Can a too small grip cause wrist pain?

[Lilguy1456]

You don't think the added stiffness will cause an issue?

[LeeD]

"you can't gain something without losing something"....

[JDMasFCK]

Yes it can, a bigger grip can also cause wrist problem... find out to properly measure your hand to the grip for the best grip size for you.

[LeeD]

Let's try some rational thinking here.
OP, when he holds his racket, his fingers HIT the palm of his hand, so no gap is there.
Maybe, just maybe, he needs a bigger grip?

[NE1for10is?]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

Very well could be. Sucks...I really don't wanna give up the poly, so maybe i'll switch to a softer poly in a hybrid. That should soften it up enough but still give me the poly spin and control.

It's pretty simple. Would you rather keep the poly and play with pain and then eventually not be able to play at all, or switch to a softer string? Its not worth it. Just do an experiment and try a softer string on one of your racquets for a while and see if the pain goes away. Also, most polys go dead after about 10 hours and become stiff. If you haven't changed it out in a long time you're playing with a garbage can lid. Another alternative I've read about is to keep the poly and drop the tension a lot (like 20 lbs), but I've never tried this myself. A wrist is a complicated joint and difficult to heal if it gets too screwed up. I highly doubt that the grip or your technique is the cause. A racquet that is too stiff may be the cause, but the Prostaff has a long track record. These kind or arm, shoulder, wrist and elbow injuries have become an epidemic with club players ever since the introduction of poly.

[pkshooter]

Change grip size before you change rackets
It's cheaper
It allows you to keep your freind

[lstewart]

For me, too small of a grip can create additional wrist problems. I've got a chronically bad wrist that I have to tape before every workout. If I play with a small grip, I'm prone to more wrist action, which creates problems. I try to play with a larger grip, and thereby not hit as "whippy" with wrist snap. But I also agree that racket stiffness, and string stiffness, are at least as big an issue, if not more so. For me it is all a balancing act.... I'm using a frame that is not very stiff, and stringing with hybrid poly / multi or gut, to still get the poly spin, but soften the frame with the crosses.

[anubis]

You could have simply hurt yourself in some way. Perhaps you "zigged" when you should have "zagged" and asked something that your wrist couldn't do for you in a match. Perhaps you reached a little too far, had too much of an extreme angle between your forearm and wrist and you put a little bit too much pressure on the ligaments in your wrist. You may not have noticed it at first, but now the pain is getting to you.

Perhaps use the RICE method of rehabbing your wrist and take some time off of tennis?

[kaiser]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

Very well could be. Sucks...I really don't wanna give up the poly, so maybe i'll switch to a softer poly in a hybrid. That should soften it up enough but still give me the poly spin and control.

You might also try to drop the tension on your full poly drastically, and I really mean drastically, <40lbs. Takes the pain out of full poly for me, gives a very significant increase in spin and no appreciable loss of control. May take an hour or so to adjust your swing because of the higher launch angle, but the extra top will help to bring the ball down into the court. There is a very big thread on these "Low, low tensions" in the strings section.

How long have you been playing with your 'heavy' rackets? If you are already used to them, I very much doubt that their weight is causing your wrist problem. Same thing with grip size. I'd go with anubis, you probably did something to your wrist without noticing it, maybe not even playing tennis. Had pain in my right wrist last year and was worried it might be due to the weight of my racket (13+oz...). Did the RICE thing but kept playing with the same racket and it gradually went away. Now I have similar pain in my LEFT wrist...

[BlueB]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

Other problem...my wrists are SHOCKINGLY small. Like, girlishly small. I teach 5th grade, and I have smaller wrists than every single one of my kids...

This ^
I have the same problem. However, I'm not a small guy - I have enough muscles to hurt my wrists just by crunching my fists tight. I suffered from the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from my teen age. I even stopped playing tennis from age 20 to 41
As a youngster, I mostly played with wooden racquets (heavy) and grips way too big for my small hands. However, after the return to the tennis, I realised that too small of a grip can cause big problems, too. I need decent gap between fingertips and palm. I'm happiest with 3/8 grip+overgrip or 1/2 with grip removed (overgrip or 2, only). Racquets over 12oz can hurt me too, as well as ones under 11oz.

[Lilguy1456]

Thanks for all these replies! I actually starting NOTICING the wrist pain maybe last season when I switched from an APDC (stiff I know, but light) to a Head Youtek Speed Pro (very stiff and heavy). So the idea of switching to a heavy stick causing the pain actually makes sense given that...

However, I also starting playing a LOT more often during that same time, so that makes me think it might just be a repetitive motion type thing that caused it. Don't know. I guess I just have do a trial and error type thing to solve the issue.

I've basically been "resting" most of the winter, but the pain lingers, and is worse after playing. I just HATE the idea of an injury dictating how often I play, what strings I play with, what racquet I play with, etc. That is INFURIATING! LOL

[LeeD]

Stands to reason, pain starts when you increase your frequency of play.
That's when it counts.
I mentioned I went from 200's to 500's, and all hand (wrist) and shoulder problems went away.

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Stands to reason, pain starts when you increase your frequency of play.
That's when it counts.
I mentioned I went from 200's to 500's, and all hand (wrist) and shoulder problems went away.

I suppose I should just make a switch before it gets worse...go bigger grip, softer strings, lighter racquet...though if a Pure Storm Ltd is killing my wrist, I fear EVERY racquet will lol.

[LeeD]

Thought the red Storms were around 60 in stiffness.
A microgel is around 56.
As is a London.
But is your wrist sore from swinging the heavy racket or is it sore from the impact from a stiff racket?

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Thought the red Storms were around 60 in stiffness.
A microgel is around 56.
As is a London.
But is your wrist sore from swinging the heavy racket or is it sore from the impact from a stiff racket?

Well, that's my point. I don't think stiffness is causing my pain, even though I use polys because I swing VERY flex racquets...so I assumed grip size or my stroke...

Unless the weight is causing it...perhaps it's the swinging (not the impact) that's the problem, like you said...

[Lilguy1456]

Maybe I should just switch to a Gamma RZR 98T strung up at 60lb with Tour Bite...that should fix it up

[LeeD]

60 would give you impact problems.
I use 52, and on some days, it feels too stiff.
Nadal and Fed use around 50, but change racket's after 9 games or so.

[Lilguy1456]

I always string up at 52...maybe I can go lower than that even...

[LeeD]

Depends on your swing speed and the way you hit the ball.
Since Nadal and Fed seem to be OK with 50, that should be a good starting point.

[NE1for10is?]

Stiff string + stiff racquet = stiff joints