Your shoulder has started aching, and serving or reaching for overheads now come with a twinge. Tennis asks a lot of your shoulder, especially on your serving arm. Adapting your strokes and how much you play can help you stay on court while it settles.

Why tennis can affect your shoulder

The serve and overhead smash take your arm high above your head at speed. Big forehands and topspin shots load the front of the shoulder, and the muscles at the back work hard to slow your arm down after each shot. The rotator cuff, a group of small muscles that keep the shoulder steady, does a lot of this work.

When you play more than usual, add serving practice or come back after a break, the load can rise faster than your shoulder can adapt. In most cases, the shoulder is irritated rather than damaged.

Adapting your serve

The serve is often the shot that bothers a sore shoulder most. Some ideas:

• Serve at an easier pace, focusing on placement rather than power.
• Use more of your legs and trunk, so your shoulder does less of the work.
• Toss the ball slightly further in front, so you are not arching back as far.
• Try a slice serve rather than a kick serve, which takes the arm less far back.
• If serving overhead is painful, an underarm serve keeps you playing in friendly matches.

Adapting your groundstrokes

Some changes to your groundstrokes can help:

• Hit through the ball with a flatter swing, rather than brushing up for heavy topspin.
• Meet the ball at around waist height, rather than above your shoulder.
• Let your body turn with each shot, rather than swinging with just your arm.
• Leave out smashes and high volleys for now.

Adjusting how much you play

While your shoulder settles:

• Play shorter sessions, or fewer sets.
• Choose doubles over singles, which means fewer serves and less court to cover.
• Rally at an easier pace.
• Use slower, low-compression balls for practice.
• Leave out long serving practice sessions.

Your racket and strings

A lighter racket, or a slightly lower string tension, can ease the load on your shoulder with each shot.

Reading how your shoulder responds

A mild ache during or after tennis that settles within an hour or so is usually fine. If your shoulder is sorer the next morning, or it aches at night, play less next time.

Warming up

A thorough warm-up helps your shoulder feel ready. Something to try:

• Arm circles, small then larger.
• Roll your shoulders backwards five times.
• Gentle mini-tennis at the service line before moving back.
• A few easy serves before building up.

Around the house and work

Some everyday changes can help your shoulder settle:

• Keep things you use often between waist and shoulder height.
• Carry bags close to your body or across both shoulders.
• If sleeping on your sore side is uncomfortable, try the other side with a pillow to hug.

Building strength

Strengthening the muscles that steady your shoulder helps it cope with tennis. Something to try two or three times a week:

• Shoulder squeezes. Sit tall, draw your shoulder blades back and down, hold for five seconds, then relax.
• Outward turns. With your elbow tucked into your side and bent, hold a light band and slowly turn your forearm outwards, then back.
• Rows. Pull a resistance band towards you, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Back lifts. Lie on your front on the floor, gently lift your head and chest a little way, then lower.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of shoulder squeezes and back lifts you can use at your own pace.

Leg and trunk strength helps too, as more power from your legs means less from your shoulder. VIDA has short videos of lunges and sit-to-stands you can use at your own pace.

Padel and pickleball

If you also play padel or pickleball, the same ideas apply. Overhead smashes and hitting off the back wall in padel can load the shoulder too, so keeping these gentle for now can help.

Building back up

As your shoulder settles, you can gradually bring back harder serves, topspin and singles, one at a time. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how your shoulder responds.

What to take away

• Serving and overheads ask the most of a sore shoulder.
• Serve at an easier pace and let your legs and trunk do more of the work.
• Use flatter groundstrokes and meet the ball below shoulder height.
• Choose doubles and shorter sessions for now.
• Build shoulder, upper back and leg strength alongside.

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