Tennis elbow, or in this case padel elbow, is a well-known phenomenon. Many people experience pain in their arm and/or elbow as a result of playing padel. How does this happen? In general, there are three factors that can cause this injury, namely:
- Technique
- Equipment
- Rest
About technique
It is extremely important to use the correct technique during play. This is to minimize strain on your muscles and joints. At Just Padel, we have conducted research to find out what causes in technique can lead to padel elbow.
Point of contact
The point of contact is the moment the ball is hit. What we often see is an incorrect point of contact being created when the padel ball bounces off the back wall. When players then want to hit the ball back, the point of contact is no longer directly in front of the player. If the point of contact is next to or behind you, this puts extra strain on your arm. Our trainers therefore pay extra attention to always ensuring that the point of contact is in front of you. You can do this by taking an extra step back or possibly catching the ball a little later (the distance the ball travels after hitting the wall means it ends up further in front of you).
Wrist
In padel technique, your wrist should not make all kinds of strange movements. Since the technique is compact, it has few variables (things that can always be slightly different with a stroke). Think of a backhand from behind, if someone does not turn in (read: racket prepared behind). This often results in a short stroke in which the wrist is snapped over the ball. These types of strokes put a lot of strain on the muscles and/or joints in the arm.
Equipment
If you have been experiencing arm pain for some time, it could be that the type of padel racket you use is contributing to this. For example, insufficient cushioning can be a reason for developing padel arm. For people who suffer from padel arm, we at Just Padel recommend using a padel racket with a round shape. A lightweight racket with sufficient cushioning can also prevent padel elbow. If you are looking for good equipment, we recommend the Siux Raven. This racket is available in several versions. Our own experience has shown that these versions are popular with players who suffer from padel elbow.
Rest
Perhaps the most obvious reason is to get enough rest. We are talking about an injury caused by overexertion. It is very important that you give your body enough rest and do not overexert yourself all at once. Do you want to play padel fanatically? Train sufficiently! Build this up slowly and make sure you train properly. If the pain persists, you can have a trainer look at your technique and equipment.
If you take these three factors into account, the risk of padel elbow injury is much lower.