Ranting about tennis elbow

This week we have been sending a barrage of tweets in regard to our complete and total disgust with tennis racquet manufacturers and retailers.  They are either oblivious to the impact of manufacturing and selling frames with unhealthy specs, (in terms of tennis elbow), or they just don’t care. I fear it may be the later which disgusts me.

As a professional stringer I come across new customers each week who have been unknowingly saddled with unhealthy equipment.  This week I have had at least a half dozen cases.  The typical scenario involves a player who was convinced that a lighter weight frame would be better for him/her, by a tennis retail sales rep.  (Shame on you if you are reading this blog and this describes you!)  Tennis retailers MUST become more attuned to the advantages and DISADVANTAGES of lightweight racquets.  They MUST educate themselves about other factors such as RA (racquet stiffness), balance, head size, string pattern and weight.  The average tennis playing customer is not going to be versed in this subject.  He/she is coming to the retailer for advice.  If he/she is coming for advice you better darn well have it. Afterall,  in theory the advice and knowledge offered is what separates you from the online retailers!!!  Failure in understanding this has the potential to harm customers and kill the local business.  (While you are at it you might want to learn about strings too.  The average recreational/league player should NOT be using Luxilon ALU, a string developed in 1993 with the life span of less than a Mayfly! Another related topic for another day.)

Manufacturers…there is no way you are off the hook.  What are you thinking in designing frames weighing less than 9 oz with an RA of 70+???   This is completely irresponsible.  There is not a single logical reason to produce frames with unhealthy specs.  Quite frankly there is no justification for such a practice and the engineers doing so should be fired or at the very least tarred and feathered.  ALL the BIG BOYS are guilty.  Prince, Wilson, Head, Babolat, even Volkl, Dunlop and Yonex.  All are guilty.  Clean up your act!

He steps off soap box.

Let’s try to end this blog entry on an upbeat and positive note.  Earlier today I received a kind email message from a customer who I assisted with tennis elbow issues a few months ago.  Ironically it is the text of this email that sent me into the above rant.

John - my elbow would like to thank you for
your stringing job. After suffering constant
pain over a three year period,racquet changes,
icing and even resorting to cortisone shots,
I found your service through an internet search.
I was skeptical that the string or the stringing
could make a material difference in my struggle
with tennis elbow.  All I can say is, WOW!
After your first effort, my elbow recovered,
while I continued playing.  Having tried so
many other solutions without relief, I can only
attribute my recovery to your effort.  I can't
thank you enough -
I recommend you to everyone I meet.

Thanks, L. Haymond

We care about our customers using healthy equipment.
We take pride in helping those who are experiencing pain.
We care.

Bluetooth to cure tennis elbow?

The concept sounds kind of wild, doesn’t it? However, upon closer examination, maybe it isn’t so far fetched…if viewed in the correct context.

Ultimately when tennis players experience elbow tenderness, the initial action to take is to look for and hypothesize the actual cause. In some cases the cause can be technique related. In others, equipment related. Still in other cases the elbow pain may not have been caused by any of the above, but rather an outside source. When this scenario arises, the actual act of playing tennis can irritate the injury, but may not be the root cause.

So, what is the cause? It can be any number of things. Certainly tennis related can not be ruled out, however, if you have healthy equipment, have not changed anything in your game and have been playing pain-free for a number of years, outside factors may very well be the root cause. A recent article I read on ERGO web helped bring this point home. In the article it states that prolonged use of mobile phones can cause tennis elbow. Specifically, “Since the elbow is bent over 90 degrees when using the phone to your ear, the ulnar nerve is compressed. Too much pressure can lead to decreased blood flow and pain. Untreated or not to take the necessary measures, the pain can be debilitating, experts point out.” The same article also refers to wii tennis as another possible external cause.

So there are two lessons to be learned today.

1. The root cause of tennis elbow is not always related to action on the court.
2. Using a bluetooth device can reduce the movement/action that puts pressure on the ulnar nerve.

For those interested in the full article, follow this link.

We are Different!

Guts and Glory Tennis is a different kind of company. We stand out from the competition in a variety of ways. We are not afraid to objectively test new products and we are often the first to bring them to market.

Another key difference is our extreme commitment to provide quality products and services to our customers. We are full time tennis equipment professionals and we take a great deal of pride in “knowing our stuff.” When working with us, you get the full benefit of our years of knowledge coupled with an emphasis on customer care.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to assist one of my local stringing customers. She was extremely upset because she had purchased the new Prince Platinum racquet from a local tennis specialty store and she could not keep the ball in play. The racquet had entirely too much power for her game. It was eons away in terms of specs from her previous racquet. i.e. previous racquet flex = 50, new racquet flex = 71. Had the local retailer been focused on the customer they may have asked questions about her game, style of play, hitting preferneces etcetera. They then would have steered her to a more appropriate racquet choice. However, the lure of a fast sale on a new and expensive racquet was simply too much temptation and the deed was done.

In addition to encouraging her to purchase an inappropriate racquet, they also strung it with powerful strings…the dreaded double whammy! The specs of this Price racquet, IMO, are absolutely horrible. If I were a traditional shop owner I would reject this racquet refusing to carry it. I wouldn’t give a darn if the markup was 250% and it was the hottest selling racquet on the planet. The bottom line is that I believe it is the antithesis of arm friendly and I refuse to subject my customers to a racquet that is produced to what I consider to be grossly inappropriate specifications. It is, simply put, an arm problem in waiting.

We were able to use a new technology string just brought to the market from Topspin tennis to tame the power. I seriously doubt if any local stringers or tennis retailers have knowledge of the string or carry it as part of their inventory. The difference is, we do! After playing, the customer told me the racquet performed like a dream for her. We were able to successfully bring the power level to something acceptable, but I fear how long she can play without damaging her arm. The Platinum is simply too powerful to use any of my beloved multis or natural gut and too large to use our Sweet Spot Enhancement stringing method with any success. This will be the ultimate test for the new Topspin Energy string.

Anyway I just think it is interesting to see what we are doing compared to our competitors. This week, while local tennis retailers are bringing in and selling goo-gobs of Prince O3 Speedport Platinums, we are bringing in the much lesser bally-hooed Kneissl Black Star. For grins and giggles, look at the specs!

Prince 03 Speedport Platinum	Kneissl Black Star
Headsize: 125 inches	Headsize: 110 inches
Length: 27.5 inches	Length: 27.4 inches
Weight: 9.5 ounces	Weight: 11.1 ounces
Stiffness: 71	Stiffness: 58
Beam Width: 27-30-27	Beam Width: 23
Balance: 7 points Head Heavy	Balance: 5 points Head Light

In terms of arm health please keep the following risk factors in mind.

1. Racquets weighing less than 11 oz.
2. Racquets with a stiffness over 67
3. Racquets that are head heavy.

Any combination of one or more of the above make the racquet particularly susceptible to contributing to tennis elbow. There is simply no comparison between the two in terms of arm health. Winner = Kneissl.

In the long run, the sales of the Prince O3 Speedport racquet will be a boom to our local stringing business as many will suffer from elbow and control issues and will ultimately seek us out. Our knowledge of equipment will end up helping them, but realistically they may have to select a different, more arm-friendly racquet.

Guts and Glory Tennis: where “Different is GOOD!”

Power Angle – “Going Diagonal”

PowerAngle RACQUETS

“Go Diagonal!”

No gimmicks here. An innovative design that actually stands up to the claims being made. PowerAngle racquets have been specifically designed so the diagonal string pattern allows for a more uniform string length. The more uniform length has been proven to reduce harmful shock and is great for players seeking a lighter weight, arm-friendly racquet. This technology may look a bit different, but in this case different is definitely good.

But wait…there’s more!!!

In addition to being one of the healthiest racquets available, the patented PowerAngle design also features added bonuses for serious tennis players.

1. Many players who use these racquets will attest to the fact that the diagonal string pattern actually aids in spin production. These racquets grab the extremely well allowing for added spin and bite on demand.

2. Angled strings help create a lively and more powerful stringbed compared to traditionally strung racquets.

3. Power Angle diagonals allow for greater durability and longer lasting strings. For a real treat, try stringing your PowerAngle racquet with LaserFibre Premium strings.

Guts and Glory Tennis is pleased to have a working partnership with PowerAngle where we make these fabulous racquets available to our stringing customers. We currently carry the Power 102 and Power 115 as demo racquets for our local customers to check out. (See specs below) We invite you to playtest these racquets and experience the PowerAngle advantages for yourself. Guts and Glory Tennis is currently metro Atlanta’s only approved stringer for all PowerAngle racquet products and the only resource for interested players to demo/playtest.

Models	Head Size	Weight Strung	Balance Strung	Racket Length	Swingweight
Power 102 (Pictured top right)	super-mid 102 sq. in.	9.6 oz.	1/2 in head heavy	27 3/8”	315
Power 115 (Pictured bottom right)	Oversize 115 sq. in.	9.3 oz.	3/4 in. head heavy	27 3/8”	309

Tennis Magazine has written that PowerAngle racquets are “a new angle on comfort.”

PowerAngle Diagonals are known for dispersing shock and being an extremely comfortable racquet. According to the PowerAngle designers, orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists confirm that less effort is to needed to hit a ball solidly. The longer, Diagonal strings better absorb the shock of the ball, thus protecting the muscles and joints of the shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist and hand from undue stress.

Guts and Glory Tennis is proud to bring these racquets to our customers and know that they will be able to bring relief to area players who are suffering from tennis elbow and performance to those seeking a new paradigm in racquet technology.