Tennis Players: 6 Ways to Prevent Shoulder Injuries

Tennis puts intense strain on your shoulders, especially during serves and strokes. Shoulder injuries affect 25-50% of players, making prevention essential. Here's how to protect your shoulders:

1. Warm Up Properly: Use dynamic movements like arm circles and shoulder blade squeezes to prepare your muscles and joints. Avoid static stretching right before playing.
2. Strengthen the Rotator Cuff: Perform targeted exercises (e.g., external rotations, scapular retractions) 2-3 times a week to stabilize your shoulder.
3. Improve Mobility: Daily mobility exercises like wall slides and shoulder pass-throughs help maintain flexibility and prevent overuse injuries.
4. Use Proper Form: Focus on correct serving and stroke techniques to reduce unnecessary strain on your shoulder.
5. Choose the Right Gear: Opt for lightweight racquets with larger head sizes and lower string tension to minimize impact forces.
6. Prioritize Recovery: Rest, stretch, and use ice therapy after matches to maintain shoulder health.

Quick Overview of Prevention Tips

Exercises to prevent tennis shoulder injuries

1. Start With a Complete Warm-Up

Warming up is crucial to avoid injuries - especially since a tennis serve can put over 800 pounds of force on your shoulder. Studies show that warming up properly not only lowers the risk of injury but can also boost performance. For example, ballistic exercises have been shown to increase serve speed by 3.5% compared to static stretching.

Key Dynamic Movements

A good shoulder warm-up should last about 10-15 minutes and include these movements:

• Cardio Activation: Spend 3-5 minutes jogging or doing jumping jacks to get your blood flowing.
• Arm Circles: Do 15-20 forward and backward circles, starting small and gradually making them larger.
• Shoulder Blade Squeezes: Complete 2 sets of 10 reps to wake up your stabilizer muscles.
• Band Pull-Aparts: Perform 15 reps to engage the muscles in the back of your shoulders.

"It not only prepares your body for competition but also reduces the risk of tennis injury and it helps get you mentally ready for the competition too." - tennisfitness.com

Basic Shoulder Stretches

After dynamic movements, follow up with these stretches. Keep in mind that static stretching should be done at least 30 minutes before playing:

Move with control - no bouncing - and gradually increase intensity. Once your shoulders are warmed up and mobile, you'll be ready to focus on strengthening your rotator cuff in the next step.

2. Strengthen Your Rotator Cuff

After warming up, focus on strengthening your rotator cuff to improve stroke mechanics and protect your shoulder. These muscles play a key role in stabilizing your shoulder during tennis movements.

"The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and therefore, it relies heavily on muscles to stabilize it. The repetitive nature of tennis puts a lot of strain on the rotator cuff muscles and tendons, as weak muscles fail to endure the constant accelerations and decelerations."
– Lauren Freitas, DPT

Effective Rotator Cuff Exercises

Studies indicate that targeted exercises for the rotator cuff and scapular muscles can reduce shoulder issues by 28%. Below is a routine designed to ensure proper form and maximize results:

For external rotation, placing a towel under your arm is essential - it increases activation of the infraspinatus muscle while minimizing unnecessary involvement of the deltoid.

Exercise Plan and Progression

Follow this structured plan to build strength gradually:

1. Starting Phase (Weeks 1–4)
Perform the exercises three times a week, completing 15 repetitions per set. Focus on perfecting your form before increasing resistance.

2. Progressive Loading (Weeks 5–8)
Increase resistance while reducing reps. Shift from 15 repetitions to 10 as you add more resistance.

3. Advanced Phase (Weeks 9–12)
Continue increasing the load, aiming for a 6-repetition maximum. This gradual progression strengthens your shoulder and enhances stability.

"The key to preventing shoulder injuries in tennis is doing the right exercises that suit your physical capabilities and then being consistent, consistency here is key."
– Tennis Fitness

Pay attention to pain levels - if discomfort exceeds 50 mm on a visual analog scale, switch to isometric exercises. Proper form is crucial to avoid repetitive stress injuries. Incorporate these exercises regularly to improve shoulder stability and performance on the court.

3. Keep Shoulders Mobile

Keeping your shoulders flexible is crucial for controlling serves and swings. Limited mobility can lead to compensatory movements in the neck and mid-back, increasing the risk of overuse injuries. Improving shoulder mobility helps maintain proper form and reduces strain during play.

"Without adequate shoulder mobility, you may begin to compensate at other joints surrounding the shoulder, such as the neck or cervical spine and mid back or thoracic spine. Over time, these compensatory movements may increase a person's risk of developing overuse injuries in the shoulders or surrounding areas."
– Winnie Yu, Physical Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist at Bespoke Treatments

Daily Mobility Exercises

Spend 5–15 minutes a day, 2–3 times a week, on these controlled exercises to support shoulder mobility:

"Consistency is key, and listen to your body to avoid overdoing it."
– Matty Maggiacomo, Peloton Instructor

To further improve flexibility and reduce tension, consider adding yoga and Pilates to your routine.

Add Yoga and Pilates

Yoga is widely used by top athletes to improve shoulder health and performance. It helps reduce neck and shoulder pain while increasing flexibility and tolerance for strain. Start with poses held for 10 seconds, gradually working up to 40 seconds, and rest for 20 seconds between sets.

Pilates, on the other hand, helps address muscle imbalances caused by tennis's one-sided movements. Andy Murray has credited Pilates for its positive impact, saying, "I started Pilates a few weeks ago which I think has already helped".

For the best results, consult qualified trainers who can tailor a mobility program to your specific needs.

sbb-itb-43b8b85

4. Use Correct Tennis Form

Using the right technique can help prevent shoulder injuries and reduce unnecessary strain.

Better Serving Form

Serving is one of the most demanding shots in tennis, putting a lot of pressure on your shoulder. Professional Tennis Coach Tomaz Mencinger explains, "The shoulder over shoulder technique in a tennis serve is a term that coaches use often to describe the position of the shoulders at the contact point and immediately after it".

Here’s how to refine your serving mechanics:

Australian Biomechanical Researcher Bruce Elliott highlights that "Internal shoulder rotation was responsible for 40% of forward racket head speed". To develop this, practice serves at half-speed, concentrating on transferring momentum rather than generating raw power.

Pay the same attention to your strokes to safeguard your shoulders.

Fix Your Stroke Technique

Poor stroke mechanics can lead to shoulder strain. Physical Therapist Shiv Patel points out, "One thing we often tell our tennis players is that the area of pain is usually the victim of some lack of strength or mobility in the joints above and below. A comprehensive treatment above requires a trained therapist who treats the whole body to ensure all problem areas are addressed."

Here are some key adjustments to reduce strain:

• Connected Body Position: Keep your body aligned during strokes to distribute force evenly.
• Smooth Acceleration: Focus on fluid, controlled movements instead of relying on brute strength.
• Proper Footwork: Position yourself early to avoid overextending your reach.

For more tailored advice, consult a tennis coach for a biomechanical analysis. Remember, proper technique involves your entire body working together, not just your shoulder.

"In order to hit fast tennis serves, we must look for smooth and fluid throwing action, through which we accelerate the racquet head and swing through the point of contact as if there is no ball." - Tomaz Mencinger

5. Pick the Right Tennis Gear

Choosing the right gear can help reduce strain and maintain proper form while you play.

Choose Your Racquet

The racquet you use plays a big role in keeping your shoulder healthy. Dr. Michael Yorio notes, "Choosing the wrong racquet can make you more susceptible to injuries." Pay attention to these racquet features to minimize shoulder strain:

Lower string tensions can also limit the force transmitted through your arm. Research shows peak elbow accelerations of 200 N (5.58 m/s²), 222 N (6.83 m/s²), and 245 N (7.45 m/s²) depending on string tension. For grip size, if you're unsure between two sizes, opt for the smaller one and adjust with grip tape for comfort and style of play. Once you’ve got the right racquet, consider additional gear to protect your shoulder.

Use Support Equipment

Extra support can provide added protection for your shoulder during matches. Physical therapist Leah Komisak explains, "While braces offer firm, rigid support, tape is more malleable and adaptive." Here are some support options to consider:

• Prophylactic braces: Ideal if you’ve had shoulder issues in the past.
• Kinesiology tape: Helps stabilize joints without limiting motion.
• Rehabilitative braces: Useful when recovering from an injury.

Be sure to consult a physical therapist for guidance on fitting and using these tools. Improper use can sometimes lead to additional complications.

6. Rest and Recover Well

Taking time to recover properly is key to avoiding shoulder injuries in tennis. Studies highlight how the physical demands of tennis matches can strain the shoulders, often reducing range of motion (ROM) and strength.

After-Match Care

Active recovery works better than simply resting to keep your shoulders healthy. Here are some post-match recovery tips:

Using these methods right after your match can help restore shoulder function faster.

"The causes of stiffness of anatomical motions include inflammation and soft tissue edema in the perimysial and/or epimysial connective tissue elements from eccentric muscle activity. Pitching before the recovery from acute muscle damage and loss of shoulder and elbow ROM places the pitcher at risk of injury." – Reinold et al

Intense physical activity can cause a 15% drop in shoulder flexion and an 18% decrease in internal rotation. To combat this, try gentle shoulder mobility exercises and stretches that focus on both internal and external rotation. Keeping your total range of motion above 150° is a good target.

Plan Rest Days

Scheduling rest days is an effective way to prevent overuse injuries. Here’s how to approach it:

1. Weekly Rest Schedule
   Dedicate one full day each week to rest. This allows your shoulders to recover and rebuild muscle tissue.
2. Training Load Management
   Pay attention to your shoulders daily and adjust your training intensity if needed. Look out for signs like:
   • Persistent stiffness
   • Reduced serving power
   • Soreness lasting more than 24 hours
3. Recovery Activities
   On rest days, engage in gentle recovery-focused activities:
   • Practice diaphragmatic breathing to improve circulation
   • Do light stretches to maintain mobility
   • Try low-intensity activities like walking or swimming

Professional organizations like the WTA carefully manage their players' schedules to avoid burnout. You can apply the same principle by balancing intense sessions with enough recovery time.

Prevent Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries in tennis often result from overuse, but taking the right steps can help keep your joints stable, strong, and functional.

A well-rounded prevention plan combines several important strategies. Dr. Haylee E. Borgstrom emphasizes this point:

"In many cases, injury prevention comes back to form and biomechanics, or how everything is working together. Paying attention to the entire chain of joints and muscles in a movement is absolutely key".

Regular pre-habilitation exercises can go a long way in reducing the risk of shoulder injuries. Here's a quick breakdown of the essential components:

From dynamic warm-ups to choosing the right gear, every detail matters when it comes to protecting your shoulders on the court. Focus on proper serving mechanics, dynamic stretching, and exercises that activate your shoulders. Be sure to train both your dominant and non-dominant sides equally to maintain balance and overall shoulder health.