What Causes Racquet-Related Arm Pain?

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and its close relatives — golfer's elbow, wrist tendinopathy, and shoulder impingement — are among the most common injuries in recreational tennis. Technique and overuse are the primary causes, but your racquet setup is a significant contributing factor that is entirely within your control.

Every time the ball meets the strings, an impact force travels up through the frame and into your arm. How much of that force reaches your elbow depends on four things: how stiff the frame is, how heavy it is, how it's balanced, and what strings you're using. Get these wrong and you're amplifying impact stress with every single shot — often without realising it until the damage is done.

The key principle: a racquet that absorbs shock absorbs it so your arm doesn't have to.