The importance of getting fitter cannot be overstated. Well-toned muscles protect the joints and weaker tendons, ligaments which get damaged easier and rebuild much slower. And you are much more coordinated and use your body better when you're fit. But all the things Nik says here also work. I lowered my racquet weight and stiffness, and increased the head size in addition to getting fitter, and I now rarely get hurt playing.
I solved my elbow problem with a heavier head light racquet (weighted up Wilson Blade to 370gm), bigger grip (5 in) and lower string tension of around 40 lbs. I use Black Code 18-gauge textured strings so I get plenty of bite on my topspin and slice groundstrokes and serve. I also hit with an Eastern grip, one-handed backhand and serve - volley mostly when I play doubles though I play all-court singles. I am 65, a little overweight and so refuse to rate myself any higher than 3 for what it's worth (I stopped playing tournaments years ago).
string my own and been slowly dropping tension down to see how it goes and down to 46 and will go down to 44 next, seems to be helping and a bit more pop as well.
Having gone through a full episode of tennis elbow this past summer, and done the research to get it healed, I learned that a major cause is the improper stroke on the 1HBH. The key point: when starting the stroke the hitting arm must be straightened early well before impact and the accompanying shoulder turn forward must be delayed during the stroke so that only the shoulder does most of the work. I am accordingly re-building my 1HBH to prevent its return. (Also, tennis elbow typically takes 6-12 weeks to fully heal, longer than most players suspect.)
Great point on lower tension poly. I have a stringer at home at played with exactly how low I could go and it seems right around 30-35 is the sweet spot. Most wouldn't think you can't control the ball at such low tension but I've found it in fact gives crazy amounts of topspin maybe because of increased ball pocketing Idk. But you are absolutely right most pro-stringers will immediately think you made a mistake if you write you want it strung below 40.
Thanks again🎾pros here are always smaller grip, more flexible racquet. Ortho said bigger grip and I like Wilson Federer because I'm more comfortable with the weight. Similar to head graphic edge I used 40 years ago. Also switching Anna to semi western was perfect. Also, I avoid backhand slices during practice even though it's a favorite shot playing doubless. Ortho + you =perfect for my elbow.
When I got TE a 2nd time I switched to a Clash 100 with natural gut at 48 lbs. I could play now while it started healing but I had to eventually stop slicing my backhand and learn a double handed backhand. Now that it’s healed completely I can slice again but I’m still happy I learned the double hander. With string savers the gut gives me about 50 hours of play time and the tension stays very consistent. I still wear the bandit brace when playing. If you have TE don’t drag it out and make it chronic, take care of it quickly.
All correct what you say, Is all about good technique, the right racquet, which is not the same as you mention for everyone, warm up and good stretching after the game and not to much tension on the strings! I would like to ask you to say also the kilos, thank you!
One important quote to avoid tennis elbow is do a proper warming up , such as start playing mini tennis . After 10 minutes start playing on a full tennis court. Keep your arm , wrist relaxed Play with low grip tension.
I switched from a stiff racket the Wilson Ultra to a much less stiff racket, the Wilson Clash. My tennis elbow disappeared almost immediately. The Ultra has a stiffness rating of 70, and the Clash is 57. I also have way more control of my ground strokes.
Nik - Your reco on lowering string tension is gold. Tried it out and even my cheapo strings deliver better comfort and performance. Definitely right about getting weird looks from the stringer though! Haha
Helpful video as always, thank you! IMO, it was more a combination of things - string tension too high and the one handed backhand technique needing refinement. Having a tennis elbow was painful and rest was a big part of recovery. I have learned and made the necessary changes to eliminate the problem. No longer have tennis elbow.
I changed my pure drive to a Wilson Clash 100. In 2 weeks the pain stopped (string: copoly 1.2 mm, at 48lb). Plus some stretchs and exercises for the forearm.
In other words, you went from one extreme (PD) to another, as PD is really stiff and Clash really flexible. 🙂 In fact, Clash is so flexible and arm friendly that it doesn't hurt your arm even if you strung it a lot tighter.
I'd like to add one more cause. IMO, in one stroke, shanking the ball, missing the sweet spot on a hard driven ball, shanking on serve can cause elbow injury.
Nice video and some tips work for me do not go over a sore arm and take a break for a while, warming up before and streching after playing (strongly recommend), just hold racquet strong just before hitting and then relax it(I was always holding it strongly), strengthen your arm muscles with exercises. And offcourse listen your doctors.
Agree 100% on all three causes ! A poorly executed forehand, backhand or serve because of bad technique is one of the causes of elbow injuries. I noticed it a few days ago. I was experimenting on my serve and I led unintentionally with my elbow causing it to hyperextend and “ P O W ! “ I Felt it ! So, my immediate solution was to simply “ bypass “ the elbow as much as possible when serving. ( You’re probably wondering how one can go around or avoid using the elbow. One ,, is to always have a slight bend in the elbow when transferring all that potential energy from the right shoulder to the wrist. That prevents hyperextending your arm. Second,, is to make sure I make contact UPWARD and not downward as I accelerate the racquet and put my whole body into the serve especially the right shoulder because that’s what I use to whip the racquet . ) I also sometimes have a tendency to accidentally hyperextend the elbow on my backhand. That’s because the Brain and body aren’t always in sync …. you know, the Mind telling the body to do something and the body simply ignores the command.
This is exactly how I hurt my elbow after playin pain free for 6 years. My pain was on the inside of my elbow and took 10 months to heal. Fortunately it wasn't so bad that I could play but it hurt every day, every night, all of the times.
Thanks for the video, Nic! I’ve had bad tennis elbow for a while! It only shows up on my serve, particularly my flat serve. I think the cause was a weakness in my finger extensors, coupled with tightness in my rotator cuff. The former was treated with finger extension exercises (rubber bands or the like, 4 sets of 20, several times per week). The latter was treated with some light band work (strengthening the rotator cuff) and stretching the external rotation of my shoulder. That additional range of motion helps me not agitate my elbow when I pronate on the flat serve. I still have some pain if I serve several days in a row, but I’m working on improving my strength and flexibility even more and hope to be entirely pain free soon!
2 backhanded here and tennis elbow chronic in both hands, how can it be? I think my backhand technique is better than forehand so I believe it has to be the stiffness/tension of my racket and maybe a too tight grip on my part. Thank you so much for your tips and kind communication.
I am late to this but this is a great video. Lots of great points. I also appreciate how you acknowledge your evidence is anecdotal as it shows your high level of knowledge in general.
Big topic! Go to specialist sports physio as soon as possible is my advice. Be warned, if not treated properly, it can be very nasty injury, sorry to say! Any doubt, rest & recover (easy to say, I know) Excellent discussion Thank you
I just fixed mine with ashaway crossfire ZX, strung low-ish. It’s a Kevlar string setup. The kevlar dampens high frequency vibrations. Great for the elbow.
I missed ten years of tennis to golfer's elbow. Found relief with the volkl v-feel 1 racket (weird t piece in throat for absorbing vibration) and multi filament crosses. Couldn't give up copoly mains for spin. I think my problems originated from using a light prince racket with big banger strings strung tightly. I add extra lead weight to the volkyl and haven't had any trouble for two years in interclub competition.
Hello from Croatia Nikola! Could you maybe make a video recommending tennis rackets for begginers who are looking to improve? My situation is that I've started playing this summer and have been improving on all basis (mainly thanks to your videos). But when I started playing, I picked up a pretty bad racket from a friend and I'm currently looking for an upgrade. I have Head Ti.3000 and I don't think you can even find it on the internet since it's at least 15 years old. I've been looking at numerous videos and blog guides, and found the Head 360+ Speed S. Then I held it in a store and it still feels a bit too heavy for me. Especially since I'm suffering from so called trigger finger for about a month now, and I think it is because my grip size is 4 and because I'm not that strong yet. So I'm back to square one, and I have to find myself something else. If you could make a video recommending rackets for beginners who are looking to improve, and explaining what to look for in a racket with examples, it would be very appreciated! Is there any racket you could recommend me?
Another cause of tennis elbow is adding too much lead tape to the racquet. Some rec players overestimate the amount of weight that they can handle which puts extra stress on the arm. Factoring this with poor technique is a recipe for tennis elbow. If you have a history of elbow problems, it's best to stay away completely from poly strings. Poly even strung at a lower tension will still not be as arm friendly as a synthetic gut string.
I use Pure Drive, what tension would you recommend for multifilament strings to avoid tennis elbow? In the past I've used Head Velocity MLT and Wilson NXT on other raquets. Thanks, awesome video, keep posting.
I haven’t played regularly for 15 years, started again, broke my strings on a Wilson. Got a couple of pure drives and after 1 hour I got tennis elbow for a week! Things to note, they are 300g so not heavy. Grip size is good.I stupidly decided to smack down a load of 110-120mph serves. Hoping that maybe hitting the gym and rebuilding my arm after so long off will help… may also get a coach for an hour to check over my technique. Thoughts Nick?
Hello Nikola! I watch Your videos and want to say thank You for doing them, they are very helpful. I am from Estonia btw :) I want to ask You about tennis elbow.. I am 32 yo and playing with Völkl V-feel 8 (100 head size, 285g of weight and 65 RA stiff) - it seems ok but I want to switch to heavier racquet to have a litle bit power increase. I played with 2021 Babolat Pure Drive 100 head size and 300g of weight, it was about 70-71 RA stiff... after playing 1-1.5h (with ball machine) on another day I had some pain in the elbow which lasts about 2-3 days. Then I switched back to my Völkl and it was OK. Then I tried Yonex Ezone 100 head size, 300g of weight and 69 RA stiff... played two days by 1.5h and after that had pain in elbow. What do You think, that pain is because of weight or stiffness on the racquets? I always wanted to play with Yonex raquet and now I found that Ezone and VCore with 98 head size have 64 and 66 RA stiffness respectivaly... what do You think, if I buy one of them does the pain come back? I thought that pain was bacause of stiffness, not weight. Thank You very much for answer.
You might be right in your four causes, but i think thé nr. 1 should be continental grip in thé forehand with blocked motion, like in thé old days...that is were thé elbow suffers thé Most. ..
If your string is too tight, you hit off center, and you're are late, that's going to cause elbow pain. The off center hit is not as bad if make sure the other two are ok
Great Instruction - unfortunately a recreational player from 80's & 90's so already had arthroscopic surgery on both elbows as had chronic golfers and tennis elbow :- (
Thanks so much for the video. I seem to get golfers elbow whenever I do a slice serve. So much so that I have cut it out of my game. Have you heard of this from someone else before ? Any clues to what I’m doing wrong ?
Stringing at 36pounds is 15kg. That is very low. I have never ever strung my racquet that low. It might be good for your elbow, but I'm sure it affects your control immensely.
@@bournejason66 Just to be sure you mean 30 (lb), right? Sock is a pro. Some of them string that low, but you need to be able to control your shots very well at 30s. I'm not saying stringing at 30s is wrong or anything, but requires a lot of control.
As always Nik great informative video… please do a video about granting as it’s controversial subject and gets really annoying when players sound like they’re having sex while playing tennis!!!! 😅 Thanks Nik for keeping up the momentum 👏🏼
I used a Pure Aero with Babolat RPM Blast string at 52 lbs for about a month and I had tennis elbow last July. Since then I changed with natural gut on the main and luxilon alu power at 50 lbs. My tennis elbow is gone.
Halo Pak Agus, apakah Bpk istirahat dari tenis selama tenis elbow di bln July 2021? Brapa hari? Hi. Mr. Agus. Did you take total rest from tennis during July 2021? How many days rest?
@@patrickgodwin6115 Ya saya istirahat 1 minggu dan mengurangi frekuensi main dari 4x seminggu ke 2x saja. Setelah 1 bulan saya main hampir tiap hari dan my tennis elbow is fine. Memang natural gut beda jauh dg segala jenis tenis string. Natural gut is the gold standard for tennis string tp mahal dan harus hati-hati jangan sampai kena air supaya awet.
whats a good tension for a multifilament in a pure aero? I usually worry about going too low and turning it into a rocket launcher and string it tighter in the 54-56lbs range
I have suffered from the problem even with my non-playing hand. As per my research and advice by professionals there is - some genetics involved - bad habits in every day life create the potential - an overload of some sorts makes it snap In other words, prevention may not only come from proper technique in tennis but from good habits in life. In my profession of a "keyboard warrior" good posture and all sorts of ergonomic habits are paramount.
Bad habits behind the computer are a MAJOR factor for sure! I had to completely stop gaming because continuously using a mouse and keyboard was really detrimental to the health of my wrists and elbows.
I have golfer elbow problem, cause I was Fixing my hard teniss court :/.. 1 year and 6 month trying to heal the elbow.. I try many things and nothing helps me.. am thinking that cirgury Is the next step :(
My TE completely disappeared after I changed my racket. Then again I had TE before I ever started playing Tennis anyway so I don't know what the original cause was. I work out with weights which I think caused it in the first place and I recall I improved my bicep exercise technique at the same time I got a new racket. So I'll never know what really caused it or why it fixed itself. So yeah, it's a bit of a mystery for me personally; pretty sure it wasn't caused by my tennis technique though. Thankfully it's fully gone now for over a year :D
i just want to say , heavyracquet 320 grams unstrung,wilson championce choice string, low tension,flex below 60, still got tennis elbow,not even after 5 month gone.probably i did too many lift ups with the racquet
I had tennis elbow for a while. But it turned out the cause was my mobile phone use while lying in bed etc. I know this because I switched to holding my phone with the non-dominant hand and the pain went away in a week.
I have to say the most concerning thing I see with recreational players is dead balls. A can of pressurized balls are only good for a week when stored without pressure, even if they aren't played with. So many players on the public courts near me use balls that are completely dead. For my hopper I use Wilson Trinity presureless balls, I break out the pressurized balls only for matches or match practice and I use a ball saver to preserve their pressure if I want to save them for later.
Interesting that you string so low. I play with polys, usually solinco confidential or tour bite at around 22kg. I might try around 20, just scared I won't like it, strings are pricey
I had tennis elbow in 2019, i blamed it on poly strings too tight on a 4 1/4 grip size. I switched to a 4 3/8 grip with Nylon strings strung at 50 psi. No pain since 🤞😁
Occasionally I have pain in my inside part od the forearm, similar to golfer's elbow due to some older injury while weightlifting. Also I've used Kirschbaum pro line evolution 17 strings and I'm think to string it up to 53 lbs mains and 50 lbs crosses. Do you think I should go less?
@@IntuitiveTennis My last setup was 50-48 lbs on rf97 autograph v10 (2014-2016) but I'm aiming for a little more control. Also I haven't changed my strings for more than half a year so maybe they got looser...
Hello friend, I really liked the video you made, your tips are important, I suffer from elbow pain, I have a Wilson Ultra 100 V 3.0 racket, in the racket description it says 100 sq in, 10.6 oz-300g, 47- 57lb, your opinion would be very important to me, how many (lb) should I put and what kind of rope would be ideal for me, thank you friend, success always for you.
I changed my pure drive to a Wilson Clash 100. In 2 weeks the pain stopped (string: copoly 1.2 mm, at 48lb). Plus some stretchs and exercises for the forearm.
I understand why Nick has to give the disclaimer but a doctor wont help unless they also happen to be experienced tennis coaches. I went to 3 and its the same thing, they send me to a guy who massages my arm, rubs some cream on it then uses a machine to rub it in. I rest few days then go out and play and the tennis elbow demon re appears. I'm hoping someone can finally help me as I may be forced to give up tennis, it's that bad.
I want to add a little input based on personal experience. Traumatologists say they'd rather treat ten bone fractures than one tendonitis. This is because the latter are rebellious, hard to treat, and tend to last months. Epicondilitis, or tennis elbow, is a tendonitis. But doctors do have means of controlling pain very effectively. One is a cortisone injection directly into the tendon itself. If combined with a local anesthesia, it makes the pain disappear immediately. PROBLEM. Even if the pain goes away, do not start playing tennis again. You must take a prolonged rest from tennis to allow the tendon to properly heal. The injection gets rid of the pain, but not the damage. Playing to soon only produces more damage, and worsens the problem. Pain is there for a reason. To tell you something's wrong, and force you to avoid certain movements or activities while the body heals. The most important part of treatment for tendonitis is REST!!! Then of course, once subsided the pain, proper exercise, warmup, technique correction, equipment adjustment, etc. Every suggestion that Nico has said. In my experience, taking classes with a skilled instructor to correct technique problems, and playing with a slightly heavier racquet (more plow through) solved my problem. But don't continue play while you have pain, it'll only make it worse.
My daughter, 14 years old about 2 weeks ago had pain on her elbow. She compresses with ice, also does some stretchings on her palm - arm. She took 1 week total rest from tennis, and started practicing light tennis again last week. The pain is still there, but not as pain as 2 weeks ago. Should she take total rest from tennis again? How many days should she take total rest from tennis ? Thanks for your suggestions.
@@patrickgodwin6115 In the case of your daughter, I reiterate what Nico said, to have her evaluated by a specialist, either a traumatologist or an orthopedist. I had tennis elbow in my 40s. In her case, she's a young adolescent, still growing. That means she could recover faster, but it also means that she's still growing, and you have to take care in not harming her development. About how long to rest, that's the tough part. When I had it, a doctor told me to lay down the racquet for about 6 months. I kid you not. Tendonitis are very rebellious. Others may need only 3 months. I exacerbated mine trying to play after cortisone treatment. Also, as another commentator said, it's important to strengthen the tendon, once healed, with good physical therapy, ideally with a therapist who specializes in sport injuries. Best wishes.
Woow so long, have to rest 6 months, my daughter is a tennis athlete. We will try to take total rest for another 14 days now. She is also taking Magnesium Citrate, Bromelain, vitamins A, B, C, D3. We will see the outcome after this 14 days rest. Thankyou so much Eric for your concern. God bless you always.
Wrong technique: #1: wrong grip and late contact. Bad toss too. Also, mishits/frame shots (volleys, returns,...). Bad bounce. Courts are often in bad shape at the recreational level. No dynamic stretching be4 playing.
Bad technique on a one handed backhand was the culprit for me. I think I was not hitting the ball far enough in front of me. My elbow was such a mess after the first year of play that I ended up switching to a two handed backhand. Now after switching to a two handed backhand for about 2 years I can finally play without an elbow brace.
Poly String Recommendations 👉 th-cam.com/video/3CyNgcHE_uo/w-d-xo.html
The amount of empathy in the video is incredible!
The importance of getting fitter cannot be overstated. Well-toned muscles protect the joints and weaker tendons, ligaments which get damaged easier and rebuild much slower. And you are much more coordinated and use your body better when you're fit. But all the things Nik says here also work. I lowered my racquet weight and stiffness, and increased the head size in addition to getting fitter, and I now rarely get hurt playing.
I solved my elbow problem with a heavier head light racquet (weighted up Wilson Blade to 370gm), bigger grip (5 in) and lower string tension of around 40 lbs. I use Black Code 18-gauge textured strings so I get plenty of bite on my topspin and slice groundstrokes and serve.
I also hit with an Eastern grip, one-handed backhand and serve - volley mostly when I play doubles though I play all-court singles. I am 65, a little overweight and so refuse to rate myself any higher than 3 for what it's worth (I stopped playing tournaments years ago).
string my own and been slowly dropping tension down to see how it goes and down to 46 and will go down to 44 next, seems to be helping and a bit more pop as well.
Having gone through a full episode of tennis elbow this past summer, and done the research to get it healed, I learned that a major cause is the improper stroke on the 1HBH. The key point: when starting the stroke the hitting arm must be straightened early well before impact and the accompanying shoulder turn forward must be delayed during the stroke so that only the shoulder does most of the work. I am accordingly re-building my 1HBH to prevent its return. (Also, tennis elbow typically takes 6-12 weeks to fully heal, longer than most players suspect.)
I am switching from 1 hand to 2 hand l
6-12 weeks with complete rest? Or with careful tennis?
Your words are so gentle
big thanks for the spring example
You’re good ! You’re the first coach/person I’ve seen here on TH-cam explain how a string reacts when strung.
Great point on lower tension poly. I have a stringer at home at played with exactly how low I could go and it seems right around 30-35 is the sweet spot. Most wouldn't think you can't control the ball at such low tension but I've found it in fact gives crazy amounts of topspin maybe because of increased ball pocketing Idk. But you are absolutely right most pro-stringers will immediately think you made a mistake if you write you want it strung below 40.
ye, mannarino uses 24 pounds i believe
Thanks again🎾pros here are always smaller grip, more flexible racquet. Ortho said bigger grip and I like Wilson Federer because I'm more comfortable with the weight. Similar to head graphic edge I used 40 years ago. Also switching Anna to semi western was perfect. Also, I avoid backhand slices during practice even though it's a favorite shot playing doubless. Ortho + you =perfect for my elbow.
When I got TE a 2nd time I switched to a Clash 100 with natural gut at 48 lbs. I could play now while it started healing but I had to eventually stop slicing my backhand and learn a double handed backhand. Now that it’s healed completely I can slice again but I’m still happy I learned the double hander. With string savers the gut gives me about 50 hours of play time and the tension stays very consistent. I still wear the bandit brace when playing.
If you have TE don’t drag it out and make it chronic, take care of it quickly.
All correct what you say,
Is all about good technique, the right racquet, which is not the same as you mention for everyone, warm up and good stretching after the game and not to much tension on the strings!
I would like to ask you to say also the kilos, thank you!
One important quote to avoid tennis elbow is do a proper warming up , such as start playing mini tennis . After 10 minutes start playing on a full tennis court. Keep your arm , wrist relaxed Play with low grip tension.
Agree, after 5:00 minutes warming up on the small Court prevent tennis elbow for me
1-handed backhander male here. Definitely technique! Tennis elbow went away when I improved the 1-handed backhand form.
I switched from a stiff racket the Wilson Ultra to a much less stiff racket, the Wilson Clash. My tennis elbow disappeared almost immediately. The Ultra has a stiffness rating of 70, and the Clash is 57. I also have way more control of my ground strokes.
Nik - Your reco on lowering string tension is gold. Tried it out and even my cheapo strings deliver better comfort and performance.
Definitely right about getting weird looks from the stringer though! Haha
🙌🙌
Helpful video as always, thank you! IMO, it was more a combination of things - string tension too high and the one handed backhand technique needing refinement. Having a tennis elbow was painful and rest was a big part of recovery. I have learned and made the necessary changes to eliminate the problem. No longer have tennis elbow.
Nice to have you back Nikola👍🏻🎾
I changed my pure drive to a Wilson Clash 100. In 2 weeks the pain stopped (string: copoly 1.2 mm, at 48lb). Plus some stretchs and exercises for the forearm.
In other words, you went from one extreme (PD) to another, as PD is really stiff and Clash really flexible. 🙂 In fact, Clash is so flexible and arm friendly that it doesn't hurt your arm even if you strung it a lot tighter.
great informations thanks alot!
I'd like to add one more cause. IMO, in one stroke, shanking the ball, missing the sweet spot on a hard driven ball, shanking on serve can cause elbow injury.
Great advice, intelligent, clear and corageous
🙏
Excellent tips. Hope you had a spare spring for the pen :)
Nice video!
Nice video and some tips work for me do not go over a sore arm and take a break for a while, warming up before and streching after playing (strongly recommend), just hold racquet strong just before hitting and then relax it(I was always holding it strongly), strengthen your arm muscles with exercises. And offcourse listen your doctors.
Agree 100% on all three causes ! A poorly executed forehand, backhand or serve because of bad technique is one of the causes of elbow injuries. I noticed it a few days ago. I was experimenting on my serve and I led unintentionally with my elbow causing it to hyperextend and “ P O W ! “ I Felt it ! So, my immediate solution was to simply “ bypass “ the elbow as much as possible when serving. ( You’re probably wondering how one can go around or avoid using the elbow. One ,, is to always have a slight bend in the elbow when transferring all that potential energy from the right shoulder to the wrist. That prevents hyperextending your arm. Second,, is to make sure I make contact UPWARD and not downward as I accelerate the racquet and put my whole body into the serve especially the right shoulder because that’s what I use to whip the racquet . ) I also sometimes have a tendency to accidentally hyperextend the elbow on my backhand. That’s because the Brain and body aren’t always in sync …. you know, the Mind telling the body to do something and the body simply ignores the command.
This is exactly how I hurt my elbow after playin pain free for 6 years. My pain was on the inside of my elbow and took 10 months to heal. Fortunately it wasn't so bad that I could play but it hurt every day, every night, all of the times.
Your videos are great!
Thanks for the video, Nic! I’ve had bad tennis elbow for a while! It only shows up on my serve, particularly my flat serve.
I think the cause was a weakness in my finger extensors, coupled with tightness in my rotator cuff. The former was treated with finger extension exercises (rubber bands or the like, 4 sets of 20, several times per week). The latter was treated with some light band work (strengthening the rotator cuff) and stretching the external rotation of my shoulder. That additional range of motion helps me not agitate my elbow when I pronate on the flat serve.
I still have some pain if I serve several days in a row, but I’m working on improving my strength and flexibility even more and hope to be entirely pain free soon!
2 backhanded here and tennis elbow chronic in both hands, how can it be? I think my backhand technique is better than forehand so I believe it has to be the stiffness/tension of my racket and maybe a too tight grip on my part. Thank you so much for your tips and kind communication.
Thanks Nic
I am late to this but this is a great video. Lots of great points. I also appreciate how you acknowledge your evidence is anecdotal as it shows your high level of knowledge in general.
42 Ibs for me now, great video Nick! 😀
You got this!
Big topic!
Go to specialist sports physio as soon as possible is my advice.
Be warned, if not treated properly, it can be very nasty injury, sorry to say!
Any doubt, rest & recover (easy to say, I know)
Excellent discussion
Thank you
I just fixed mine with ashaway crossfire ZX, strung low-ish. It’s a Kevlar string setup. The kevlar dampens high frequency vibrations. Great for the elbow.
Yes! Yes! Yes! “ …. test different racquets out and see how your arm responds to it ! ….” Good advice !
You mentioned polyester strings. What should I string the multifilament strings at?
As a wheelchair tennis player, two handed backhands are not an option for me and we are taught to use a semi western grip for backhands.
I use a SW grip on my 2 hander.....not only do I enjoy the extra spin but it's barely a grip change...at times I stay in-between eastern and SW.
It's odd how the recommended tension ranges printed on rackets are much higher, eg 50-60 lbs.
Hey Nic, can you make also a session about tennis balls. Which ones to use the best for training, ball machine etc ? 😊
th-cam.com/video/QOgRNQkqV3s/w-d-xo.html
I missed ten years of tennis to golfer's elbow. Found relief with the volkl v-feel 1 racket (weird t piece in throat for absorbing vibration) and multi filament crosses. Couldn't give up copoly mains for spin. I think my problems originated from using a light prince racket with big banger strings strung tightly. I add extra lead weight to the volkyl and haven't had any trouble for two years in interclub competition.
Hey Nick, love your videos
Can a high level player get tennis elbow using a rec racket?
Tennis elbow is very rare at high level, I don’t think so
Years ago I have switched from polyester strings to synthetic and my tennis elbow problem disappeared.
Does string patter matter? Which one is better among 18x20 and 16x19? I am an intermediate player. Which one do you suggest. I am not very strong
It used to come and go. Mainly nerve pain; but after using a 320 g Blade, it all hurt elbow, nerves. A few hours only.
Super topic! I tried playing topspin with a continental grip for a while and it gave me a bad elbow!
I started playing very regularly again after a long break. my shins hurt and it feels like I have shin splints...what can I do about this?
Hello from Croatia Nikola! Could you maybe make a video recommending tennis rackets for begginers who are looking to improve?
My situation is that I've started playing this summer and have been improving on all basis (mainly thanks to your videos). But when I started playing, I picked up a pretty bad racket from a friend and I'm currently looking for an upgrade. I have Head Ti.3000 and I don't think you can even find it on the internet since it's at least 15 years old.
I've been looking at numerous videos and blog guides, and found the Head 360+ Speed S. Then I held it in a store and it still feels a bit too heavy for me. Especially since I'm suffering from so called trigger finger for about a month now, and I think it is because my grip size is 4 and because I'm not that strong yet. So I'm back to square one, and I have to find myself something else. If you could make a video recommending rackets for beginners who are looking to improve, and explaining what to look for in a racket with examples, it would be very appreciated!
Is there any racket you could recommend me?
th-cam.com/video/0z0Pw7i5DuI/w-d-xo.html
Another cause of tennis elbow is adding too much lead tape to the racquet. Some rec players overestimate the amount of weight that they can handle which puts extra stress on the arm. Factoring this with poor technique is a recipe for tennis elbow. If you have a history of elbow problems, it's best to stay away completely from poly strings. Poly even strung at a lower tension will still not be as arm friendly as a synthetic gut string.
I use Pure Drive, what tension would you recommend for multifilament strings to avoid tennis elbow? In the past I've used Head Velocity MLT and Wilson NXT on other raquets. Thanks, awesome video, keep posting.
Very well explained. Another causation is to serve with a fry pan grip
I haven’t played regularly for 15 years, started again, broke my strings on a Wilson. Got a couple of pure drives and after 1 hour I got tennis elbow for a week!
Things to note, they are 300g so not heavy. Grip size is good.I stupidly decided to smack down a load of 110-120mph serves.
Hoping that maybe hitting the gym and rebuilding my arm after so long off will help… may also get a coach for an hour to check over my technique.
Thoughts Nick?
Sounds like the wrong racquet for you, always consider strings too as a possible cause.
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Hope not, just splashed £350 for a pair haha. Thanks, will consider the strings.
Hopefully will improve as I play more regularly and rebuild the arm.
Hi Nic !
Without wasting a lot of time, what do you advise regarding the rope: Multifilament or Monofilament ?
Thanks
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Hello Nikola! I watch Your videos and want to say thank You for doing them, they are very helpful. I am from Estonia btw :)
I want to ask You about tennis elbow.. I am 32 yo and playing with Völkl V-feel 8 (100 head size, 285g of weight and 65 RA stiff) - it seems ok but I want to switch to heavier racquet to have a litle bit power increase. I played with 2021 Babolat Pure Drive 100 head size and 300g of weight, it was about 70-71 RA stiff... after playing 1-1.5h (with ball machine) on another day I had some pain in the elbow which lasts about 2-3 days. Then I switched back to my Völkl and it was OK. Then I tried Yonex Ezone 100 head size, 300g of weight and 69 RA stiff... played two days by 1.5h and after that had pain in elbow. What do You think, that pain is because of weight or stiffness on the racquets? I always wanted to play with Yonex raquet and now I found that Ezone and VCore with 98 head size have 64 and 66 RA stiffness respectivaly... what do You think, if I buy one of them does the pain come back? I thought that pain was bacause of stiffness, not weight.
Thank You very much for answer.
If it was me I would not play w racquet that causes pain
You might be right in your four causes, but i think thé nr. 1 should be continental grip in thé forehand with blocked motion, like in thé old days...that is were thé elbow suffers thé Most. ..
If your string is too tight, you hit off center, and you're are late, that's going to cause elbow pain. The off center hit is not as bad if make sure the other two are ok
Great Instruction - unfortunately a recreational player from 80's & 90's so already had arthroscopic surgery on both elbows as had chronic golfers and tennis elbow :- (
Thanks so much for the video. I seem to get golfers elbow whenever I do a slice serve. So much so that I have cut it out of my game. Have you heard of this from someone else before ? Any clues to what I’m doing wrong ?
Stringing at 36pounds is 15kg. That is very low. I have never ever strung my racquet that low. It might be good for your elbow, but I'm sure it affects your control immensely.
@@bournejason66 Just to be sure you mean 30 (lb), right? Sock is a pro. Some of them string that low, but you need to be able to control your shots very well at 30s. I'm not saying stringing at 30s is wrong or anything, but requires a lot of control.
@@bournejason66 I wouldn't go that low personally, but I understand that some people do. The lowest I string would be about 22kg.
I string alu power 54lbs with a head speed mp, is this an okay set up?
As always Nik great informative video… please do a video about granting as it’s controversial subject and gets really annoying when players sound like they’re having sex while playing tennis!!!! 😅
Thanks Nik for keeping up the momentum 👏🏼
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I used a Pure Aero with Babolat RPM Blast string at 52 lbs for about a month and I had tennis elbow last July. Since then I changed with natural gut on the main and luxilon alu power at 50 lbs. My tennis elbow is gone.
Halo Pak Agus, apakah Bpk istirahat dari tenis selama tenis elbow di bln July 2021? Brapa hari?
Hi. Mr. Agus. Did you take total rest from tennis during July 2021? How many days rest?
@@patrickgodwin6115 Ya saya istirahat 1 minggu dan mengurangi frekuensi main dari 4x seminggu ke 2x saja. Setelah 1 bulan saya main hampir tiap hari dan my tennis elbow is fine. Memang natural gut beda jauh dg segala jenis tenis string. Natural gut is the gold standard for tennis string tp mahal dan harus hati-hati jangan sampai kena air supaya awet.
Istirahat hanya 7 hari saja apakah cukup ya Pak? Oya bisa kita kontekan via handphone? Bisa share nomor Bpk Agus? Tx
whats a good tension for a multifilament in a pure aero? I usually worry about going too low and turning it into a rocket launcher and string it tighter in the 54-56lbs range
Multi can be strung tighter 54-56 is ok
I have suffered from the problem even with my non-playing hand. As per my research and advice by professionals there is
- some genetics involved
- bad habits in every day life create the potential
- an overload of some sorts makes it snap
In other words, prevention may not only come from proper technique in tennis but from good habits in life. In my profession of a "keyboard warrior" good posture and all sorts of ergonomic habits are paramount.
From what I read, pretty much everybody over 50 whether a tennis player or not will get tennis elbow at some point. It's just a part of ageing.
Bad habits behind the computer are a MAJOR factor for sure! I had to completely stop gaming because continuously using a mouse and keyboard was really detrimental to the health of my wrists and elbows.
I have golfer elbow problem, cause I was Fixing my hard teniss court :/..
1 year and 6 month trying to heal the elbow.. I try many things and nothing helps me.. am thinking that cirgury Is the next step :(
My TE completely disappeared after I changed my racket. Then again I had TE before I ever started playing Tennis anyway so I don't know what the original cause was. I work out with weights which I think caused it in the first place and I recall I improved my bicep exercise technique at the same time I got a new racket.
So I'll never know what really caused it or why it fixed itself. So yeah, it's a bit of a mystery for me personally; pretty sure it wasn't caused by my tennis technique though. Thankfully it's fully gone now for over a year :D
i just want to say , heavyracquet 320 grams unstrung,wilson championce choice string, low tension,flex below 60, still got tennis elbow,not even after 5 month gone.probably i did too many lift ups with the racquet
I had tennis elbow for a while. But it turned out the cause was my mobile phone use while lying in bed etc. I know this because I switched to holding my phone with the non-dominant hand and the pain went away in a week.
I have to say the most concerning thing I see with recreational players is dead balls. A can of pressurized balls are only good for a week when stored without pressure, even if they aren't played with. So many players on the public courts near me use balls that are completely dead. For my hopper I use Wilson Trinity presureless balls, I break out the pressurized balls only for matches or match practice and I use a ball saver to preserve their pressure if I want to save them for later.
Interesting that you string so low. I play with polys, usually solinco confidential or tour bite at around 22kg. I might try around 20, just scared I won't like it, strings are pricey
You string 40pounds as in 18kg for matches? thats very low isn´t it ?
I had tennis elbow in 2019, i blamed it on poly strings too tight on a 4 1/4 grip size. I switched to a 4 3/8 grip with Nylon strings strung at 50 psi. No pain since 🤞😁
but stayed with my Babolat Pure Aero
Surprisingly I never got tennis elbow, if I got pain it was usually my lower back or my shoulder.
Occasionally I have pain in my inside part od the forearm, similar to golfer's elbow due to some older injury while weightlifting. Also I've used Kirschbaum pro line evolution 17 strings and I'm think to string it up to 53 lbs mains and 50 lbs crosses. Do you think I should go less?
Definitely
@@IntuitiveTennis My last setup was 50-48 lbs on rf97 autograph v10 (2014-2016) but I'm aiming for a little more control. Also I haven't changed my strings for more than half a year so maybe they got looser...
6:30 100%
Hello friend, I really liked the video you made, your tips are important, I suffer from elbow pain, I have a Wilson Ultra 100 V 3.0 racket, in the racket description it says 100 sq in, 10.6 oz-300g, 47- 57lb, your opinion would be very important to me, how many (lb) should I put and what kind of rope would be ideal for me, thank you friend, success always for you.
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I changed my pure drive to a Wilson Clash 100. In 2 weeks the pain stopped (string: copoly 1.2 mm, at 48lb). Plus some stretchs and exercises for the forearm.
@@IntuitiveTennis Thanks my friend
👍
I understand why Nick has to give the disclaimer but a doctor wont help unless they also happen to be experienced tennis coaches. I went to 3 and its the same thing, they send me to a guy who massages my arm, rubs some cream on it then uses a machine to rub it in. I rest few days then go out and play and the tennis elbow demon re appears. I'm hoping someone can finally help me as I may be forced to give up tennis, it's that bad.
Even some of the superstar pros get tennis elbow.
Not just us amateurs!
Don't get dispirited
🎉
I want to add a little input based on personal experience. Traumatologists say they'd rather treat ten bone fractures than one tendonitis. This is because the latter are rebellious, hard to treat, and tend to last months.
Epicondilitis, or tennis elbow, is a tendonitis. But doctors do have means of controlling pain very effectively. One is a cortisone injection directly into the tendon itself. If combined with a local anesthesia, it makes the pain disappear immediately.
PROBLEM. Even if the pain goes away, do not start playing tennis again. You must take a prolonged rest from tennis to allow the tendon to properly heal. The injection gets rid of the pain, but not the damage. Playing to soon only produces more damage, and worsens the problem.
Pain is there for a reason. To tell you something's wrong, and force you to avoid certain movements or activities while the body heals.
The most important part of treatment for tendonitis is REST!!!
Then of course, once subsided the pain, proper exercise, warmup, technique correction, equipment adjustment, etc. Every suggestion that Nico has said. In my experience, taking classes with a skilled instructor to correct technique problems, and playing with a slightly heavier racquet (more plow through) solved my problem.
But don't continue play while you have pain, it'll only make it worse.
My daughter, 14 years old about 2 weeks ago had pain on her elbow. She compresses with ice, also does some stretchings on her palm - arm. She took 1 week total rest from tennis, and started practicing light tennis again last week. The pain is still there, but not as pain as 2 weeks ago. Should she take total rest from tennis again? How many days should she take total rest from tennis ? Thanks for your suggestions.
@@patrickgodwin6115 In the case of your daughter, I reiterate what Nico said, to have her evaluated by a specialist, either a traumatologist or an orthopedist. I had tennis elbow in my 40s. In her case, she's a young adolescent, still growing. That means she could recover faster, but it also means that she's still growing, and you have to take care in not harming her development.
About how long to rest, that's the tough part. When I had it, a doctor told me to lay down the racquet for about 6 months. I kid you not. Tendonitis are very rebellious.
Others may need only 3 months. I exacerbated mine trying to play after cortisone treatment.
Also, as another commentator said, it's important to strengthen the tendon, once healed, with good physical therapy, ideally with a therapist who specializes in sport injuries.
Best wishes.
@@NamesAreRandom Very true. Also, strengthening the muscles that surround our joints helps protect them, and may prevent future injuries.
Woow so long, have to rest 6 months, my daughter is a tennis athlete. We will try to take total rest for another 14 days now. She is also taking Magnesium Citrate, Bromelain, vitamins A, B, C, D3. We will see the outcome after this 14 days rest. Thankyou so much Eric for your concern. God bless you always.
Wrong technique: #1: wrong grip and late contact. Bad toss too. Also, mishits/frame shots (volleys, returns,...). Bad bounce. Courts are often in bad shape at the recreational level. No dynamic stretching be4 playing.
Thought i had tennis elbow, ended up being nerve damage 😁
Cause #5 😂😂😂
Bad technique on a one handed backhand was the culprit for me. I think I was not hitting the ball far enough in front of me. My elbow was such a mess after the first year of play that I ended up switching to a two handed backhand. Now after switching to a two handed backhand for about 2 years I can finally play without an elbow brace.
he plays 36 pounds?????????????????????????????
Swining baseline its actually amazing, i only find it diffucult blocking hard serves. But probly my arm tension is to much therefor it flies long. 😀
find a doctor who knows about tennis, otherwise they may waste your time.