Why Does My Elbow Hurt During Volleys At The Net?

Elbow pain during volleys at the net often feels like a sharp jab or aching soreness on ball contact because repeated racket impacts can irritate the tendons around the elbow.

You may notice your elbow feels fine during warm-ups or baseline rallies, but starts hurting once you move closer to the net and begin volleying. The pain often appears right at contact, especially on firmer shots, and can range from a mild ache to a sudden sting that makes you hesitate on the next ball.

Volleys require quick reactions and short swings, which means your arm has less time to absorb impact smoothly. If the elbow has already been stressed by recent tennis sessions, work activities, or strength training, those repeated contacts can make the area feel sore, stiff, or sensitive throughout the match.

The Elbow Hurts The Instant The Ball Hits The Strings

You feel a sharp or jarring sensation right at contact.

When your elbow is already irritated, even routine volleys can send a noticeable shock through the arm. You might notice harder-hit balls feel worse, or that blocking a fast passing shot creates an immediate jab in the elbow. This often points to tendons that are struggling to tolerate repeated impact.

The Pain Builds As The Match Goes On

The first few volleys feel manageable, but the elbow becomes increasingly sore.

You may start the session feeling relatively normal, only to find the elbow becoming more painful after repeated exchanges at the net. As fatigue builds, the arm may feel weaker, tighter, or less confident on contact, making each volley more uncomfortable than the last.

Why Your Elbow Could Be Taking Longer To Heal

Your elbow has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your elbow feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Elbow Feel Better

Your elbow starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does my elbow hurt more during volleys than groundstrokes?

Volleys involve shorter swings and quicker reactions, which can make impact forces more noticeable in an already irritated elbow.

Can tennis elbow cause pain during net play?

Yes. Tennis elbow commonly becomes noticeable during volleys because repeated racket contact can aggravate the affected tendons.

Should I stop playing if my elbow hurts during volleys?

If pain is worsening, affecting your swing, or continuing after play, reducing activity and allowing recovery is often helpful.

Why does the elbow feel worse on hard-hit balls?

Faster shots create greater impact through the racket, which can make a sensitive elbow hurt more at contact.

Can elbow pain from volleys keep coming back?

Yes. If the area does not fully recover between sessions, symptoms can return whenever repeated volleying stresses the elbow again.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.