Tennis Elbow Risks

Tennis elbow can be a debilitating injury for anyone that likes to play tennis regularly. There are many reasons for developing this injury but here are a few ways that you might not think would contribute to the problem.

If you regularly do yard work and spray to kill weeds or insects it might be dangerous to your tennis arm. Do you use a squeeze sprayer? This repetitive motion has caused me problems in the past and from experience I now know to use pressure sprayers to avoid the excessive strain this puts on my trigger finger that often translates into muscle and joint inflammation.

Another problem is using your thumb and forefinger to pick up things by squeezing the edges, for example doing this to lift large pots when planting. Many other movements and activities mimic this and can cause injuries that limit you on the tennis court.

Lastly, when attempting to open hard-to-turn lids on glass jars, remember that this kind of strain can cost you your gripping strength on the tennis court long after the snack or spread that you had to have is gone. Pick up some oil filter straps or rubber grippers to make this job easier and less damaging to your hand. Your tennis arm will thank you.

Serving Practice

An effective serve is developed by continuous and disciplined practice. Even an individual with a strong serve must practice regularly to maintain the value of this primary weapon. Two baskets of balls every other day is enough to slowly improve or keep an edge on an existing serve. This amounts to 150 serves per session. Practice directional control within both serve boxes, first down the T, and then to both the forehand and backhand corner. Master these skills with relatively flat serves and then move into the realm of spin control.

Spin is an integral part of deception, control, and consistency within serving. Work on slice and topspin serves within the previously described framework of directional control.

Do these things regularly and you will develop a serve that is not only reliable, but extremely effective as an offensive weapon.

Play Til You're 90

If there is one sport that can be chosen for the possiblity of longevity, it is Tennis. I tell this to my students that intend to play football, basketball, soccer, or lacrosse. Picture yourself trying any of these other sports well past 50 years of age.