 | What is my Tennis Rating? |
| Tennis Elbow - Reducing the Risk |
| Tips to Properly Demo a Racquet |
| What are the Official Rules of Tennis? |
| What are the official Tennis court measurements? |
Tennis Elbow - Reducing the Risk
It is still unknown whether shock or vibration causes tennis elbow, or if stiffer or more flexible rackets are harder on a player’s arm. Poor stroke style has also been mentioned as a reason for tennis elbow.
There are certain things you can do to reduce your risk of arm injury:
| Lower Your String Tension Lower string tensions produce more forgiving string bends, transmitting less shock. The extra power generated by lower string tensions also allows you to use less effort with each swing. |
| Choose an Oversize Racket Larger head size rackets reduce the risk of tennis elbow. There are fewer chances for miss-hits because the sweet spot is bigger. |
| Check Your Grip If your grip is too small, your racket may twist in your hand on off-center hits, straining your elbow. Make sure your racquet has the correct grip size! Click here to measure your hand with Wilson's Grip Selector System or see your local tennis pro for a proper grip size measurement. |
| Check Your Stroke Improper strokes are the main cause of tennis elbow. Poor strokes like hitting the ball behind you, or leading with your elbow on your backhand can produce strain on the arm. See your local tennis pro for an analysis of your strokes. |
| Check Your Racquet Every player is sensitive to different racquet characteristics. If your racquet is still bothering your arm, try a more flexible frame, or vice versa. Stiffer racquets generate more power, larger sweet spots, greater diretional control and higher vibration dampening - all factors which reduce the risk of tennis elbow. The only real benefit of a more flexible racquet is it may offer less power (greater depth control) suitable for players with higher and faster swing speeds. The current belief is that the benefits of stiffer racquets outweigh the advantages of more flexible frames. |
Tips To Properly Demo A Racket
| Check the condition of the demo racket – are the strings relatively new? Ask when
the racket was last strung. Examine if grip is worn down. |
| Warm up properly, and be sure to hit all strokes: serves, volleys, overheads, and
groundstrokes. |
| Bring both your demo and current racket on court so you can compare the performance of
each racket on all strokes. |
| Play a "real" match – level of play you’re accustomed to, regular
conditions. |
| Make an effort to mis-hit balls to judge the stability and off-center responsiveness of
both your demo and current racket. |
| Wilson recommends you demo the racket several times before purchasing. |
Some information provided by Wilson Sports
