Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis , is a common injury that mainly affects padel players, causing severe pain in the elbow area and limiting wrist rotation.
This condition can have a significant impact on your game by dampening your enthusiasm for the sport. However, with the right choice of padel rackets and some essential strategies, you can combat and alleviate the pain associated with tennis elbow and continue to enjoy the game.
Lateral lateral epicondylitis , commonly known as tennis elbow, is characterized by pain on the outside of the elbow, which may radiate to the forearm or upper arm.
Players who suffer from epicondylitis often notice a loss of strength, which leads to difficulty gripping objects or performing certain movements.
This condition can be caused by incorrect technique, a sudden increase in playing frequency, heavy and/or balanced rackets, hard racket materials that transmit vibrations, and overloading weak muscles.
When recommending a padel racket for someone with epicondylitis, specific considerations need to be taken into account to minimize strain on the arm and reduce the risk of further injury.
Here are the key factors to consider:
- Soft racket core : Choose padel rackets with a soft core, such as polyethylene foam or low or medium density EVA foam . A soft racket core absorbs the impact of the ball and reduces vibrations, minimizing stress on the arm;
- Low/Centered Balance : Look for a padel racket with a low or medium balance, therefore round or teardrop shaped , which means that the weight is more concentrated towards the handle. This balance distribution improves maneuverability and reduces the strain on the arm during swings and shots. Avoid rackets with a high balance, therefore diamond shaped;
- Optimal weight : choose a padel racket that is not excessively heavy. The weight should ideally range between 355 grams and 370 grams . Lighter rackets are easier to handle and put less strain on the arm during swings and shots, however they tend to vibrate more when blocking strong hits;
- Anti-vibration system : choose a high-quality padel racket that incorporates an effective anti-vibration system . These systems help dampen and dissipate vibrations, preventing them from reaching the player's arm and aggravating the pain associated with epicondylitis. Several well-known padel brands offer rackets with advanced anti-vibration technologies. Also not to be overlooked are rackets with Noene inserts. The only company in the world that makes these rackets is Alphapadel , Noene is an elastomer that has a viscoelasticity that gives it a high capacity for absorbing and dispersing negative vibrations . This material is also used to make shoe insoles;
- Vibration-dampening accessories : Some players find comfort in after-market vibration-reducing accessories, such as vibration-reducing grips and/or vibration dampeners for the racquet face holes.
These are the rackets divided by brands that have the required characteristics;
ALPHAPADEL THE ULTIMATE RACKET FOR EPICONDYLITIS MADE OF NOENE:
- Dark Nebula Tour;
- Dark Nebula;
NOX WITH ITS AVS ANTI-VIBRATION SYSTEM:
- Nox AT10 Luxury Genius 18K 2023;
- Nox ML10 Pro Cup Luxury 2023;
BULLPADEL WITH VIBRADRIVE ANTI-VIBRATION SYSTEM:
- Bullpadel Vertex 03 Ctr 2023;
- Bullpadel Hack 03 Ctr 23;
STARVIE WITH ITS STAR BALANCE HAS BALANCE BETWEEN BALANCE AND WEIGHT;
- Starvie Astrum Eris;
- Starvie Metheora Dual 2023;
The above mentioned rackets meet the requirements we have described, therefore being soft, round and/or drop and using vibration reduction technology.
Also not to be underestimated are the epicondylitis braces, you can find them by clicking on these two links:
- https://projectxpadel.com/products/gomitiera-tutore-deluxe-pure2improve ;
- https://projectxpadel.com/products/tutore-a-striscia-per-il-gomito