Tennis Elbow

[leksukon]

I recently felt tennis elbow starting to come on, only a mild case of it- i wanted to end it before it ended my tennis playing, i used this thread and youtube to research the problem.. then i watched this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAy8q7yJAHM

at 1.35 - ..sports which require twisting and extension of the wrist against resistence..

for me , i had this unconventional overhead bottom spin shot that I liked to do and it was twisty .. and also sometimes on the serve i noticed a twist..now that i keep that type of motion to a minimum, i played everyday this week w/o any more elbow issues..

also the question has to be asked why some people like the pro's can train 7 hours a day and not get te and i started getting it from only 4 hours a week.. i think if you have it you should analyse your shot techniques..

things like vibrating racket strings and anti-vibration bubbles will reduce the irritation but will not prevent the tendons from tearing in the first place..

that's 2cts from an newbie

[Chas Tennis]

Originally Posted by leksukon

I recently felt tennis elbow starting to come on, only a mild case of it- i wanted to end it before it ended my tennis playing, i used this thread and youtube to research the problem.. then i watched this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAy8q7yJAHM

at 1.35 - ..sports which require twisting and extension of the wrist against resistence..

for me , i had this unconventional overhead bottom spin shot that I liked to do and it was twisty .. and also sometimes on the serve i noticed a twist..now that i keep that type of motion to a minimum, i played everyday this week w/o any more elbow issues..

also the question has to be asked why some people like the pro's can train 7 hours a day and not get te and i started getting it from only 4 hours a week.. i think if you have it you should analyse your shot techniques..

things like vibrating racket strings and anti-vibration bubbles will reduce the irritation but will not prevent the tendons from tearing in the first place..

that's 2cts from an newbie

Your video is very informative but not from a tennis specialist that might be knowledgeable in tennis strokes.

I have searched for information relating stroke technique to tennis elbow. I have not found very much research.

The information that I found most credible is for the one hand backhand -

http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/USTA...is%20Elbow.pdf

The important point relates to the wrist angle at impact. Pro one hand backhands use the wrist in extension. Amateur players who more often get TE elbow use the wrist in flexion. It also make sense - but does not prove cause - that if you place your wrist in extension the tendons injured in tennis elbow are not near the end of their range of motion. As the wrist is placed in flexion the tendon injured in TE is going toward the end of its range of motion.

A much more complete discussion of this cause of tennis elbow is available in Knudson's book, Biomechanical Principles of Tennis Technique. Its an excellent book, now very low priced used, with some interesting insights on this and many other aspects of strokes.

See also

Originally Posted by Chas Tennis

One of the most plausible causes for tennis elbow for a one hand backhand is described by biomechanical researcher D. Knudson in his very interesting & informative book, Biomechanical Principles of Tennis Technique (2006). He discusses why the wrist should be extended and not flexed for the 1hbh. He says that the pro's use extended wrists and many average players use flexed wrists. When I look at videos I see the pros using extended wrists on the 1hbh. In addition, the flexed wrist stretches the elbow muscles that are injured in TE making stress from wrist flexion seem plausible as a cause of TE injury.

Knudson description of wrist issues on the 1hbh. (1997)
http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/USTA...is%20Elbow.pdf

Knudson book. (2006)
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Biom...e-BIOMECH.html

Pros using extended wrists on the 1hbh-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqBEErW0vTA

See if you can find any videos of pros impacting the ball with flexed wrists on the 1hbh. ? % ?

Search terms & get illustrations: wrist extension, wrist flexion

https://www.google.com/search?q=wris...w=1334&bih=722

[leksukon]

tx.good reads, i initially thought that my elbow was from the one handed backhand, the first thing i did was switch to the 2 handed backhand-and i'm sticking to it; it was awkward at first but after practicing with it; i'm very pleased with the 2 handed version and shoulda switched to it sooner.. I always thought 2 handed would just be too hard for me because i wouldn't have enough coordination in the left arm but i'm already starting to let the left arm take over and very excited to see what it's gonna do for my game once it's improved.

[magnut]

First step ....Throw that poly in the garbage can.

Then its a waiting game. Mine got so bad it took a year to fully heal. Now I just use 15g nylon. I have not had elbow issues in years and I put in a lot of time on court.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by leksukon

tx.good reads, i initially thought that my elbow was from the one handed backhand, the first thing i did was switch to the 2 handed backhand-and i'm sticking to it; it was awkward at first but after practicing with it; i'm very pleased with the 2 handed version and shoulda switched to it sooner.. I always thought 2 handed would just be too hard for me because i wouldn't have enough coordination in the left arm but i'm already starting to let the left arm take over and very excited to see what it's gonna do for my game once it's improved.

I also switched to a 2 hander about a year ago and it definitely helps.

[GrandSlam45]

I've been playing with a 2 handed BH my entire life and still suffer from severe tennis elbow. Unfortunately in tennis, there's a million other things you can do wrong that will cause TE. In my case, it's hitting forehands too close to the body, and over extension of my arm while serving.

Every time I think I have it figured out, I injure myself in the heat of battle.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam45

I've been playing with a 2 handed BH my entire life and still suffer from severe tennis elbow. Unfortunately in tennis, there's a million other things you can do wrong that will cause TE. In my case, it's hitting forehands too close to the body, and over extension of my arm while serving.

Every time I think I have it figured out, I injure myself in the heat of battle.

My TE can get bad when I'm stretched out on my forehand and I go for a Rafa style spin swing over my head. I tend to squeeze the handle very tight when I try this shot and that is where it gets me. Need to just start slicing those balls.

[jonahnaturals]

Originally Posted by Milan

How can we fix this?

Playing at 50-52 lbs with various Polyesters... Not playing even more than 3 days per week. What can I do besides ice?

I find the following simple "active release technique" - type massage and stretches to be really helpful in preventing and treating tennis and golfer's elbow:

http://drbenkim.com/how-reduce-risk-...wrist-injuries

Good luck!

[kid-tennis-1980]

Originally Posted by Milan

How can we fix this?

Playing at 50-52 lbs with various Polyesters... Not playing even more than 3 days per week. What can I do besides ice?

Why don't you try contrast bath immersion therapy for your elbow pain.

Here is how you do it:

It involves setting up a tub or bucket of ice cold water(yes add ice to the water!) and another with hot water(not boiling water!). Start out by immersing your injured elbow in the hot water for 1 minute, then immediately switch to the cold water for 1 minute. Then go back to the hot water for 2 minutes, cold water for 2 minutes. Finally do 3 minutes in the hot water and finish up with 3 minutes in the cold water.

There can be significant costs associated with Physical therapy and Doctor visits, especially if you don't have extended medicare.

Alternatively, you could check out the website http://www.Tenniselbowtreatmenttips.com. There is information on there about treatment options, exercises, symptoms, etc. Better to get as much information as you can about tennis elbow before shelling out money on things that may not work.

Good luck
Carl

[corbind]

Do some research on poly. Figure out WHY it seems to be making your ball spin more. The answers are interesting and sad in the case of injury.

[Ramon]

In my experience low tension poly is fine for the first 3 hours, but then it just becomes dead arm-killing poly after that. If you're going to stick to poly, I'd say keep a log of how much time you've been using it and make note of when you start feeling more pain in your elbow. That way you know when it's time to cut it and put in a fresh set.

[bad_call]

Originally Posted by Ramon

In my experience low tension poly is fine for the first 3 hours, but then it just becomes dead arm-killing poly after that. If you're going to stick to poly, I'd say keep a log of how much time you've been using it and make note of when you start feeling more pain in your elbow. That way you know when it's time to cut it and put in a fresh set.

if your poly selection dies (becomes arm killer) after 3 hours then you're better off using syn gut or nylon. unless of course you find a longer life poly.

[USArmyTennis]

" 3.5 player. Babolat APD. RPM Blast 18 gauge @ 58#.
That is all. "

^^I love seeing this.^^

[RogueFLIP]

Originally Posted by USArmyTennis

" 3.5 player. Babolat APD. RPM Blast 18 gauge @ 58#.
That is all. "

^^I love seeing this.^^

Ok, I'll bite since this is me you're referring to.

'sup?

[Ramon]

Originally Posted by bad_call

if your poly selection dies (becomes arm killer) after 3 hours then you're better off using syn gut or nylon. unless of course you find a longer life poly.

That's exactly right. That's why I'm using natural gut on one racquet and multifilament synthetic on the other as my bad weather racquet.

As I understand it, poly was originally designed with the needs of the touring professional player in mind. That means it only had to last one set. So now they make co-poly to last a bit longer. For me it's still not long enough.

[hermtm2]

I had a severer tennis elbow last year. I used the Wilson K90 with Technifibre black code 16G at 52 lbs. When I felt a pain from my elbow at the first time (around the end of May 2012), I thought I played too much since I played 2~3 hours everyday at that time. Also the pain went away once I started to play. At the middle of the July 2012 my elbow was swollen twice and I couldn't even turn a door knob. I had to stop playing until Spring in this year.

Many people (friends and coaches) advised me that my swing (fore/back) form caused the elbow problem. However I did know that there weren't. Sometime people really focused on the mechanics regardless of their own body type. The mechanic should be a guid line not absolute answer.

Anyway, I knew that I had no pain or any problem during rally. The pain was emphasized during a game (especially single). The difference between the game and rally in my case was a serve. I mostly played a single game and it made me to give a lot of the service motion. The problem was my serve motion. Specifically the grip caused my elbow problem.

I had an eastern forehand grip instead of continental grip when I hit a balll during the serve. The grip caused to twist my elbow every single serve. The harder serve I tried, the farther my elbow was twisted.

In these day I play a tennis 2~3 times a week without no pain. There were many possibilities to cause the elbow problem. Before you pay attention to many advices, you should think about what you are doing, how you are doing, and why you are doing. You might find a solution.

[Chas Tennis]

Originally Posted by hermtm2

................................................
I had an eastern forehand grip instead of continental grip when I hit a balll during the serve. The grip caused to twist my elbow every single serve. The harder serve I tried, the farther my elbow was twisted.

..................................... There were many possibilities to cause the elbow problem. Before you pay attention to many advices, you should think about what you are doing, how you are doing, and why you are doing. You might find a solution.

You have an idea of what caused your problem. Have you taken videos of your serve?

Most people don't have cameras that do high speed video. You possibly could get some useful videos with a DSLR camera with 60 fps or even a Smartphone in bright sunlight. But at 30 fps you would have to repeat the same serve several times and assume that the serves are similar in order to catch the various parts of the stroke.

Other people have question some of your stroke techniques so maybe videos would show you some stressful stroke motions.