Racquet Sports Performance, Part 1: Upper Body
A player may tolerate everyday activity yet struggle with an overhead stroke, repeated backhands, or maintaining a comfortable grip through a match.
Whether playing tennis, badminton, or pickleball, these limitations can interrupt competition, exercise, and valued time with others. Practitioners need to connect the player’s difficulty with the demands of the action.
This first instalment examines upper-body contributions to stroke production and control. It connects relevant anatomy with clinical assessment, MSR treatment priorities, and progressive exercise. The purpose is to select useful treatment targets, reassess meaningful changes, and develop the capacity needed for confident, sustained play while respecting differences between sports and individual techniques.
Article Index
Understanding the Sporting Demands
Tennis, badminton, and pickleball share demands for reaching, gripping, striking, and recovering for the next shot. However, equipment, shot selection, court position, and playing format change what the upper body must tolerate.
Tennis: Serves and overhead shots require elevated-arm movement, while forehands and backhands involve different combinations of trunk rotation, shoulder motion, and forearm control. One-handed and two-handed backhands also place different demands on each arm.
Badminton: Players strike a shuttlecock using a lightweight racquet. Overhead clears send it toward the rear court; smashes direct it sharply downward. These actions differ from compact shots near the net, requiring assessment across relevant arm positions and movement speeds.
Pickleball: Players use a solid paddle and perforated ball. A volley is struck before the bounce; a dink is a soft shot intended to land in the opponent’s non-volley zone near the net. Compact exchanges, forceful drives, and overhead shots present different movement and control demands.
Begin with the action the player finds difficult. Ask whether symptoms emerge during preparation, contact, follow-through, or repeated play. Consider playing volume, recent changes, equipment, skill level, and singles versus doubles.
A painful tennis serve, restricted badminton overhead reach, and grip fatigue during pickleball require different examination priorities. Observe the relevant task, then assess the muscle, tendon, joint, or neurological findings that may explain the limitation.
Stroke Preparation, Execution, and Recovery
These phases provide useful landmarks for examination, although they overlap within a continuous action. Joint positions, muscle loading, and coordination vary with the sport, stroke, and available preparation time.
Preparation
The player positions the body and racquet or paddle for the approaching ball or shuttlecock. Shoulder rotation, scapular movement, elbow positioning, and forearm orientation establish the starting position for the stroke. Preparation may involve a substantial backswing or a compact adjustment during a rapid exchange.
Clinical focus: Does positioning reproduce symptoms or limit reach? Examine relevant joint mobility and muscle-loading tolerance alongside trunk contributions. A smaller backswing may suit the shot rather than indicate restriction.
Execution and Contact
Coordinated lower-limb, trunk, and upper-limb movement contributes to racquet or paddle acceleration. Shoulder rotation, elbow flexion or extension, and forearm pronation or supination, turning the palm downward or upward, contribute differently according to the stroke. Grip pressure and wrist muscle activity help control the striking surface through contact.
Clinical focus: Assess painful gripping, resisted loading, and movement in positions relevant to the stroke. Distinguish limited mobility from reduced force capacity or pain-limited effort. Shot speed and accuracy cannot independently identify a particular muscle deficit.
Follow-Through and Recovery
After contact, muscular activity helps control the continuing movement and decelerate the limb. This may include eccentric loading, where active muscles lengthen while resisting movement. Shoulder, scapular, elbow, and forearm contributions vary with the stroke before the player repositions for the next action.
Clinical focus: Note pain during deceleration or declining tolerance across repeated shots. Examine relevant strength, endurance, and movement without prescribing one follow-through for every player.
Connect the phase with the examination: identify when the difficulty occurs, test the relevant structures and capacities, then reassess the same action after treatment.
Upper-Body Muscles: From Anatomy to Clinical Application
The shoulder, scapular, arm, and hand muscles coordinate to position the racquet or paddle, produce and control movement, and manage loading through repeated strokes. Their contributions change with joint position, stroke selection, speed, and fatigue.
Use the following anatomy to guide examination and treatment selection. Interpret tenderness and movement differences alongside symptoms, joint mobility, strength, and the player’s sporting demands. Select relevant MSR procedures, then reassess the affected action and connect useful changes with progressive exercise and play.
Pectoral Muscles
Anatomical involvement: Pectoralis major contributes to humeral adduction, horizontal adduction, and internal rotation. Its contribution varies with arm position and stroke, including forward acceleration during some forehands and overhead actions. Pectoralis minor acts on the scapula rather than the humerus, contributing to anterior tilt, internal rotation, and downward rotation.
Clinical interpretation: Anterior shoulder or chest symptoms, painful resisted horizontal adduction, or restricted movement during preparation may justify focused examination. Compare shoulder movement, scapular motion, and loading tolerance with the player’s difficult stroke. Rounded shoulders or side-to-side differences alone do not establish pectoral shortening.
MSR treatment priorities: Consider pectoralis major or minor when examination identifies a relevant symptomatic restriction. Adapt contact and arm position to the demonstrated procedure, obtaining consent for chest contact and respecting nearby neurovascular structures. Reassess the affected reach or stroke, then reinforce useful changes with active movement and progressive pressing or stroke-specific loading.
Sporting application: A tennis forehand, badminton overhead stroke, and compact pickleball volley place different demands on these structures. Assess the position and effort that reproduce the player’s concern rather than assuming each requires the same treatment.
Deltoid and Rotator Cuff
Anatomical involvement: The anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid contribute differently to arm elevation, flexion, extension, and rotation. The rotator cuff comprises supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. These muscles contribute to movement and glenohumeral control, helping manage the humeral head’s position relative to the glenoid as the arm moves and accepts load. Their mechanical contributions change with arm position. PubMed
Clinical interpretation: Painful elevation, reduced rotational strength, or difficulty sustaining overhead strokes may justify focused assessment. Compare active and passive movement, resisted elevation, and internal- and external-rotation capacity. Interpret findings alongside symptoms and repeated stroke tolerance; altered arm position alone cannot distinguish deltoid, cuff, tendon, or joint involvement.
MSR treatment priorities: Consider relevant deltoid and rotator cuff findings when pain or restricted movement affects preparation, acceleration, or follow-through. Adapt contact and positioning to the structure and irritability. Reassess the affected movement, then connect useful changes with progressive elevation, rotation, and deceleration exercises.
Sporting application: A tennis serve or badminton smash requires assessment in elevated-arm positions. A pickleball player whose symptoms emerge during repeated volleys may need examination of sustained arm positioning and repeated loading at lower elevations. Match testing and progression to the player’s actual difficulty.
Scapular Muscles
Anatomical involvement: Serratus anterior and the upper and lower trapezius contribute to scapular upward rotation during arm elevation. Serratus anterior also contributes to posterior tilt and control of the scapula against the thorax. Middle trapezius and the rhomboids contribute to retraction, while levator scapulae contributes to elevation and downward rotation. These roles change with the task; effective stroke mechanics require scapular movement rather than continuously holding the shoulders “down and back.”
Clinical interpretation: Pain during reaching, repeated overhead effort, or difficulty sustaining the playing position may justify examination of scapular motion and loading capacity. Compare reaching, elevation, pushing, and pulling with the symptomatic stroke. Visible asymmetry alone does not establish weakness or identify which muscle needs treatment.
MSR treatment priorities: Consider relevant serratus anterior, trapezius, rhomboid, or levator scapulae findings alongside shoulder, cervical, and thoracic movement. Reassess the affected action after treatment, then develop capacity through appropriate reaching, rowing, wall-slide, or overhead-loading exercises.
Sporting application: Overhead tennis and badminton strokes require the scapula to accommodate arm elevation and rotation. Compact pickleball exchanges involve repeated adjustments as the player reaches forward, across the body, or upward. Assess the movement required rather than prescribing one fixed scapular position.
Elbow, Forearm, and Wrist
Anatomical involvement: Biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis contribute to elbow flexion; triceps contributes to extension. Pronator teres and pronator quadratus produce pronation, while supinator and biceps contribute to supination. Wrist flexors and extensors coordinate with finger flexors to control wrist position and the racquet or paddle during gripping and contact.
Clinical interpretation: Painful gripping, symptoms during forearm rotation, or difficulty tolerating repeated strokes may justify focused examination. Assess elbow and wrist movement, resisted flexion and extension, pronation and supination, and grip strength where relevant. Distinguish muscle symptoms from tendon-loading pain, joint restriction, or neurological findings.
MSR treatment priorities: Consider relevant wrist flexors and extensors, pronators, supinator, brachioradialis, biceps, or triceps according to the findings. Include elbow, radioulnar, or wrist-joint care when indicated. Reassess the provoking grip or movement, then connect useful changes with progressive gripping, wrist loading, and forearm-rotation exercises.
Sporting application: A one-handed tennis backhand, badminton overhead stroke, and pickleball volley require different combinations of forearm orientation, wrist control, and grip pressure. Ask about recent changes in playing volume, technique, or equipment. Reproduce the relevant demand rather than assuming every painful elbow represents the same tendon problem.
Intrinsic Hand Muscles and Grip
Anatomical involvement: The thenar and hypothenar muscles help position the thumb and little finger around the handle. The interossei and lumbricals contribute to metacarpophalangeal flexion and interphalangeal extension, supporting finger positioning. They coordinate with the forearm-based finger flexors to maintain and adjust grip as the stroke develops.
Clinical interpretation: Hand pain, grip fatigue, or difficulty controlling the handle may justify assessment of finger and thumb movement, grip strength, and repeated gripping tolerance. Consider handle size, grip pressure, playing volume, and local joint or tendon symptoms. Numbness, progressive weakness, or muscle wasting requires neurological examination.
MSR treatment priorities: Consider relevant thenar, hypothenar, interosseous, and associated forearm findings when they affect comfortable gripping. Include thumb or finger-joint mobility where indicated. Reassess holding the player’s racquet or paddle, then reinforce useful changes with progressive grip, pinch, and finger-control exercises.
Sporting application: Grip demands change between forceful strokes and controlled exchanges. Assess whether symptoms emerge during brief high-effort gripping, rapid grip adjustments, or sustained play rather than prescribing one grip pressure for every shot.
Racquet Sports: Joint Mobility and Related Regions
Upper-body assessment includes joint movement alongside muscle and tendon capacity. The relevant question is whether available movement supports the player’s stroke comfortably and repeatedly. Greater range is useful when it serves that task.
Shoulder complex: Examine glenohumeral elevation and rotation alongside scapular movement. Assess acromioclavicular or sternoclavicular involvement when the history and symptoms warrant it. Interpret differences in relation to playing-arm adaptations and the intended stroke.
Elbow and forearm: Assess flexion, extension, and proximal and distal radioulnar contributions to pronation and supination. Restricted rotation may affect racquet or paddle orientation, but distinguish joint limitation from painful muscle or tendon loading.
Wrist and hand: Examine relevant flexion, extension, deviation, and thumb or finger movement when gripping or contact reproduces symptoms.
Cervical and thoracic spine: Consider neck movement and thoracic rotation or extension when symptoms or restricted reach suggest regional involvement. Radiating symptoms, altered sensation, or weakness require appropriate neurological assessment.
MSR treatment priorities: Selected joint mobilization or manipulation may complement soft-tissue procedures when examination identifies a relevant limitation. Choose the application according to contraindications, irritability, patient preferences, and informed consent. Reassess the affected movement or stroke, then reinforce useful changes through active mobility, strength, and progressive play.
Upper Body: Observation and Clinical Interpretation
Observe several repetitions of the relevant stroke from suitable angles. Record the sport, shot, playing arm, effort, equipment, and when symptoms occur. Compare similar tasks before and after treatment.
Preparation and reach: Does positioning the arm reproduce symptoms or limit the intended stroke? Examine shoulder elevation and rotation, scapular movement, and relevant thoracic mobility.
Acceleration and contact: Does pain emerge during the swing or impact? Assess relevant shoulder, elbow, and forearm loading, distinguishing painful effort from restricted movement or reduced strength.
Grip and wrist control: Does holding the handle become painful or difficult to sustain? Examine grip capacity, wrist movement, forearm rotation, and relevant tendon or neurological findings.
Follow-through: Does continued movement provoke symptoms or become difficult to control? Examine the positions and loading demands involved rather than requiring a particular finishing position.
Repeated performance: Does the concern emerge only with faster shots, longer rallies, or extended play? Assess a suitable demand and consider recent workload, recovery, and changes in technique or equipment.
Use observations to form a clinical question, then test it. Visual appearance alone cannot quantify muscle force, diagnose a tissue lesion, or establish injury risk. Reassessment should determine whether useful changes carry into the player’s actual task.
MSR Application and Physical Preparation
Manual care should address a relevant limitation and help the player progress toward the demands of their sport. Select soft-tissue procedures and joint mobilization or manipulation according to the examination, tissue irritability, patient preferences, and informed consent.
MSR Demonstration
Use the accompanying upper-body demonstration as the procedural reference. Select the applications that match the player’s findings, preserving the demonstrated contact, stabilization, positioning, and movement. Adapt pressure and range to tolerance rather than treating every listed structure.
Reassess a meaningful baseline, such as painful shoulder rotation, gripping, or a controlled stroke. Useful changes should inform the next exercise or playing task.
Build Capacity Beyond Treatment
Choose a manageable programme addressing the identified needs:
Shoulder and scapula: Progressive rotation, elevation, reaching, and pulling exercises.
Elbow, forearm, and hand: Resisted wrist movements, pronation and supination, and grip loading.
Sporting exposure: Progress from controlled strokes to greater speed, repetition, reach, and less predictable exchanges.
Coordinate progression with the player and coach, monitoring symptoms during play and recovery afterward. If improvement remains brief, reconsider treatment targets, exercise dosage, and playing demands.
These MSR recommendations draw on anatomical reasoning and clinical experience. Biomechanical studies help explain sporting demands but do not directly establish that these procedures improve performance or prevent injury.
Bringing Treatment Back to the Court
Upper-body demands differ between a tennis serve, badminton smash, and pickleball volley. Understanding the relevant muscle actions, joint movement, and loading helps practitioners investigate the player’s difficulty and select appropriate MSR care.
The objective is useful change that carries into play. Connect manual treatment with progressive strength, endurance, and stroke exposure, reassessing symptoms and capacity across repeated efforts. Respect individual technique and coordinate with coaching when changes are needed. This approach supports the player’s ability to train, compete, and sustain the participation they value.
Part 2 examines trunk movement and its coordination with the upper and lower body.
References
Ackland, D. C., & Pandy, M. G. (2009). Lines of action and stabilizing potential of the shoulder musculature. Journal of Anatomy, 215(2), 184–197. Wiley Online Library
Edriss, S., Romagnoli, C., Maurizi, M., Caprioli, L., Bonaiuto, V., & Annino, G. (2025). Pose estimation for pickleball players’ kinematic analysis through MediaPipe-based deep learning: A pilot study. Journal of Sports Sciences, 43(17), 1860–1870. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Kibler, W. B., Chandler, T. J., Shapiro, R., & Conuel, M. (2007). Muscle activation in coupled scapulohumeral motions in the high performance tennis serve. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(11), 745–749. PubMed
Martin, C., Bideau, B., Bideau, N., Nicolas, G., Delamarche, P., & Kulpa, R. (2014). Energy flow analysis during the tennis serve: Comparison between injured and noninjured tennis players. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(11), 2751–2760. PubMed
Sakurai, S., & Ohtsuki, T. (2000). Muscle activity and accuracy of performance of the smash stroke in badminton with reference to skill and practice. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18(11), 901–914. PubMed
DR. BRIAN ABELSON DC. - The Author
Dr. Brian Abelson is a chiropractor, author, and educator with more than 30 years of clinical experience in musculoskeletal care, rehabilitation, and sports performance. His educational work focuses on musculoskeletal conditions, human movement, sports biomechanics, and evidence-informed approaches to treatment and rehabilitation.
He is the developer of Motion Specific Release (MSR) and Clinical Director of Kinetic Health in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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