No matter how long you’ve been spending time on the court, playing tennis has wonderful benefits for your well-being. It’s a great way to lower blood pressure and body fat, improve strength and flexibility and maintain overall fitness. The benefits aren’t just physical, though. Tennis, like many other sports, can reduce stress and provide a healthy dose of endorphins that trigger positive feelings in the body and increase mental wellbeing. There is so much to be gained from a few minutes and hours on the court.
Anyone who’s spent some time playing will know that there are some problems that only tennis players will understand. These problems don’t make the sport any less worthwhile, but they can throw off your game. If you’re a beginner, you may not know how to deal. Here are some of the most common issues faced by tennis players, and what you can do about them.
The Problem: Sweaty Palms
Of course, you are going to sweat. It’s a part of being human, and it keeps you from overheating on the court. But when you have a racket to hold and a ball to hit, sweaty palms are not only annoying, but can make it harder for you to play well. Sweat can cause you to lose control of your racket which, quite understandably, has a significant effect on how well you play.
The Solution: Get the Best Tennis Overgrip
Overgrip for a tennis racket helps to absorb sweat and improve grip. It is essentially a soft padded ribbon that you wrap around the hilt of your racket. The best tennis overgrip is soft and comfortable, with high absorbency. Getting Overgrip a tennis racket can tremendously improve your technique.
The Problem: Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a pain around the outside of the elbow. While it isn’t exclusive to tennis players, it is so common amongst them that the name is only fitting. It is a weakening of the tendons between the muscles and the bones, and can make it increasingly difficult (and painful) to perform minor tasks like lifting things.
The Solution: Rest, See a Doctor and Work on Your Technique
Two of the most common causes of tennis elbow is poor technique while hitting a backhand, and gripping the racket too tightly. It is essential then, that you learn to play correctly. If you do decide to see a doctor, they’ll be able to offer medication, a brace and even physiotherapy. If your symptoms are not severe, however, rest will usually do the trick.
The Problem: That Annoying ‘Ping’ Sound
A lot of tennis players barely notice it, but there’s a hollow sound that occurs each time a ball hits a racket. Some can find it distracting, annoying or just plain unpleasant. x
The Solution: Get a Tennis Racket Dampener
Using a Tennis racket dampener is the only true solution. Dampeners are placed outside the cross strings of a racket to reduce the vibrations of the stringbed. The result is a more solid sound upon impact. Players can choose between a worm dampener (which is long and thin) and a button dampener (which resembles a large button).