Heat. Fatigue. A strained thigh. Eugenie Bouchard had plenty of reasons to explain her defeat in the fourth-round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament yesterday. And anyone who plays tennis regularly can sympathize. Even though you don’t have the opportunity to crash into another player the way you do in a team sports, you can easily get hurt.
Of course every vigorous sport takes its toll. But researchers are beginning to pinpoint the biggest risks for each and figure out how to prevent them. While they’re not as far along as soccer researchers, tennis experts have already scored some important points.
Tennis Elbow, Tennis Leg
When we think of tennis, we think of elbows, wrists and shoulders. And these do get injured frequently.
A wrist injury forced Rafael Nadal, last year’s U.S. Open winner, to drop out before this year’s tournament even started.
But tennis players actually get hurt below the waist more often.
The arm injuries tend to result from overuse, while the leg injuries seem to happen suddenly, according to an overview of the research in the British Medical Journal.
How Much is Too Much?
Not surprisingly, the more you play the more you’re likely to get injured. But how what is the cutoff between too much and not enough?
People who get tennis elbow tend to play more than eight hours a week, while those who don’t tend to play less than five and a half hours, according to to one study.
Even though they play more, experienced players don’t get hurt more often. That’s probably because their experience compensates. For example, their more relaxed grip results in less vibration in their arms and they are better able to control what part of the racquet hits the ball.
Which Grip is Better?
Speaking of grip, if you use a western- or semiwestern- style grip, you’re more likely to hurt the ulnar side of your arm (with your palm facing down, that’s the left side of your left arm, or the right side of your right arm). If you use an eastern or semieastern-style grip, you’re more likely to hurt the radial side (the opposite from the ulnar side).
As you might expect, playing on clay courts results in fewer injuries than playing on hard courts. But the evidence for grass is mixed.
Finally, a bigger racquet head results in less vibration in your arm.
Putting it all together, you should play enough to become experienced, but not more than a few matches a week. Stay on clay courts if you can afford it. Use a racquet with a big head. And switch up your grip if your arm is hurting.
What else can you do?
Although no one has proved their exercise regimen can reduce injuries, at least one group of researchers has come up with a promising program that also may improve performance.
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