Handles for Elbow Tendon Issues

[6_Buoys]

I just had anthroscopic surgery for lateral epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"). Did not get it by playing tennis. I went to a double overhand grip when getting up (too little to late). I'm looking for some advice on minimizing the strain on that area so that I don't re-injure the elbow. One fellow skier says that he has several handles of differing diameters he uses while training to change the points of stress on his hands and arms. I know some skiers really like the radius handles. For a guy my size I use a thinner handle at 1.03, feels great however wonder if that size has some negative effect on elbow tendon. Anybody else having or had similar issues? Any advice is appreciated.

[dvskier]

I’ve experienced tennis elbow in the past. It got to the point that I was in pain for several hours after skiing. I went to a Masterline Monster radius handle and Masterline Clincher gloves. This combination worked for me, no more soreness after skiing. Last year I began using Radar Inside Out Amara palm gloves to see if that would work and indeed it did. So for me at least the Monster radius handle is still keeping me injury free. I’m 73 and ski 2 sets, three days per week.

[dave2ball]

You can use a size bigger handle or use a radius handle Both may work for you

[Wish]

Trick I saw a 39 off skier do with the same issues. If you are not a tournament skier where your handle will get measured (sometimes) you can feed rubber tubing inside the rope portions of your handle if the handle allows for it. The tention of a pull will compress the tubing inside the rope acting like a shock absorber vs hard hit. If measured, it will be somewhat shorter and even out of tolerance for tournament use. But it is affective. Radious handles help as well as switching grip and clincher style gloves as mentioned.

 

[DW]

For me a radius handle is a must to keep tennis elbow at bay, I do tend to like a smaller handle although I agree larger diameter seems to reduce the TE.

 

@Wish - thanks for that post, great suggestion. I would assume you can tweak on the handle using a fid to get it back in tolerance. There is a You Tube video to walk us through tying the loop end of the handle.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=y3da6pgU2R4

 

[DW]

[mfjaegersr]

Wondering how many suffer from tennis vs Golfer’s or Little Leaguers’ elbow? The difference, as told by my Crackypractor, is outside (tennis) vs inside elbow...

 

I too switched to double overhand for pull-up, around the island and pull out and have begun to embrace using different handles sometimes too. It’s helped. Being conscious of grip pressure - and relaxing it - makes a difference too.

 

I’ve said it before and will again here - post-Ski icing helps!

[brettmainer]

I had chronic problems with tennis elbow 20 years ago. Switched to a radius handle and the problems went away and stayed away.

 

I developed golfers elbow last year and haven’t found a good solution, other than 6 months off over then winter.

 

I have always got up and skied around the island two palms down. I believe all serious skiers should...why spend that time in a less ergonomic position?

[Ed_Johnson]

The Masterline ERGO Radius with Clincher Style gloves totally solved this issue for me that I had for years. Also solved the issue of miss-grabs at shorter lines.

 

[vernonreeve]

When my elbow starts to hurt, it's always when I keep my arms bent slightly crossing the wakes. If I let my arms extend nice and straight, letting my biceps relax while crossing the wakes, the elbow pain goes away.

[mikegile]

I've suffered with this for the past several years - getting slightly worse year after year. I played with different diameter and radius handles with slight relief each time I changed.

 

Last year I ended up with the Radar 1.10 anti roll handle and have not had any problem since. Not sure it is just the handle, although nothing else has changed.

[Dacon62]

1) Use a larger diameter radius handle. Important to use a good quality handle with grippy rubber so you don’t have to squeeze as tightly to hold on.

2) Good quality gloves that provide good grip of the handle.

3) Newer rope that has stretch left in it. I went with the ML Optimized rope this season.

4) Both palms down on get up.

5) Stretch out/massage inner/outer tendons and muscles daily.

Some good ideas on YouTube.

6) Ice.

 

I did point 5 all winter to get rid of my late last season pain. Then points 1-5 all this season. Has kept it away.

[Clydesdale]

Same problems here and as others have said the radius handle combined with radar vice gloves has Helped. I still feel the pain, but it’s gotten 50% better with these changes. I haven’t tried the the both palms down get up but since several have commented i’ll Give that a try next season. Surprises me something so subtle on the getup would have such an effect though. Getups never really seemed too stressful and holding the handle like that just seems a little awkward. Can someone take a shot at explaining the mechanics of why this is less stressful/more ergonomic? Thanks!

[A_B]

Curved handles, larger diameter, get loose before you ski, and try straight arm skiing, and hold the handle as light as possible. The Clincher style gloves are ok, but if you use for a long time, you will get weaker forearms. You can take the dowels out and the added material helps enough to lock the handle in.

Get the TheraBand ">for your strength level and do those several times a day.

 

[igkya]

The golfers elbow typically happens on the same elbow with the palm up grip. All the above help to eliminate/reduce this, but eliminating slack hits on the off-side turns really helped prevent it for me.

 

@A_B use of the Theraband is also great advice, both for healing and preventing the inflamation.

[ScottScott]

I also am not sure how the both palms down for startup helps. A radius on the handle specifically works by keeping the hands in a more natural position with a normal (one palm down, one up) slalom grip, both palms down with a radius is definitely not better. I have always been a both palms down startup, and have had multiple elbo/arm issues.....I just switched to a normal slalom grip for my startups (not intended for anything related to elbo pains tho...)

[A_B]

And try to avoid holding onto big slack hits unless it’s for a big payday. So like never..

 

Palm down starts help even the load for me.

 

Pulling the handle into your chest or waist at the end of a turn then having the boat take it out is also not good.

 

Before you ski hookup to the pylon with the handle bridle section and stretch out and then go backwards and lean away stretching forearms out.

 

I got through a really bad case of golfers elbow that I got hit with when playing some football with the kids. Took almost a year to be completely over it.

[BlueSki]

A couple of years ago a senior driver/promo guy lost his season and then some to tearing or detaching the bicep. It happened as he got out of the water with one palm up. He told me to make sure I get up with two palms down because it is always the palm up arm that suffers the injury he did. Between the contraption on his arm and the lost ski time, I’m all in on two palms down when getting up. Plus, Seth and Horton did the dynamic balance video a few years ago.

[ScottScott]

I'd be interested to hear more thoughts on the startup grip.... I can see if you do one palm up, and have the handle fairly horizontal it could put the palm up arm into an awkward position, but if the handle is more vertical that feels a little more natural. I certainly would prefer to avoid popping a bicep.

[MDB1056]

@6_Buoys is it both elbows or on one? This is going to sound odd but it worked 100% for me. I’m a LFF skier, and once up ( yes I start both palms down) I’d switch to the normal LFFgrip of right palm up . Last summer I was developing bad elbow pain in my right elbow, really impacting ability. On a whim I got up and reversed my grip to right palm down and left palm up. Pain was immediately gone- could ski hard with no pain. I was stunned. Reverse grip actually felt great and I’ve never looked back. If your pain is only one side- give it a try.

[gsm_peter]

I got both Tennis and Golf in both arms, a bit less in my onside weaker arm (?).

Problems was there for several years. A lot of stretching and some bicep training helped.

Use Vice gloves since a long time.

Team Monster Radius or ML Ergo Radius handles.

Mostly start with hands the wrong way and then switch before the course.

 

When it gets bad I trick ski for a few sets and let the arms rest.

 

Its getting better and better.

 

Best luck

[6_Buoys]

@MDB1056 it is my left arm and I am a RFF, so something there. I appreciate all the advice, but I wonder if it is about different gear or if the different gear just changes how the tendon is utilized. Therefore, releasing the tension that comes from repetitive use of the tendon. I already use ML custom handles and 41 tail gloves, although not the newest rope it is a ML that only I use and its 2 seasons old. @A_B you must have been watching me ski, pulling the rope in and letting the boat take is back is definitely not helping my elbow or my buoy count.

[buoyboy1]

@6_Buoys I have had "golfers" elbow issues for many years. The only change I made this year was to use the new optimized rope and have had zero issues. I also use an 1.05 In-Tow radius anti rotational handle for over a decade and it really helps. I also have switched handles of different diameters every couple of weeks but not this year as I am down to one handle. Consider switching your grip so the repaired arm is now in the palm down position. It only takes about 4 or 5 sets to get use to it. I have also used the FlexTend glove and Thera-Band Flexbars with good success over the years. I also place both palms down when getting pulled up and it has helped a lot. Best of luck with the recovery.

[UWSkier]

I have pretty bad tennis elbow in my right arm and a touch of golfer's elbow in my left. I'm LFF and use a 1.183" straight ML handle. Considering switching to Radius. Anyone tried the newer Radar handles?

 

As for getting up both palms down, doesn't work for me. Handle starts to roll and I tighten down my grip. With hands in baseball grip, the handle can't roll and the forearm strain is reduced considerably.

[igkya]

@UWSkier Definitely try a radius handle. As for your starts, the baseball grip isn't helping your right elbow. On the palms down starts, to prevent the rolling, move the handle closer to your middle knuckles/fingertips.

[UWSkier]

Think I'll try an In-Tow radius setup.

[ozski]

Biggest fattest handle money can buy fixed the problem for me. Mine was brutal for at least 2 seasons.

[richfoster]

Anti roll handle helped me.

[Spineofgoo]

@richfoster yup,I got the fattest anti roll handle I could find.Problem went away.

[jhughes]

Changing handle diameters didn't really help me FWIW. In my case it's a variety of technique elements that are not correct in the course, which I'm working on.

 

What did help, and what I'd recommend in addition to everything else is to get a lacrosse ball and roll the shit out of your forearms on your kitchen table. Roll lengthwise and across. I bet your forearm muscles will feel like cables rolling across the ball as you break up adhesions and get things moving past each other more smoothly.

 

Next, twist the lacrosse ball into the skin/tissue around the elbow/affected repeatedly. The twisting motion also heaps break things up and get things moving smoothly again.

 

These two exercises/therapies help me the most. Pullups and barbell work also cause elbow pain for me in the offseason (to a much lesser extent) so this is something I work on year round.

[Spineofgoo]

Broom handle with rope and 5 lb weight roll weight up and down till you puke?

[MDB1056]

Reverse your grip. Simple change but immediately completely eliminated pain for me. Did it on a whim after getting up one day and was stunned. No pain. Some can do this and some cannot. Don't want to start the whole grip debate, but try it and see. For what it's worth..........

[The_MS]

Deep tissue massage.

[6_Buoys]

Thanks for all the advice. Recovery is going very well. No skiing with the frozen lakes, however plenty of hockey and gym time. Already planning to utilize a couple of different handles. Thicker and radius. Maybe I should be searching for the fountain of youth.

[Moskier3ev]

Don’t disregard a new rope. After I started getting a new rope every year my elbow pain has gone away.

[blakeyates]

Use a 1.125 (or largest available) with radius. There are less radius' available it seems but I believe you can special order them. I know years ago, HO bent one for me. Currently, I use a 13" straight w/dia of 1.125..............no more problems.

[gmut]

Try it all and then get a cortisone shot! It works!!

[6_Buoys]

@Spineofgoo Couldn’t disagree with you more. It’s not a forearm strength issue. In fact forearm and bicep strength training makes it worse. The pain generates from the elbow tendon being restricted in movement as you use your forearm and bicep.

@gmut Cortisone is king. Got a shot every 3 months for 3 years. But eventually that starts to risk a tear. So had to have surgery and get the area cleaned out. So far so good.