Pickleball elbow, similar to tennis elbow, is a common overuse injury affecting pickleball players. It happens due to repetitive stress on the muscles and tendons on the outside of your elbow—especially those powerful backhand shots. Symptoms can include pain, weakness, and stiffness, making it tough to hold a paddle or play comfortably.
But don’t worry! There are several effective ways to prevent pickleball elbow and keep your game going strong.
Warm Up Properly
Before jumping into a game, it’s essential to do light cardio and stretch your arms and wrists to get your body ready for action. A proper warm-up helps improve blood flow to the muscles, making them more pliable and less prone to injury.
Pro Tip: Dynamic stretches get your blood flowing and reduce the risk of injury.
Use Proper Technique
Using the right technique is key to preventing stress on your elbow. Pay special attention to your backhand form, as improper technique can lead to unnecessary strain. A coach or experienced player can help you refine your strokes and ensure that you’re using the larger muscles in your shoulders rather than over-relying on your elbow.
Pro Tip: Focus on using your shoulder muscles more and your elbow less during backhand shots.
Choose the Right Paddle
Your equipment matters! Choosing the right paddle that suits your grip size and playing style can make a big difference. A lighter paddle with vibration control technology can help reduce the impact on your elbow and prevent injury.
Pro Tip: Lighter paddles (7.3-8.4 ounces) can help reduce strain on the elbow.
Adjust Your Grip
Gripping your paddle too tightly puts a lot of unnecessary strain on your forearm muscles and tendons. It’s important to maintain a relaxed, loose grip to keep the tension at bay.
Pro Tip: Hold the paddle with a 4 out of 10 grip pressure to reduce stress.
Strengthen Forearm Muscles
Strengthening the muscles in your forearms can help build resilience, making your arm better equipped to handle the repetitive motion of pickleball. Exercises like wrist curls, forearm extensions, and grip strengtheners are especially useful.
Pro Tip: Try using a TheraBand or flex bar for added resistance.
Wear an Elbow Brace
An elbow brace can provide added support and reduce strain on the tendons, especially during longer playing sessions. It helps limit movement that might aggravate the injury, offering stability and promoting healing.
Pro Tip: Opt for a brace that offers adjustable fit and doesn’t interfere with your game.
Modify Your Paddle Balance
If your paddle feels too top-heavy, it can increase the strain on your wrist and elbow. By adding lead tape closer to the throat of the paddle, you can balance it better and reduce the load on your forearm muscles.
Pro Tip: This modification helps reduce wrist strain, which can worsen elbow symptoms.
Limit Playing Time
Rest is one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of injury prevention. Playing for hours without a break can lead to overuse injuries, so it’s essential to give your body time to recover.
Pro Tip: Listen to your body—if you start feeling pain, rest before it gets worse.
Incorporate Eccentric Exercises
Eccentric exercises, which involve slowly lowering weights, are particularly effective for strengthening tendons and reducing the risk of injury. These exercises help build resilience in the tendons by gradually increasing their load capacity.
Pro Tip: Do these exercises daily, but keep the weights light for safety.
Stretch Regularly
Stretching both before and after playing pickleball is crucial for maintaining flexibility and preventing stiffness. Focus on stretches like wrist flexor stretches, tricep stretches, forearm extensor stretches, shoulder stretches, and elbow extensions.
Pro Tip: Stretch for at least 15-30 seconds per arm to keep those muscles limber.
