The Tennis Handle – A Resistance Tool That May Prevent Injury
Certainly anyone who enjoys a weekend sport is at risk of developing repetitive injuries. There are tools that are inexpensive and functional to help anyone increase their swing, throw or leg strength. The Power Bat is the perfect tool for increasing your baseball swing and the Baseball Xertube will help to increase your throw. Both work on the idea that adding resistance to the movements increases power. The Baseball Xertube looks like a baseball on a leash. The ball is attached to a rubber tube which is attached to a door handle and the same is true for the Power Bat. The low cost Tennis Handle does the same for racquet sports. The user holds the tennis handle which is attached to a rubber tube which attaches to a door.
Because of the one-sidedness of many sports, professional athletes run the risk of developing repetitive injuries to the over-working dominant arm or leg that their sport requires. Golfers, baseball pitchers and tennis players are classic examples of this. One way of ensuring an injury-free career is to train the sports specific muscles. Sports specific training increases the strength and endurance of the muscles used in various sports and allows the body to be developed in a more balanced way. Athletic trainers and physical therapists have long worked to encourage balanced muscle strength in their professional athletes, but what about the non-professional athlete?
Practicing your serve, forehand and backstroke with continuous resistance through the full range of motion will increase shoulder rotation and arm strength. There are no guarantees against injuries, but prevention in the form of sports specific training is a good first step to take.