Rackets for tennis elbow

B

Barnes68

Rookie
I'm looking for a racket that will be easier on my tennis elbow. My problem is that I rely more on the racket to generate power. Any suggestions on rackets that I could demo?
 
Angell Custom racquets, they are foam filled and low flex (not stiff) and as above mentioned try multi or nat gut
 
I'd look at the Pro Kennex ki q+5. PK is known for their arm friendliness, and this one should have plenty of power (they've gradually increased the power over the years by making the upper hoop stiffer. If you want a little more, go to the ki 10. Both are more reasonably priced than most of today's rackets too.
 
Yes Pro Kennex Q Tours and ki series are streets ahead for arm safety.
Older Volkl racquets like C10, Tour 10, V Engine Tour MP, and if you need help the old Catspult 10 and V1 Classic May work.
Angell K7 Lime and Red.
Tecnifibre TF 40, Diadem Elevate MP and Nova 100
 
Barnes68 said:
I'm looking for a racket that will be easier on my tennis elbow. My problem is that I rely more on the racket to generate power. Any suggestions on rackets that I could demo?
Click to expand...

If you're looking for powerful, then an OS racquet with softer strings seems like the ticket. Something like the Clash 108 with a good multifilament string?
 
The Wilson Clash is the industry standard racquet for players with TE. Strings are also a factor, stay away from Poly strings unless you're a string breaker, or have access to frequent stringing.
 
Donnay Xenecore - foam filled plush and forgiving frames with plenty of pop. Built their brand and reputation on the solution to T/E & G/E. I use the Pro One 97 which is based on the PT57a and used to use a PT280. This is a better frame IMO - more pop, more spin, more forgiving, bigger sweet spot.
 
Any O-Port frame from Prince. As well as all their Phantoms.
Head Gravity line
Wilson Clash and v7 Blades

Avoid poly.

IF you want some easy power from the frame then these models will provide it:
Wilson Clash
Prince Ripstick
Prince Phantom 107G

IF you want more control oriented experience then
Head Gravity Tour
Prince Phantom 100P
Wilson Blade 18x20
 
Barnes68 said:
I'm looking for a racket that will be easier on my tennis elbow. My problem is that I rely more on the racket to generate power. Any suggestions on rackets that I could demo?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if a racket will fix, what it is you're doing incorrectly, which caused your tennis elbow?

Over my lifetime, and it's not over yet, I've used and tried many different rackets from light to heavy, and I never had or expect to have tennis elbow.

If someone had it, and asked me to fix it, I wouldn't suggest a racket change.

I'd be more interested in the player's technique. That's usually the "tell."

But what do I know.

Pat your dog. :rolleyes:

JS
 
Jake Speeed said:
I'm not sure if a racket will fix, what it is you're doing incorrectly, which caused your tennis elbow?

Over my lifetime, and it's not over yet, I've used and tried many different rackets from light to heavy, and I never had or expect to have tennis elbow.

If someone had it, and asked me to fix it, I wouldn't suggest a racket change.

I'd be more interested in the player's technique. That's usually the "tell."

But what do I know.

Pat your dog. :rolleyes:

JS
Click to expand...

Changing a racket is far easier than changing well established technique. It's not even remotely close. And the amount of reps and practice needed would likely aggravate the TE because frequency of play is one of the leading causes.

I've been able to fix TE every time with a gear change and reduced playing time. Every time I got TE it was while I was working on fixing technique and the overuse and mishits brought it on (while also playing with poly).

Soft racket with soft strings fixed it every time.
 
Dartagnan64 said:
Changing a racket is far easier than changing well established technique. It's not even remotely close. And the amount of reps and practice needed would likely aggravate the TE because frequency of play is one of the leading causes.

I've been able to fix TE every time with a gear change and reduced playing time. Every time I got TE it was while I was working on fixing technique and the overuse and mishits brought it on (while also playing with poly).

Soft racket with soft strings fixed it every time.
Click to expand...

You can chop onions, meat or fish, it makes no difference.

You get TE because of improper technique. Other things also.

Sure, there's stuff you can do, Doctor, lay off the game, looser strings, but, you have to identify the cause.

I told you what the cause is.

Pat your dog. :rolleyes:

JS

FYI, I've never had a student complain about TE or any other injury while studying with myself and under my guidance.
 
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Jake Speeed said:
You can chop onions, meat or fish, it makes no difference.

You get TE because of improper technique. Other things also.

Sure, there's stuff you can do, Doctor, lay off the game, looser strings, but, you have to identify the cause.

I told you what the cause is.

Pat your dog. :rolleyes:

JS

FYI, I've never had a student complain about TE or any other injury while studying with myself and under my guidance.
Click to expand...
I have one personal experience that falls outside the technique line, but I doubt OP did this. I got it the only time in my life using the Pete Samprassss k88 with full luxilon at a high tension, the foibles of youth. Took me over a year to get over it (while still playing of course).
 
Jake Speeed said:
You can chop onions, meat or fish, it makes no difference.

You get TE because of improper technique. Other things also.

Sure, there's stuff you can do, Doctor, lay off the game, looser strings, but, you have to identify the cause.

I told you what the cause is.

Pat your dog. :rolleyes:

JS

FYI, I've never had a student complain about TE or any other injury while studying with myself and under my guidance.
Click to expand...

And as a doctor I can tell you that the cause of TE is multifactorial just like a lot of chronic conditions. Usually it's a lot of factors all combining of which technique is only a part of the equation.

The next time someone tells me they fixed their TE by fixing their technique will be the first time. Doesn't mean it's not the right answer, it's just a really hard path to go down.

And if none of your students ever developed TE then either they were too young, too good, or your N is too small.
 
Track down an old Prince EXO3 Tour. I went through a lot of racquets looking for the most comfy frame, and I never found one better. It's comfier than any PK, Angell, Fischer/Pacific or Donnay.

From the current lineup, PK Black Ace sounds very promising, although I have not tried it.
 
Dartagnan64 said:
And as a doctor I can tell you that the cause of TE is multifactorial just like a lot of chronic conditions. Usually it's a lot of factors all combining of which technique is only a part of the equation.

The next time someone tells me they fixed their TE by fixing their technique will be the first time. Doesn't mean it's not the right answer, it's just a really hard path to go down.

And if none of your students ever developed TE then either they were too young, too good, or your N is too small.
Click to expand...

I don't believe you're a "Sports" doctor. I've been fixing TE for over 30 years.
 
Jake Speeed said:
I don't believe you're a "Sports" doctor. I've been fixing TE for over 30 years.
Click to expand...

No I'm not a "sports doctor" but I've seen oodles of TE as GP's send them to me to rule out a radiculopathy. Most of it's actually not from sports. Guess too much bad hammering, waitressing, seamstressing, Mousing etc. technique.

So I've been fixing TE for over 30 years too. It's easy to do because it's largely a self limited condition. Take the stress off the elbow and give it some time. Throw in some physio/IMS/prolotherapy/PRP injections to give them something to work on until it heals. Then get them working on strengthening their arms and posture as so many are largely deconditioned.

And still not anyone that said better tennis technique fixed my TE.

I guess we each have our perspectives. I just can't see how your concept would work given how many rec tennis players I see taking lessons and never ever get better. Or swing different. It's really a tiny population of adult learners that can turn their motor pathways around. Do you actually have people over 50 that come to you and ask to improve their technique so their arm feels better and they actually practice hard through the week between lessons and come back with mastery of the new technique? You live near some amazing adults if that's your experience.
 
Dartagnan64 said:
No I'm not a "sports doctor" but I've seen oodles of TE as GP's send them to me to rule out a radiculopathy. Most of it's actually not from sports. Guess too much bad hammering, waitressing, seamstressing, Mousing etc. technique.

So I've been fixing TE for over 30 years too. It's easy to do because it's largely a self limited condition. Take the stress off the elbow and give it some time. Throw in some physio/IMS/prolotherapy/PRP injections to give them something to work on until it heals. Then get them working on strengthening their arms and posture as so many are largely deconditioned.

And still not anyone that said better tennis technique fixed my TE.

I guess we each have our perspectives. I just can't see how your concept would work given how many rec tennis players I see taking lessons and never ever get better. Or swing different. It's really a tiny population of adult learners that can turn their motor pathways around. Do you actually have people over 50 that come to you and ask to improve their technique so their arm feels better and they actually practice hard through the week between lessons and come back with mastery of the new technique? You live near some amazing adults if that's your experience.
Click to expand...

Good thing there's Google and the internet, Doc.
 
Jake Speeed said:
Good thing there's Google and the internet, Doc.
Click to expand...

Google and the internet are the technologic equivalent of the french fry. The French Fry is the best and worst food invention of all time. The internet is the same for technology inventions.

Nothing like a place that is totally void of curation where any crock can put up a website, claim expertise and never have it removed for all time.
 
scotus said:
Track down an old Prince EXO3 Tour. I went through a lot of racquets looking for the most comfy frame, and I never found one better. It's comfier than any PK, Angell, Fischer/Pacific or Donnay.

From the current lineup, PK Black Ace sounds very promising, although I have not tried it.
Click to expand...
Mushburger
 
Dartagnan64 said:
Google and the internet are the technologic equivalent of the french fry. The French Fry is the best and worst food invention of all time. The internet is the same for technology inventions.

Nothing like a place that is totally void of curation where any crock can put up a website, claim expertise and never have it removed for all time.
Click to expand...

You're correct Doc. Can I call you Doc?

"French fries." Wow! I miss the Carnivals which came to town from time to time. Great French Fries and you control the vinegar.

I deeply miss a good deal of the past. but you had to be there at this time to have an understanding of what it was like living then.

Really different and really better.
 
Vinegar!
ljs_1388849383_09e2ec319d_o1-ab2e8553d619ecbc294783c3974232cef566c45c.jpg
 
@Barnes68 ,

The rest of you experts "chill out." I have had plenty of soft tissue issues while serving a couple of decades plus in US Army combat arms. Legs and arms. Playing tennis since I was around 5 or 6 too, as well as free style wrestling for a decade, martial arts, coaching/playing baseball, softball & power volleyball. Even a member of the US Army V Corps good will tennis team in the mid '70s while stationed in Germany. Here is my fix for TE:

This is my tennis elbow cure kit. Hard massage of the forearm and upper arm with the crazy looking blue/green/black gadget, hard massage above and below point of pain with the small roller ball, then wrap the electronic massager in a dry wash cloth and put that on your point of pain to "wiggle" the blood through those tiny capillaries. Do this routine 3 or 4 times/day. Use the dumbbell on a string with the large dowel as much as you can stand it. Also curls and reverse curls with dumbbell. If you can play then play tennis with a POG until you are well. I gave away my Flexbar set finding it worthless to me. How did I get TE? Not efficient one hand backhand technique in the age of high bouncing baseline balls to my backhand, plus trying high RA rackets for extra power strung with poly in the mid to upper 50s. My cure was reinforced by more lessons and sessions with young poly hitters so I could build confidence in taking the ball earlier on the rise, attacking, instead of letting the ball play me at shoulder level.

I primarily play with RA<66 rackets using multi or syngut string, headsize varies from 93-116 depending my mood and purpose, weight usually between 11.2 - 12.2oz, preferring a dense pattern of 16-20 in 98s, 18x20 in 93s and 18x20 in 116". Also depending on mood and purpose I play rackets from 27-28.25". I have occasionally diverged from those wide ranging specs and have tweaked my elbow a time or three. An acquaintance gave me a set of Babolat RPM Power 17g the other day so I think I will try it, so strung it up in a Babolat Pure Storm GT 98 16x20 at 45lbs. I fully expect to have to get my TE kit out from the closet where it sits in case of another of my many stupid tennis gear decisions.

enhvgVa.jpg
 
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scotus said:
Track down an old Prince EXO3 Tour. I went through a lot of racquets looking for the most comfy frame, and I never found one better. It's comfier than any PK, Angell, Fischer/Pacific or Donnay.
Click to expand...

Even than Angell K7s? Maybe it is true, but hard to believe.
 
The problem is that arm friendly racquets often have less power, not more. I suggest you get a flexible frame and play with it until your elbow is fully healed and your technique has reviewed by a teaching professional (especially grips and grip size - you NEVER want to squeeze the racquet grip too tightly). Then (if necessary) find a stiffer frame for more power (though I would recommend NOT going for frames with a RA stiffness rating of 65 or higher). A frame with a larger head will also help with forgiveness as well as power. With my elbow problems, I try to stick with frames with an RA of 60 or lower. Generally, heavier frames will absorb shock better than lighter ones.

Some suggestions:
Prince Phantom line especially the 107G
Wilson Triad, Blade 104 (its extended length is not great for elbow issues) and Clash line (do not string too tight)
ProKennex with Kinetic design racquets
Head Graphene Plus Instinct Lite, Gravity MP
Dunlop CX200 oversize

Your priority should be to heal the elbow first and then buy a new, more comfortable frame. Rest the elbow now and see an MD if necessary so that it is healed for the spring and summer months.

String is also an issue with tennis elbow. String as loose as possible with as soft a string as possible. Open string patterns help too, e.g., with 16 main strings.

Good luck.
 
graycrait said:
@Barnes68 ,

The rest of you experts "chill out." I have had plenty of soft tissue issues while serving a couple of decades plus in US Army combat arms. Legs and arms. Playing tennis since I was around 5 or 6 too, as well as free style wrestling for a decade, martial arts, coaching/playing baseball, softball & power volleyball. Even a member of the US Army V Corps good will tennis team in the mid '70s while stationed in Germany. Here is my fix for TE:

This is my tennis elbow cure kit. Hard massage of the forearm and upper arm with the crazy looking blue/green/black gadget, hard massage above and below point of pain with the small roller ball, then wrap the electronic massager in a dry wash cloth and put that on your point of pain to "wiggle" the blood through those tiny capillaries. Do this routine 3 or 4 times/day. Use the dumbbell on a string with the large dowel as much as you can stand it. Also curls and reverse curls with dumbbell. If you can play then play tennis with a POG until you are well. I gave away my Flexbar set finding it worthless to me. How did I get TE? Not efficient one hand backhand technique in the age of high bouncing baseline balls to my backhand, plus trying high RA rackets for extra power strung with poly in the mid to upper 50s. My cure was reinforced by more lessons and sessions with young poly hitters so I could build confidence in taking the ball earlier on the rise, attacking, instead of letting the ball play me at shoulder level.

I primarily play with RA<66 rackets using multi or syngut string, headsize varies from 93-116 depending my mood and purpose, weight usually between 11.2 - 12.2oz, preferring a dense pattern of 16-20 in 98s, 18x20 in 93s and 18x20 in 116". Also depending on mood and purpose I play rackets from 27-28.25". I have occasionally diverged from those wide ranging specs and have tweaked my elbow a time or three. An acquaintance gave me a set of Babolat RPM Power 17g the other day so I think I will try it, so strung it up in a Babolat Pure Storm GT 98 16x20 at 45lbs. I fully expect to have to get my TE kit out from the closet where it sits in case of another of my many stupid tennis gear decisions.

enhvgVa.jpg
Click to expand...
This is a top post of the year, thanks for typing it all out, you have a lot of tennis knowledge I've never encountered. I got TE using the same equipment as you, not sure my 1 hander caused it, but K88 + above 50lbs poly did the trick. Wish I had seen this back then, I just used the stick, but the TheraBand flex bar. Your routine might have sped up my recovery. You should consider doing a youtube video.
What's are the situations where you switch rackets for mood and purpose, just curious, since I've never been one to use sticks that vary much at all in head size.
 
@FuzzyYellowBalls , When I feel tall and good lookin' on the court I like to swing a 93" 18x20 Volkl Tour 10 Mid - but those days are fast disappearing:) This week I am goofing around with two 115" 28 & 28.25" rackets to see if this is where I need to be. By golly if a player like Mark Vines uses a 115/6" racket I think I should not discount them at my age.

Today I'm going to go hit with a friend I am 26 yrs older than so am bringing a few Pure Storm GTs 16x20 strung with: 18g 4GS at 45lbs, another with 17G RPM Power at 45lbs (an experiment requested by a local friend) and a couple more PS GTs strung with 16g Multifeel. I also have my Rad OS Bumble Bee and Prince 107G. both strung with 16 Multifeel. I have other rackets that I continue to experiment with. I have a pair of Hyper Carbon ROK 93s and a pair of Pure Control 95+s that I am searching for a string(s) to use in them as I just can't find any love for those rackets. Then there are the other 55 or so rackets.

I don't fish with the same tackle for various types of fish. Rackets for me depends on who I am playing with. But I keep them all <66 RA, and most quite a bit lower than that. One guy who hits hard and is only 28 forces me to use a racket with some heft like around 11.8oz. With him it helps me to have more sq inches but bigger than 106/7" (POG, 107G, Rad OS) seems to be counterproductive so far but I am giving it more time. But I love to serve with a Wilson 5.7EB 115 and am taking out a 28.25" 115 Prince Thunderbolt for its maiden voyage with me today. Serving with these monsters sometimes is so fun I have to just stop and laugh.

I have a two-handled "The Natural" racket, a double stringbed Blackburne and an illegal TiS7 just for fun too. Plus I have copies of the wood rackets that carried me from age 13-35ish. There are tons of guys who have way more rackets than I do. I play a lot of mine and those that I don't continue to play with generally go to Goodwill or I give them away down at the courts.

Lastly, once a week I play doubles on a private court with two wily 60yr olds and my partner is a D1 tennis coach. They are all 5 or 6 yrs younger than me. I have the most success with this group using a Rad OS (of which I have 5 or 6 iterations of).
 
Wow, thanks for the detailed response, it's nice that you have so many opportunities to play, sounds fun. I never keep more than 3 sticks at any given time, I wonder if I will ever go to that much variety, not sure, but fun to hear about it.
 
Eventually gave up those Prince Thunderbolt OS longbodies. With a one-hander, TE took me down. Using RR recommendations, Head Classic mp and Wilson PS 7.5 95 & 110 eased the pain. Wilson Blade 104 has a soft feel. But none of these racquets compare to the Prince ESP series for TE IMHO.
 
... I also switched to a vertical mouse and a Prince TT95. Daily stretches and the red flexbar got me on the road to recovery
 
Ronaldo said:
Those Prince racquets IMHO almost feel like the strings are too loose. Soft bed
Click to expand...

Those that like it call it "pocketing" and those that don't call it "mushy". It is a different feel, but it doesn't change what happens with the ball. It's preference thing.

graycrait said:
By golly if a player like Mark Vines uses a 115/6" racket I think I should not discount them at my age.
Click to expand...

I've come to this realization that I'm just not quick enough with my reflexes and reading the ball anymore to play competitively with mid rackets no matter how much I love the feel. I pull them out for hits with my pusher friends where pace isn't an issue. But for anything where I'm fasting pace and power, I'm all in on player's OS frames these days. I just need the forgiveness. My vision never was terribly good, but these days it's utter crap. No one over 55 should discount OS frames. You may not need the super light granny models yet, but the larger hoop does reduce the frame shots considerably.
 
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