The Brilliance of the Tennis ball

Injury Maintenance and Prevention

The Brilliance of the Tennis ball for self massage of those tight muscles and knots.

A tennis ball is a cheap, handy, portable self-massage tool.

Some useful tips on how to use a tennis ball to relieve knots in your muscles. Or at least try without needing to visit a massage therapist weekly.

Most of you are aware of foam rolling, the tennis ball works in a very similar but more precise way. The basic idea of tennis ball massage, or any massage with any kind of ball, is to apply pressure to muscles with it by squashing it between your body and something else: the floor, a wall, or another body part.

Tennis ball massage is usually the most useful in the muscles of the back and the hips: places where you can actually lie down on the tennis ball, pinching it between your body and the floor or wall.

The goal of tennis ball massage is to achieve a “release” of tension in the muscle by applying just the right amount of pressure. The sensation of “ good pain” should be clear and strong and satisfying, if you are wincing or gritting your teeth, start off a little more gentle.

You need to be able to relax.

Once you have adjusted yourself to achieve the right pressure, relax as much as possible and wait for the sensation to fade to about eighty percent of the original intensity. This is the “release” — the "ahh" as the knot melts. This can take anywhere from ten seconds to several minutes.

Other balls work, too! Lacrosse balls and cricket balls are much firmer, but they have a great rubbery texture that makes them easy to work with, and less prone to slipping. Squash balls are also nice and “sticky,” but much smaller and more precise.

Where to use the Ball.

Cramp in the foot.

The Plantar fascia when it feels tight under the arch of the foot to the heel, and can effect the Achilles tendon and calf muscles tightness too.

How to do it:

Start slowly rolling the tennis under the arch of your foot, from the ball of your foot to your heel.

• Start lightly, and build pressure

• Relax the foot and toes

• Focus on any extra sore parts by holding the ball on the point until release, or rolling in small circles around this point.

Tight calf muscles

Tight calf muscles, from skipping, running, climbing the Hakarimatas, jumping, walking, running in sand.

When you get tight calf muscles it can lead to tight Achilles, heel pain, shin splints and knee pain.

When you roll the calf I find it best to picture the muscles, there are the 2 Gastrocnemius muscles up the top, and the Soleus muscle either side of the Achilles tendon down below. You want to roll all the muscles separately.

How to do it:

• Roll length wise on each of the muscle

• Then find the pressure points, where it was tight, hold the ball on these spots for up to 2 mins to release the tension.

• Roll length wise again, adding pressure to work deeper as they feel easier.

Gluteus Maximus – the bum muscles

This feels great!!

How to do it:

Lie on the ball, put the tennis ball under the meaty part of your bum, cross your ankle up on your opposite knee, roll around on the ball, when you feel a sore point, hold it on it for up to 2 minutes and the pain or knot releases.

• Sitting on the ball works too

• Putting the foot on the ground and dropping your knee inwards can expose a few extra muscles as well.

Lower back – the muscles either side of your spine.

Either do each side individually or I prefer to put two tennis balls in a sock, knot up the end.

How to do it:

• Squat against the wall, put the sock with tennis balls behind you, so that one ball sits to each side of your spine. Then squat up and down rolling the balls up and down the muscles either side of the spine.

• Hold it on any tight knots till you get the release, or do little circles both directions on the tight knots.

• Take the single ball and work the area above the pelvis, and the muscles further from the spine, moving in circles.

Shoulder and upper back.

Single ball

Roll along the top of the shoulder blade, up the base of your neck and down the side of the spine, holding the ball on any sore point until they release. Squat and move the ball on one side first then repeat on the other side.

Get in and around the shoulder blade, try lifting and moving your arm to expose additional muscles.

Using the two balls in a sock again

• Lie down and place the two balls on either side of your upper back. Interlace your hands behind your head and lift your head off the floor, bringing your chin toward your chest. Lift your bottom off the floor and take 3 deep breaths into your ribs.

• Keeping your breaths big and steady, roll the balls like a rolling pin up and down your upper back for 3 to 4 minutes.

Why this helps: This move is a postural corrective, an upper back tension reliever, and also helps to revive your breath.

The IT Band- the side of your thigh.

The tendon that runs from the hip to the knee, this tendon what is often tight and can cause tight or niggly knees and hips.

How to do it:

While sitting on the ground place 1 or 2 balls on the outside of your thigh. Keep the balls nestled into the side of your thigh and slowly bend and straighten your knee 20 times. - Move your thigh from side to side so that the balls cross the side of your thigh. Repeat for 2 minutes.

• Drop down to the single ball, and move in circles and get a bit deeper

• Repeat on the other side.

Tight Hips

This position targets multiple large and small muscles that attach on the side of the hip (the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the piriformis). These muscles can be tight either from sitting too much, overuse in exercise, or wearing high-heeled shoes.

How to do it:

• Lie on the ground and place one ball on the side of your hip, then lean into the ball. Make slow circles like peddling a bike with the hip and leg as it rests on the ball. Circle 12 times in each direction.

• Repeat on the other side.