17 minutes ago, Acewin said:

IMHO there are softer poly string e.g Signum Pro Firestorm, Weisscannon turbo twist, Volkl cyclone and many many more can try try

Your pure aero is the 300g version?

Yeah trying different brands. 

yes 300g  i have both the rafa and the banana. 
 

was playing technifiber nrgs for quite a while but breaks every 3 months so i went back to poly

use to string high at 57-58 but as i age, lowered tension now to 50 which is the lowest i ever used. 
rpm blast , started playing at 54lbs and after a year went to 52lbs which i liked. 

Now trying 50lbs

Edited August 25, 2022 by Throttle2

[Acewin]

11 minutes ago, Throttle2 said:

Yeah trying different brands. 

yes 300g
 

was playing technifiber nrgs for quite a while but breaks every 3 months so i went back to poly

use to string high at 57-58 but as i age, lowered tension now to 50 which is the lowest i ever used. 
rpm blast , started playing at 54lbs and after a year went to 52lbs which i liked. 

Now trying 50lbs

Rpm blast a bit hard IMHO

Maybe next you need to work on using trunk muscle pronation and forward momentum more rather than arm.

[Throttle2]

1 hour ago, Acewin said:

@Throttle2 Can try putting softer poly on the main and gut on the cross and try to lower tension as low as possible. Do not know what racquet and string you using currently. 

Using full bed of signum micronite

[Throttle2]

11 minutes ago, Acewin said:

Rpm blast a bit hard IMHO

Maybe next you need to work on using trunk muscle pronation and forward momentum more rather than arm.

Yes a bit hard but i have always preferred hard until recent years , lao liao.

Always torso and weight shift before arm and never had tennis elbow issue when younger.

i think my weight, inflexibility and laziness in later years contributed to tennis elbow becos taking short cuts to finsh the swing.  Lazy to bend knees, lazy the wind up. Lazy to take extra step to close in the volley.  😁😄
 

need to tidy up my technique

Edited August 25, 2022 by Throttle2

[serenade]

Polyester strings, whether half-bed or full-bed have a playing life of only around 20-25 hours. When we feel it will be a waste to cut the strings when already dead is when the arm trouble start. Dead polys do not at all absorb  impact well and the shock is transmitted to the arm. Especially when using a very stiff racket like the Aero.

You have a few choices to preserve elbow/arm till it recovers. In increasing order of difficulty:-

1. Stop playing tennis in the wet and use fresh balls at every session

2. Switch to a softer poly and cut-if-off once  hit 20+ playing hours

3. Switch to multis or multi blended with poly (e.g Tecnifibre HDMX which I switch to whenever my shoulder needs a break. HDMX has a soft feel at impact softer than the softest polys. The drawback is give up some spin capability vs full-poly. Has a longer life than polys. HDMX is wrist, elbow and shoulder friendly even on stiff racket.

4. Change racket to ProKennex. A brand whose models are designed for tennis elbow sufferers by using ball-bearings to absorb ball impact. I have friends who made the switch  and swear that it worked for their elbows

5. Develop a double-handed backhand. A double handed-backhand is a non-dominant arm forehand. No more taking backhands late, leading with the elbow and developing a tennis elbow

Which have I done to protect my injured wrist/elbow/shoulder over the 40+ years I have been playing the game? All the above except for #4. Although I did not switch to ProKennex which did not suit me, I did switch to rackets with stiffness rating to below 60 by Wilson.  From Yonex rackets with stiffness ratings nearer to 70. The low stiffness with low-tension strung soft polys give a soft buttery feel at ball impact and no shock to my arm. 

 

[Throttle2]

1 hour ago, serenade said:

Polyester strings, whether half-bed or full-bed have a playing life of only around 20-25 hours. When we feel it will be a waste to cut the strings when already dead is when the arm trouble start. Dead polys do not at all absorb  impact well and the shock is transmitted to the arm. Especially when using a very stiff racket like the Aero.

You have a few choices to preserve elbow/arm till it recovers. In increasing order of difficulty:-

1. Stop playing tennis in the wet and use fresh balls at every session

2. Switch to a softer poly and cut-if-off once  hit 20+ playing hours

3. Switch to multis or multi blended with poly (e.g Tecnifibre HDMX which I switch to whenever my shoulder needs a break. HDMX has a soft feel at impact softer than the softest polys. The drawback is give up some spin capability vs full-poly. Has a longer life than polys. HDMX is wrist, elbow and shoulder friendly even on stiff racket.

4. Change racket to ProKennex. A brand whose models are designed for tennis elbow sufferers by using ball-bearings to absorb ball impact. I have friends who made the switch  and swear that it worked for their elbows

5. Develop a double-handed backhand. A double handed-backhand is a non-dominant arm forehand. No more taking backhands late, leading with the elbow and developing a tennis elbow

Which have I done to protect my injured wrist/elbow/shoulder over the 40+ years I have been playing the game? All the above except for #4. Although I did not switch to ProKennex which did not suit me, I did switch to rackets with stiffness rating to below 60 by Wilson.  From Yonex rackets with stiffness ratings nearer to 70. The low stiffness with low-tension strung soft polys give a soft buttery feel at ball impact and no shock to my arm. 

 

1.  i play weekly and use fresh balls every session of 2hrs

2. i restring my rackets after an average of about 25hours of hit time

3.  switching back to multifilament from poly.  And have lowered tension from 58 to 54 to 52 to 50 over the years

4. used Pro Kennex Destiny 01 - 315g for more than 25yrs.   Now using 2 stiffer 300g Babolat pure aeros. (67rated)

5. have always trained with a single backhand, but now trying to add a doublebackhand which has not been fantastic

I am pretty clear of why i have a tennis elbow.  
never really had it until i past 45yrs though. 
although age is the secondary reason but overall strength, conditioning, flex and recovery associated with age makde that difference.

Got to compensate now by lowering string tensions to hitting at lower pace for much better timing. 
 

lets see how it goes this weekend.

Edited August 26, 2022 by Throttle2

[Throttle2]

14 hours ago, serenade said:

Polyester strings, whether half-bed or full-bed have a playing life of only around 20-25 hours. When we feel it will be a waste to cut the strings when already dead is when the arm trouble start. Dead polys do not at all absorb  impact well and the shock is transmitted to the arm. Especially when using a very stiff racket like the Aero.

You have a few choices to preserve elbow/arm till it recovers. In increasing order of difficulty:-

1. Stop playing tennis in the wet and use fresh balls at every session

2. Switch to a softer poly and cut-if-off once  hit 20+ playing hours

3. Switch to multis or multi blended with poly (e.g Tecnifibre HDMX which I switch to whenever my shoulder needs a break. HDMX has a soft feel at impact softer than the softest polys. The drawback is give up some spin capability vs full-poly. Has a longer life than polys. HDMX is wrist, elbow and shoulder friendly even on stiff racket.

4. Change racket to ProKennex. A brand whose models are designed for tennis elbow sufferers by using ball-bearings to absorb ball impact. I have friends who made the switch  and swear that it worked for their elbows

5. Develop a double-handed backhand. A double handed-backhand is a non-dominant arm forehand. No more taking backhands late, leading with the elbow and developing a tennis elbow

Which have I done to protect my injured wrist/elbow/shoulder over the 40+ years I have been playing the game? All the above except for #4. Although I did not switch to ProKennex which did not suit me, I did switch to rackets with stiffness rating to below 60 by Wilson.  From Yonex rackets with stiffness ratings nearer to 70. The low stiffness with low-tension strung soft polys give a soft buttery feel at ball impact and no shock to my arm. 

 

What rackets you using currently, whats strings at what tension?

In the old days, especially from an all boys school, we were all hitting single backhands.  
partly becos double backhand was deemed as guniang.  Hahahahahahahah.  
 

in fact till today, i still have that mentality….. 😁🤣😂
however since i am almost senior citizen already so its excusable lah…….muayhahhahhhaha

ok this weekend, train my double backhand.   At least i can use it in conjunction with single backhand.  Relieve the load a bit. 

Edited August 26, 2022 by Throttle2

[RadX]

On the contrary, a stiffer rkt with a low setup works

 

im on msv twist mains, msv hex cross 48/45

 

also technique is impt. And esp the elbow flex. Minimise that. That said, SBH works well w this racket

[RadX]

The ps85 rocks for drills and volleys. Serves as well 

 

lai @Throttle2 I feed u balls and correct ur sbh Ai Mai 

 

that said, use a copper brace for the elbow. I had TE and used it while

playing. The heat helps to enhance circulation and healing as well restricting flex 

[RadX]

Yonex rkts are my preferred now. Great for balance full range of shots. Ezone98 rocks 

moving away from Wilson

 

 

 this is limpeh collection at hm

[Throttle2]

1 hour ago, RadX said:

The ps85 rocks for drills and volleys. Serves as well 

 

lai @Throttle2 I feed u balls and correct ur sbh Ai Mai 

 

that said, use a copper brace for the elbow. I had TE and used it while

playing. The heat helps to enhance circulation and healing as well restricting flex 

My single backhand is quite ok, its my double back hand.  Probably i too fat and inflexible, so cannot wind up much and cannot swing a big arc.

where is your homeground, Radxy

[Throttle2]

1 hour ago, RadX said:

Yonex rkts are my preferred now. Great for balance full range of shots. Ezone98 rocks 

moving away from Wilson

 

 

 this is limpeh collection at hm

The last yonex i used, Martina Navratilova was still playing. Cant remember which model. 
started out with Prince graphite.  Used many rackets in the mid to late 80s, including Donnay, Yonex, Dunlop, Head, and even Puma (boris becker).  
by 18, i was using the Pro Kennex Destiny01 until last 2 years, switch to Babolat Pure Aero and Pure Aero Rafa.

 funny , i never had a Wilson.  Not even the very popular Prostaff. 
 

so far the Pure Aero is pretty fine, but super stiff.  Moreover i was using it with RPM Blast.  I think it did contribute somewhat to my tennis elbow

[serenade]

9 hours ago, Throttle2 said:

What rackets you using currently, whats strings at what tension?

In the old days, especially from an all boys school, we were all hitting single backhands.  
partly becos double backhand was deemed as guniang.  Hahahahahahahah.  
 

in fact till today, i still have that mentality….. 😁🤣😂
however since i am almost senior citizen already so its excusable lah…….muayhahhahhhaha

ok this weekend, train my double backhand.   At least i can use it in conjunction with single backhand.  Relieve the load a bit. 

I keep two sets of rackets for different balls.

For Wilson US Open balls, I use Yonex Vcore 100SV strung with Tecnifibre HDMX at 48/44. Lower tension in the cooler months. USO balls are light and very hard out of the can. As I struggle for accuracy while generating pace with my usual rackets, I need a separate set just for these balls. 

For all other balls, I use Wilson Blade 104 v1, v3, v7 and v8. Strung with Volkl Cyclone Tour 17G mains with Yonex PTP on crosses.  Main string tension ranges from 46 to 41. Depending on ball condition and weather. The rackets have been weighted up to 330g gross. Big sweet spot and easy power/spin when needed. At my 60+ age, I need all the help I can muster from my rackets as I no longer can generate the racket head speeds I was able to when young.