ARE YOU HIGH STRUNG?

Given the U.S. Open season, let us address the nemesis of tennis elbow. One of the common causes of this malady is a racket strung too tightly, due to the reverberation caused by striking the ball. I recommend realistically estimating your abilities when it comes to racket stringing. It is better to start with strings a notch loose early in the season and then restring a month later if necessary. In general, too tight is much worse than not tight enough. Too loose can also be a problem, but it will not lead to tennis elbow.

Another common cause is a racket that is too light, particularly in the head. If you suspect this is the culprit, adding lead tape to the racket head should help.

Finally, poor footwork that forces you to compensate with extension or flexion of the elbow could be to blame. Unfortunately, the only answer here is to spend more time getting into shape to play tennis, not playing tennis to get into shape.