Every few months a player asks me about their shoulder or elbow pain. Usually they have a history of getting all sorts of advice from devices to put on elbows to going up in racquet size to getting lessons. The former are curing symptoms and the lessons could cure the cause! I watched them play and I saw the problems with the way they were hitting the ball. I identified what would hurt (a shoulder and an elbow and lower back to be specific) and then gave the cure. This player went to playing pain free immediately. Now here is what is frustrating. Every day some coach is highlighted as being a great coach because they have great players and here are the players practicing. I am watching and thinking–too bad because these players will never reach their full potential. I see all sorts of issues with they way they play today–unforced errors etc. to the issues coming in the future–shoulder and elbow and lower back usually.
I just do not understand why an athlete would not get the best of help. Put it another way. Here is an excerpt of a conversation one of my athletes had.
Athlete B “My coach tells me to hit a good down the line kill and if I don’t I have to run sprints.”
My guy-“How does that teach you to hit a good down the line?”
Athlete B-“Running Sprints if I don’t”
My guy-“Okay, but still how does that teach you how to hit a down the line?”
My guy– is thinking my coach taught me how to hit it down the line, but is polite and does not continue the conversation.
To me that is the problem with some of the instruction. What is being taught–what shot to hit–not how–how to hit the shot safely and effectively.