Equipment setup to determine if elbow pain is from technique versus equipment?

[WillGinRVA]

Basically what is an equipment setup that will for sure not cause elbow pain, so that I if I do experience it, I'll know it's for sure my technique? Preferably not something like the Clash that will "hide" technique errors. The hope is that if I determine it is technique, I can work on that and then possibly progress to other racquets.

My first thought is the Wilson Ultra Pro v4 97 with natural gut. A low stiffness, thin-beam racquet paired with a string that will for sure never cause issues. Or maybe the Prestige Pro, the thin-beam 320g 18x20 one?

 

[veelium]

There is no 100% surefire setup imo.

These low stiffness, thin beam frames have the disadvantage of having lower stability, especially off-center.
I'd imagine full bed natural gut at low tension is string wise the best setup to combat tennis elbow.
Maybe an oversize (but normal length) Prokennex frame with full bed natural gut would be the most arm friendly option.
Messing up your timing due to using a frame you are unfamiliar with isn't ideal either though.

 

[The Aceserver]

Shortcut: It’s your technique.

 

[Crocodile]

A Pro Kennex Q Tour 315 or 300 strung in gut or something like a Prince Phantom 03 Tour 100 used with new Wimbledon Slazenger balls on a dry court will give you a good indication of what is causing your tennis elbow.
However this only works if you currently don’t have tennis elbow in an inflamed state to start with because if you do , it doesn’t matter what you play with you will aggravate the injury.
You also have to make sure that the grip size you are using is the right one; These days I see the trend of players picking smaller grips then they otherwise should,
And then from the other end of things I would avoid most polys for a while, racquets that are overly head heavy and racquets where you feel the stiffness when you are serving with it. There are a lot of racquets that feel good hitting ground strokes but stiffen up considerably when you do overhead shots.
The other way you can tell is to look back at what lead to the injury; Did you use old or wet tennis balls, did you use a stiff poly or a poly that has been lurking in your racquet for months or did you suddenly increase you frequency, volume or intensity of tennis activity and lastly are you over 40? I think a lot of people get tennis elbows when they overload their body too much too soon. If you go from having a break to playing a 3 setter all of a sudden you are a candidate for injury or you went from playing once a week to 3 times a week quickly.
Technique wise holding the racquet to tightly is not good and generally being stressed in the mind and body ain’t going to help. Other weaknesses in the body can compound things including back pain. If you are not moving well that’s not going to help you. Technique wise most tennis elbow is either caused by imbalances in the kinetic chain and how you go about serving. Back in the day bad backhand one handed technique and backhand volleys used to cause tennis elbow but it’s a bit less common today.

 

[WillGinRVA]

A Pro Kennex Q Tour 315 or 300 strung in gut or something like a Prince Phantom 03 Tour 100 used with new Wimbledon Slazenger balls on a dry court will give you a good indication of what is causing your tennis elbow.
However this only works if you currently don’t have tennis elbow in an inflamed state to start with because if you do , it doesn’t matter what you play with you will aggravate the injury.
You also have to make sure that the grip size you are using is the right one; These days I see the trend of players picking smaller grips then they otherwise should,
And then from the other end of things I would avoid most polys for a while, racquets that are overly head heavy and racquets where you feel the stiffness when you are serving with it. There are a lot of racquets that feel good hitting ground strokes but stiffen up considerably when you do overhead shots.
The other way you can tell is to look back at what lead to the injury; Did you use old or wet tennis balls, did you use a stiff poly or a poly that has been lurking in your racquet for months or did you suddenly increase you frequency, volume or intensity of tennis activity and lastly are you over 40?

I am 38, and my injury doesn't seem to have been a singular moment but a build up over time. Last year I primarily used a Bade v7 16x19 with Velocity MLT. My pain is slight, but it's golfer's elbow, and it seems like it is my service motion that is causing it.

The swingweight on said Blade is around 328 but the twistweight is super low. I'm not sure if these are related or not.

 

[andrewc]

It can be dead strings as well, I had golfer's elbow because of dead steings

 

[Crocodile]

I am 38, and my injury doesn't seem to have been a singular moment but a build up over time. Last year I primarily used a Bade v7 16x19 with Velocity MLT. My pain is slight, but it's golfer's elbow, and it seems like it is my service motion that is causing it.

The swingweight on said Blade is around 328 but the twistweight is super low. I'm not sure if these are related or not.

Golfers elbow from a technique standpoint is usually serve and forehand but I definitely put serve in front of that.
Compared to PK racquets a Wilson V7 Blade is not particularly that great on the arm despite its lower RA. Despite the Wilson Clash V1 or Ultra Pro 97 V1 to V4 ( not the current one which is a shocker ) I don’t rate them that highly for arm safety. The blades and normal pro staffs ( not RF 01) feel good to play with but not a patch on PK frames if arm safety is a priority. The Volkl Vostra 10 320 is very good as us their icon range and I already mentioned the Prince Phantoms: The current Ezone 98 and Percept 97 D are all better on the arm than a blade,
I see this trend these days of manufacturers building 305g frames with 330 swing weights and I am not a fan of it. I’d rather a 315g frame with 328 swing weight. More weight in the handle is better for shock.

 

[Crocodile]

It can be dead strings as well, I had golfer's elbow because of dead steings

Correct

 

[Shroud]

I am 38, and my injury doesn't seem to have been a singular moment but a build up over time. Last year I primarily used a Bade v7 16x19 with Velocity MLT. My pain is slight, but it's golfer's elbow, and it seems like it is my service motion that is causing it.

The swingweight on said Blade is around 328 but the twistweight is super low. I'm not sure if these are related or not.

Do you stretch and massage your forearms? Apply a heat sleeve at night? If not try that stuff as its easier. Basically the forearm muscles can get tight and you cant even feel them to you massage. The tightness is pulling on the tendon. Also non tennis things like laptop/ computer setup can make the muscles tight too. Along those lines a smaller handle may encourage you to grip tighter.

Massage (say with a baseball) and stretching can keep the muscles loose. Heat helps get bloodflow to the area.

 

[WillGinRVA]

I don't do any stretching or massaging. Maybe I'll take that up.

I also just strung up my new Prestige Pro with some synthetic gut. I'm going to give the heavier static weight + reasonable swingweight (it's around 325) a try, which I haven't really tried before. Maybe the feel will allow me to better hone in on where I'm hitting the ball, and the heaviness will help protect unnatural movements. TBD!

 

[Shroud]

I don't do any stretching or massaging. Maybe I'll take that up.

I also just strung up my new Prestige Pro with some synthetic gut. I'm going to give the heavier static weight + reasonable swingweight (it's around 325) a try, which I haven't really tried before. Maybe the feel will allow me to better hone in on where I'm hitting the ball, and the heaviness will help protect unnatural movements. TBD!

Sounds like a plan. When I got TE/GE i went up in weight and no more elbow issues. Stretch everyday and I massage after play as needed. A baseball in the bag helps target the forearm muscles

 

[str33tspirit]

Sounds like a plan. When I got TE/GE i went up in weight and no more elbow issues. Stretch everyday and I massage after play as needed. A baseball in the bag helps target the forearm muscles

Did you put the weight in the handle or at the top?

 

[Shroud]

Did you put the weight in the handle or at the top?

Originally in the handle. Shocktape grip is 80g. Later I added in the hoop to counter balance.

Not saying 80g is what it takes. Just what I did like a decade ago.

ShockTape - High Performance Grip Tape - 40" Long x 1" Wide x 3-32" Thick-1 Roll

ShockTape is the world's best cushioning grip and anti-vibration tape. It is made with high-tech polymers that absorb up to 94.7% of impact shock and vibration energy. Only ShockTape offers this level of shock and injury protection. Plus, ultra-strong 3M 300LSE adhesive keeps working even in the...

www.isolateit.com

 

[str33tspirit]

Originally in the handle. Shocktape grip is 80g. Later I added in the hoop to counter balance.

Not saying 80g is what it takes. Just what I did like a decade ago.

ShockTape - High Performance Grip Tape - 40" Long x 1" Wide x 3-32" Thick-1 Roll

ShockTape is the world's best cushioning grip and anti-vibration tape. It is made with high-tech polymers that absorb up to 94.7% of impact shock and vibration energy. Only ShockTape offers this level of shock and injury protection. Plus, ultra-strong 3M 300LSE adhesive keeps working even in the...

www.isolateit.com

Thanks. I picked up an old racquet that had lead tape at 3 and 9 and my arm felt a little tired at the end of my match. I'm too lazy right now to add to handle in case I don't like it. Wonder if adding in the hoop only would help with keeping the racquet stable yet easier to wield.

 

[esm]

Thanks. I picked up an old racquet that had lead tape at 3 and 9 and my arm felt a little tired at the end of my match. I'm too lazy right now to add to handle in case I don't like it. Wonder if adding in the hoop only would help with keeping the racquet stable yet easier to wield.

maybe take some of the added weight from 3/9 and see if it improves at the end of next session/match.
sometimes a littles goes a long way.

 

[Shroud]

Thanks. I picked up an old racquet that had lead tape at 3 and 9 and my arm felt a little tired at the end of my match. I'm too lazy right now to add to handle in case I don't like it. Wonder if adding in the hoop only would help with keeping the racquet stable yet easier to wield.

Its pretty unanimous that weight in the handle makes it easier to maneuver. Head light racquets are just easier.

Also, 3&9 is a common place to add weight but IME its like the worst place to add weight. Better to add less at 1&11 IMHO. 3&9 increases twist weight and people seem to be more sensitive to that which could explain the being tired.

 

[OTMPut]

Lighter racquets and poly strings are a recipe for TE. It compounds over usage.
It is unreal to see racquet reviews labelling 315 unstrung as pro racquets and not suitable for amateurs. What happened?

 

[landcookie]

Lighter racquets and poly strings are a recipe for TE. It compounds over usage.
It is unreal to see racquet reviews labelling 315 unstrung as pro racquets and not suitable for amateurs. What happened?

Game has changed.

Or you play with a slower swing speed and just push the ball.

 

[am1899]

Basically what is an equipment setup that will for sure not cause elbow pain

A one-size-fits-all equipment solution doesn’t exist, unfortunately. IME some people do better with a heavier, more traditional stick. Others actually do better with a lighter, firmer frame.

But you could try some of the “greatest hits” (for arm pain) type frames. Pro Kennex is a popular choice. 5G or 7G are great tweener frames which can be had for fairly cheap. Black Ace might be good for the more traditional, heavier, more flexible players type of stick. There’s also the ever popular Wilson Clash frames (some love, some hate). Also mentioned, Volkl sticks can be good here as their dampening tech seems better than most.

All of that said, IME technique is more likely to play a role than equipment. So you might consider having a coach look at your serve and forehand.

 

[am1899]

Its pretty unanimous that weight in the handle makes it easier to maneuver. Head light racquets are just easier.

Also, 3&9 is a common place to add weight but IME its like the worst place to add weight. Better to add less at 1&11 IMHO. 3&9 increases twist weight and people seem to be more sensitive to that which could explain the being tired.

I usually love weight at 3 and 9 and typically hate it at 10 & 2 or 11 & 1. There have been a few rare exceptions though. Different strokes for different folks!

 

[MyDogHoney]

My experience: I have been battling GE for 2+ seasons now…even learned to play pickleball lefty last winter to take time off. Started mild and could play with just one of those elbow straps and then became chronic and I’ve tried basically everything to fix now. So I definitely would suggest trying to tackle head on with PT or online workouts if I were you so it doesn’t become a long term serious issue. In my case, the technique change I’m working on is to try to eliminate the late forearm acceleration in the serve (primarily hard last minute pronation on the kick) and, secondarily, in the forehand flicking the ball cross or DTL on the run. ChatGPT has been surprisingly helpful as I give it feedback after some of my sessions and input some of the serve coaching I’ve received.

My racket journey has been Vcore 98 —> Boom Pro —> ProKennex Black Ace Pro but I’ve tried a lot of others like the Clash and Phantom. An underrated key seems to be finding a powerful enough setup so that you can relax the grip and don’t try to overswing but enough control that you swing freely and don’t steer the ball. For strings, I ditched the full poly a few years ago and couldn’t do most multi bc they broke too fast or just got stuck all out of place when rallying so I’m on gut/poly hybrids. Currently using a Mach 10 cross. I also use a Babolat gel grip or Wilson Shockshield to add some weight to the handle without using lead or leather. Good luck!

 

[Shroud]

I usually love weight at 3 and 9 and typically hate it at 10 & 2 or 11 & 1. There have been a few rare exceptions though. Different strokes for different folks!

Are you putting the same amount of weight at the different options? Adjusting to the same swingweight? Etc

Also what is your twist weight? It may have to do with headsize.

 

[esm]

I usually love weight at 3 and 9 and typically hate it at 10 & 2 or 11 & 1. There have been a few rare exceptions though. Different strokes for different folks!

for me it depends on how/where i need to do to match racquets or (existing/current) playing specs.
otherwise my go to is at 12 and 3/9 as required - quickest way to bump up the SW and TW, for me anyway...

 

[am1899]

Are you putting the same amount of weight at the different options? Adjusting to the same swingweight? Etc

No, the amount of weight utilized would depend on the location on the hoop. Generally yes, when trialing different weight locations i would have been trying to keep SW as close as possible.

Also what is your twist weight? It may have to do with headsize.

Too many frames to list. But it’s all over the map. Some of them pretty stout to begin with, others not so much.

 

[Shroud]

No, the amount of weight utilized would depend on the location on the hoop. Generally yes, when trialing different weight locations i would have been trying to keep SW as close as possible.



Too many frames to list. But it’s all over the map. Some of them pretty stout to begin with, others not so much.

Its hard to say from the data. I think if you do 11&1 you can use less weight but may need to actually put more weight in the handle than if you put weight at 3&9.

All I know is that I put 30 total g at 3&9 and it felt light, like it wasn't really doing much. But it could just be me.

 

[sureshs]

Prokennex

 

[esm]

All I know is that I put 30 total g at 3&9 and it felt light, like it wasn't really doing much. But it could just be me.

Gees, that’s about 45SW and 4.5TW added there. lol
What’s the final TW on your racquets?

 

[Shroud]

Gees, that’s about 45SW and 4.5TW added there. lol
What’s the final TW on your racquets?

Here is a post for recent racquet. Tw was 15

Post in thread 'Matching racquets which specs do you match?'

Feb 5, 2026

Fwiw. I matched 3 racquets using static and swing weight only.

I then took the balance which is prob not exact but I used the same method on all 3. Long story but each racquet has weight hanging off the bottom and i didn’t count that. 2 racquets have the same but one has more so its a but longer past the end of the butt cap. There is also weight past the tip of the racquet too and I did not include that in the length. So if that stuff matters the other measurements are screwed.

Had chat gtp calculate the rest of the values and estimate twist weight.

This was the verdict

...

• Shroud

 

[Shroud]

Gees, that’s about 45SW and 4.5TW added there. lol
What’s the final TW on your racquets?

This says 50g. I think I was off a bit.

 

[esm]

Here is a post for recent racquet. Tw was 15

Post in thread 'Matching racquets which specs do you match?'

Feb 5, 2026

Fwiw. I matched 3 racquets using static and swing weight only.

I then took the balance which is prob not exact but I used the same method on all 3. Long story but each racquet has weight hanging off the bottom and i didn’t count that. 2 racquets have the same but one has more so its a but longer past the end of the butt cap. There is also weight past the tip of the racquet too and I did not include that in the length. So if that stuff matters the other measurements are screwed.

Had chat gtp calculate the rest of the values and estimate twist weight.

This was the verdict

...

• Shroud

only TW15 after all that?
i think the Briffidi was closer, than that ChatGPT thingo... lol

 

[Shroud]

only TW15 after all that?
i think the Briffidi was closer, than that ChatGPT thingo... lol

Fwiw I never added weight at 3&9 on those racquets. I ditched the weight at 3&9 for weight at 11&1 & 12 which is reflected in the 15 tw. Not sure what the twist weight was when I added a bunch at 3&9

 

[esm]

Fwiw I never added weight at 3&9 on those racquets. I ditched the weight at 3&9 for weight at 11&1 & 12 which is reflected in the 15 tw. Not sure what the twist weight was when I added a bunch at 3&9

any chance measuring them with the SW1 and TW adaptor again? just wondering...

 

[Shroud]

any chance measuring them with the SW1 and TW adaptor again? just wondering...

Dont have the adapter. Iirc inwas doing one horizontal and one vertical and subtracting

 

[OTMPut]

Game has changed.

Or you play with a slower swing speed and just push the ball.

I doubt it. K90 was 340 unstrung and was available to retail 10 years ago. Game has not changed in 10 years.

 

[landcookie]

I doubt it. K90 was 340 unstrung and was available to retail 10 years ago. Game has not changed in 10 years.

lol what’s a k90? Is that a broomstick?

 

[talynen]

Lighter racquets and poly strings are a recipe for TE. It compounds over usage.
It is unreal to see racquet reviews labelling 315 unstrung as pro racquets and not suitable for amateurs. What happened?

Racquets with a thicker beam but lower RA (e.g., speed MP) and two-handed backhands.

Any TE I experience is from poor technique on my serve.

 

[Shroud]

Lighter racquets and poly strings are a recipe for TE. It compounds over usage.
It is unreal to see racquet reviews labelling 315 unstrung as pro racquets and not suitable for amateurs. What happened?

Man you are so right. Haven’t had GE in over 10 years. Just got some.

Was listening to this board and took all the weight at 11&1 off (about 30g) hit some serves and viola: GE.

Sure it was sore from some extra computer work but serving with a light racquet messed it up.

Good thing its healing fast and was mild (because I ditched the light stick)