Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow and Your Equipment

When tennis elbow or any of the other “arm” injuries (wrist, rotator cuff, etc.) occur, some tennis players are quick to assess blame on their equipment. While it is true that some racquets can be very “unfriendly” when it comes to pain and tennis elbow, many studies have shown that the overwhelming cause of arm injuries in tennis players is due to either lack of conditioning or poor technique. Should one, or both of these factors be present, and tennis elbow be diagnosed, it is important to take a look at what equipment is being used, how it is set up and whether it is providing relief, or aggravating the pain. In this article we’ll explore issues surrounding tennis racquets and comfort, from two perspectives. First, what can be done to an existing racquet to ensure that it is as “tennis elbow friendly” as possible and secondly, what characteristics to look when trying to purchase a new tennis racquet that will ensure maximum comfort?

Aside from the issues of technique and conditioning, what aggravates arm injuries in tennis players? The answer is simple, shock. Shock occurs when the tennis ball makes impact with the racquet outside of its sweetspot. The result is that jarring, twisting, torquing feeling that causes pain. What can be done to reduce the amount of shock that experienced by a tennis player without having to purchase a new racquet?

The area that can usually make the biggest improvement is in the stringing of the racquet. Have your racquet restrung at least every 50 hours of play. Strings have elasticity that provide power and feel to the racquet, but also help reduce shock. Elasticity deteriorates over time. When choosing a string for your racquet, look for a “soft” string, i.e. one with as much elasticity as possible. Natural gut strings have probably the best elasticity, but many excellent soft synthetic strings can be found at about half the cost, such as Wilson NXT or Gamma Live Wire. Choose as thin a gauge as possible as this will add to the elasticity of the string. Tension is a very important factor when stringing a racquet for comfort. Tighter strings provide better control but also make the sweetspot smaller, looser strings offer more power and more comfort through a bigger sweetspot.

The handle of an existing racquet is also an important area to address. If the handle size is too small, the racquet is likely to twist and torque in your hand when the ball is hit off center. If the handle is too large, the same will occur. Some players will choose handle size based upon comfort and their style of play, but a general rule for handle size is to have about a 1 cm space between the tips of your fingers and the base of your thumb when you hand is wrapped around the grip. If you find your grip is too small, visit you local tennis specialty shop and have it built up a size. Some types of racquets can be reduced in size, depending on their handle type, but this is usually a more complicated process than building up. Take a look at the condition of the grip on your handle too. Many players find added comfort in a new grip that has some cushion to it, such as the Wilson TL grips or the Prince Cushion Fit grip.

The final and often most overlooked factor when trying to make your present racquet more comfortable is the swingweight of the racquet. Swingweight is a measurement of the overall static weight of the racquet combined with the distribution of weight (head heavy, head light or evenly balanced). What this measurement actually determines is how heavy does the racquet feel when it’s in motion. How does this relate to comfort? If a racquets swingweight is too light, the player will be able to swing very fast, but there will be no mass behind the ball. Imagine swinging a badminton racquet at a tennis ball, it would be very difficult to make the ball travel the length of the tennis court. Racquets with light swingweights are unstable with small sweetspots. A racquets swingweight was too heavy, the player would have no trouble generating power, assuming they were able to prepare in time and make impact with the ball in front of their body. If they were not able to get the racquet around in time due to the heavy swingweight, this would likely result in lots of off-center hits and uncomfortable shock. Talk to a racquet technician about your racquet to see if an adjustment in swingweight might help your comfort.

If you’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time for a new racquet all the issues we’ve discussed so far are still relevant, however you will also want to consider head size, stiffness and shock reduction technologies. Head size is pretty straightforward; a bigger head size will have a bigger sweetspot resulting in more comfort. The down side is that the larger head size will also generate more power and less control.

Stiffness, like swingweight, is a somewhat complex factor. Scientifically speaking, a flexible racquet will absorb more shock and be more comfortable to use. In reality, for most novice and club level players the reduction in power experienced by using a very flexible racquet can cause muscle fatigue and aggravate tennis elbow further. On the other side a stiffer racquet will generate more power and allow the player to use less force to hit the ball which can aid the comfort while playing through arm injuries. As I previously stated, shock only occurs when the ball is hit off-center, so it is my opinion that a stiffer, more powerful racquet will likely be more comfortable for a tennis elbow sufferer as long as it has a larger head size and a soft string tension. A stiff racquet with a small head size and a tight string will certainly result in aggravation of any arm condition.

Manufacturers have been trying for years to devise a technology either through engineering or use of different materials to alleviate shock and pain suffered by tennis players due to arm injuries. It is my opinion that conditioning, technique, stringing, handles, swingweight, head size and stiffness are factors equal to, if not more important than the newest shock reduction technologies. There are some technologies worthy of noting though, such as the Wilson Triad system, where a racquet is made in three pieces and then bonded together. By physically separating the handle from the head of the racquet during construction, the Triad system aims to eliminate shock from traveling into the handle of the racquet and on to the players arm. Head’s Intellifiber material and the Prince MORE technology have also had good success in providing players with comfortable racquets.

There’s a lot of information available about tennis related arm injuries and even more choice when it comes to choosing equipment to combat these injuries. If you’re suffering from chronic tennis elbow consider visiting a good sports medicine doctor for help with exercises and conditioning, take a lesson from your club pro to work on your technique and visit the local racquet expert to get advice on the equipment issues we’ve discussed and how they relate to you.