If you play as much tennis as I do you’ll be familiar with the aches, pains, and muscle tweaks that come with the game. Many people even sustain serious shoulder and back injuries, or worse, the dreaded tennis elbow. Instead of wallowing in self-pity upon finding yourself injured take these precautions before it’s too late. You’ve been warned.
- Use the right equipment: It’s not something you would think about, but using the right racket size and grip have a huge affect on your technique and subsequently obtaining an injury. If your grip or racket head is too big it will put unnecessary strain on your shoulder and elbow. Plus you’ll look goofy if you are five foot five and you are using a super-oversize racket head. Everyone knows in tennis it’s as much about style points as it is about winning points.
- Stretching: Yeah, stretching is the worst. I’m probably the least flexible human on earth but I know if I want to be at the top of my game and avoid an injury I have to stretch before and after playing. This girl stretching looks like that awkward girl you avoid on the dance floor but I’ll tell you what, she’s going to be as limber as a mountain lion. Take the time to look over these basic stretches, implement them into your pre and post match routine, and you’ll avoid an unnecessary injury.
- Practice the right technique: Sure it’s fun to go out on the courts and leisurely hit the ball around with no care in the world. The only problem is if you have flawed technique, especially with your backhand, then you are asking for tennis elbow. With any tennis coach from MyTennisLessons.com you will learn the proper technique needed to not only avoid an injury, but also whip your friends on the court. You can’t just watch a Youtube video of some dude in his mom’s basement in front of a green screen showing you how to hit a backhand, you have to get out on the court and practice the right technique.
- Rest between playing: We understand once you take a lesson and learn some new skills, or refine existing ones, you will be eager to get back on the court as soon as possible, but it’s important to get your rest in between days on the court. Lateral Epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is all about straining the tendons that attach to the bone in your elbow. Hours and hours of hitting, especially with improper technique, will undoubtedly put strain on those tendons. My old man once had tennis elbow and he could barely pick up a coffee cup. Tennis elbow not only affects your tennis game but it’ll hold you back from performing simple everyday tasks. No one wants that. So take the necessary precautions with your tennis lessons and avoid both niggling and major injuries.
