BEST TENNIS RACKETS for TENNIS ELBOW
The dreaded tennis elbow strikes hard and seems to take forever to heal. The reason is that we are constantly using our elbow…especially on our dominant arm. And not only do we use our elbow, we abuse it with strange twists and turns, and lifting heavy loads in a weird cantilevered angles.
Tennis elbow will get better. But you MUST give it the rest it needs. So consider a brace to immobilize your elbow. Ice it a couple of times a day, but gauge whether that is helping. And after it begins to feel better, don’t go back to full tennis too early. Take some time for gentle stretching and light exercise before going back to full effort.
And, to keep from re-injuring, once you get back to full speed, consider following this advice. 1_ Use correct form (take a lesson or two from a club pro). 2_ Use the right equipment. The proper tennis racket is a must. 3_ Use a dampener. 4_ If you keep re-injuring consider stringing your racket at a lower tension (I recommend the mid to low 50’s for senior players). 5_ Consider using more natural gut strings instead of artificial or polyester. Some experts are starting to say that artificial strings contribute to elbow injury. 6_ Finally, get the right size of grip (consult a pro or tennis shop specialist). Too small puts undue stress on the wrist that radiates to the elbow. Too big a grip hurts your maneuverability.
OK…now here is my top ten list of rackets for senior players (over age 50). These rackets are also the best to protect from tennis elbow (and golfer’s elbow which is a major problem for senior tennis players). After the list you’ll notice some pictures and links so you can view, compare, and shop! PS – These are great gift ideas, too!
Volkl V Sense V1 OS. Precise engineering.
Yonex Ezone DR 100. Great for mitigating vibrations in the hand and arm.
Head Graphene XT Prestige. Large head and sweet spot.
Wilson Blade 104 V7 – Great to prevent elbow injury or re-injury. Wilson Blade Countervail – Big sweet spot. Comfortable.
Wilson Clash 108. – Great for senior players, men or women. Big sweet spot. Miss-hits still go in a lot!
Babolat Pure Aero Lite. A bit light but good for senior players who like a lighter racket. Babolat Pure Aero Tennis Racquet A bit sturdier and dependable!
Babolat Pure Drive 107 – A great all-around tennis racket.
Donnay Formula 100 Hexacore – For Donnay fans, this racket is built for comfort and has a flexible frame.
Prince Textreme 100T – Easy on the arm. Forgiving. Comfortable. Prince Textreme Premier 120 – Great for senior players.
