🎾 How It All Started
I didn’t grow up playing tennis.
I actually started learning tennis because of my daughter. When she was around 9 years old, she began taking lessons, and like many parents, I would sit on the side watching. After a while, I started hitting with her so she could practice more outside of lessons.
At the beginning, it was just casual. But as she improved, I naturally wanted to keep up. I started practicing more seriously—especially my serve and forehand.
That’s when I started running into problems.
Recovery Update: Fully Recovered After About 6 Months
As of June 2026, I feel fully recovered.
My elbow problem started around December 2025, so the full recovery took about 6 months. The first thing I did after December was take about a one-month break from hitting. After that, I gradually returned to tennis instead of stopping completely again.
For me, recovery was not one single fix. It was the combination of:
- taking that first month of rest
- switching to multifilament strings
- lowering my string tension from around 50-51 lbs to 48 lbs
- using an elbow protector if needed while playing
- using more shoulder turn and a better follow-through after the swing
- strengthening with the FlexBar
- icing after hitting once I started playing again
I want to be clear: this is just what happened in my case. If your pain is sharp, getting worse, lasting a long time, or affecting normal daily activity, it is safer to stop the aggravating activity and get medical guidance.
What is a Tennis Elbow / Golfer's Elbow
Tennis elbow usually causes pain on the outside of the elbow, while golfer's elbow causes pain on the inside. In my case, both were related to over-practicing serves, gripping the racquet too tightly, and relying too much on my arm instead of body rotation. A one-month break, icing, softer strings, lower tension, an elbow brace, technique changes, and FlexBar exercises helped me recover.
Equipment did not replace technique work, but it did matter. If you are still choosing a frame, start with my beginner racquet guide and compare more forgiving options in the beginner-friendly racquet shortlist.
🤕 How I Ended Up with BOTH Tennis Elbow AND Golfer's Elbow
At first, it was just a slight discomfort on the outside of my elbow. I didn’t think much of it.
But over time, I started noticing something else: sometimes the inside of my elbow would hurt too.
That’s when I realized I wasn’t just dealing with tennis elbow (outside), but also some symptoms of golfer's elbow (inside).
Looking back, it was pretty obvious why.
Over-practicing serves (with bad mechanics)
One of the biggest mistakes I made was practicing serves too much, too early.
I didn’t have proper technique, but I kept hitting serves over and over, trying to “figure it out.”
What I was actually doing:
- using mostly my arm instead of my body
- forcing power instead of generating it naturally
- repeating the same incorrect motion hundreds of times
That repetitive stress went straight into my elbow.
Gripping the racquet way too tight
Another thing I didn’t realize at the time was how tightly I was holding the racquet.
I thought tighter grip = more control.
In reality:
- my forearm was constantly tense
- there was no relaxation in my swing
- every impact transferred more stress into the elbow
This contributed to both:
- tennis elbow (outer side)
- golfer's elbow (inner side)
Not using my body at all
Instead of using my legs, hips, and shoulders, I relied almost entirely on my arm.
No rotation. No flow.
Just arm.
Over time, that imbalance adds up. The elbow becomes the weakest link—and eventually, it starts to hurt.
⚠️ The Biggest Mistake I Made
When the pain started, I did what a lot of people do:
I ignored it and kept playing.
I told myself: - “It’s not that bad” - “It’ll go away”
It didn’t.
It slowly got worse, to the point where even simple movements started to feel uncomfortable.
✅ What Actually Helped Me Recover
Once I accepted that I needed to fix it properly, a few things made a real difference.
1. Rest first, then a gradual return
This was the hardest part mentally.
I didn’t want to stop playing, especially since I was practicing with my daughter regularly.
But after December, I did take about a one-month break from hitting. That rest period mattered. It gave my elbow time to calm down before I tried to fix everything else.
After that first break, I gradually returned to tennis. I did not completely stop playing for the whole 6 months, but I paid more attention to volume, avoided motions that clearly aggravated the elbow, and treated recovery as something I had to manage every time I hit.
If I could go back, I would rest earlier instead of pushing through the early warning signs.
2. Icing regularly
I started icing my elbow consistently:
- 10-15 minutes after playing
- also on days when it felt sore
Once I returned to hitting, icing after playing became part of the routine. It helped calm the soreness and made the recovery process more manageable.
3. Using an elbow band (more useful than I expected)
I bought an elbow band mainly to help while playing.
But it ended up helping in two ways:
- during play: reduced stress on the tendon
- during recovery: I used it to hold an ice pack in place. Believe me, it's pretty tiring if you have to hold the ice bag towards your elbow all the time.
That second use turned out to be surprisingly convenient.
👉 Suggested product: Elbow Band/Brace. It comes with a pair but actually only one is needed. I use the other one as a backup.
4. Fixing my technique (this was critical)
No amount of icing or rest would fully solve the problem if I kept using bad mechanics.
So I focused on:
- loosening my grip. One small tip: Taking off your thumb and/or your index fingers off the grip helps practicing.
- using more shoulder turn and body rotation. Tip: always use your other hand to push your racquet back.
- following through after the swing instead of stopping early. Tip: always finish with your racquet on your other shoulder.
- letting power come from the body and shoulders, not just forcing the ball with my arm.
Once I made these changes, I could feel a clear reduction in stress on my elbow.
🧵 One Change That Made a Huge Difference: Strings
This was something I didn’t expect to matter as much as it did.
Originally, I was using polyester (poly) strings at around 50-51 lbs.
Poly strings are great for control and spin—but they are also:
- stiff
- less forgiving
- harder on the arm
For someone like me (recreational player, still learning technique), this wasn’t ideal.
Switching to softer strings
I decided to switch to multifilament strings and lower the tension to around 48 lbs.
What strings helped my tennis elbow and golf elbow? Here’s what I tried:
Tecnifibre X-One Biphase (best for me)
This was the biggest upgrade.
- very comfortable
- great feel
- noticeably easier on the arm
It’s more expensive, but honestly, it made the biggest difference for my elbow.
👉 Suggested Tecnifibre X-One Biphase
Wilson NXT
- also comfortable
- decent feel
- slightly less impressive than X-One for me
👉 Suggested Wilson NXT
Head Velocity MLT
- good budget option
- comfortable enough
- not as strong in performance
👉 Suggested Head Velocity MLT. I used Gauge 17 to get a bit more topspin.
If you are comparing current prices, I keep a focused tennis string deals page for string discounts and a tennis racquet deals page for frame discounts.
What I learned about strings
- softer strings = less shock to the arm
- lower tension = more comfort
- poly strings are not beginner-friendly for the elbow
This change alone significantly reduced my elbow discomfort.
🟢 The Flexbar (Very Useful for Recovery)
Another thing that helped was the TheraBand FlexBar.
Why it works
It targets the exact muscles and tendons involved in tennis elbow and golfer's elbow.
Instead of just resting, you’re actively rebuilding strength.
The key exercises
The two exercises that are widely used:
- Tyler Twist (for tennis elbow) There are tons of videos on using the FlexBar for tennis elbows. This is the one I found most straightforward and focused on using the Flexbar.
- Reverse Tyler Twist (for golfer's elbow)
You can easily find demonstrations on YouTube, but this is the one from the same Youtuber, which is most straightforward to me:
These exercises became part of my regular routine.
👉 I used the Green TheraBand FlexBar. You may choose different colors depending on your own need.
🔁 What I Would Do Differently
If I could go back to when I first started playing:
- I would not overpractice serves early
- I would keep my grip relaxed from day one
- I would focus on body mechanics instead of power
- I would rest as soon as I felt pain
💡 Final Thoughts
Tennis elbow AND golfer's elbow are very common, especially for players who:
- are learning the game
- practice frequently
- rely too much on their arm
The biggest lessons from my experience:
- don’t ignore early pain
- fix technique, not just symptoms
- use arm-friendly equipment
- strengthen your forearm properly
For me, full recovery was slow but possible. It took about 6 months, and the combination that finally worked was one month of rest, a softer string setup, better mechanics, FlexBar strengthening, and icing after hitting.
🔗 Related Tools on TennisHub
📘 How to Choose a Tennis Racquet
ℹ️ Disclaimer
This is based on personal experience and is not medical advice. If your pain persists, consider consulting a medical professional.
Some links may be affiliate links. I only recommend products I personally tried or found helpful.