TIM Bresnan says trying to gain an extra yard of pace is behind his decision to go under the knife to correct his troublesome right elbow.

The Yorkshire all-rounder, the players' and members' player of the year this summer, is recovering from last week's third operation since 2011.

Bresnan, 31, has often spoken of the frustration of having to manage his right elbow, going back to his days in an England shirt.

He has pointed to Yorkshire's final County Championship match against Middlesex at Lord's last month as a shining example of why he needs to be in peak condition ahead of 2017.

Bresnan has had bone fragments and scar tissue removed in the past and last week had keyhole surgery to clean out the joint.

"It should give me a better range and reduce the pain that I have had, which hopefully will help me to get some of my old firepower back," said Bresnan.

"I've had a good year but I could have done a lot better. A couple of times, I wish I'd been a better exponent on a drier or slower wicket. At Lord's, I just wish I'd had that extra yard of pace.

"You can always improve, whether it's your mental state or physical state, and there's no excuses over your physical state."

Bresnan is confident he and his Yorkshire team-mates can get back to winning ways next season after narrowly missing out on each of this year's three trophies.

"It's disappointing but there's a lot to build on next year," he said.

"It's difficult trying to win all three competitions, which we tried to do this year – and probably to the detriment of one or two of them.

"You could describe us as the nearly team but we just need to keep doing what we're doing.

"We didn't have our fair share of luck this year and you need that with injuries, selections, even a crucial catch or rogue dismissal that might go your way.

"This year, we might not have had our fair share, but we still got into positions to win. We can build on that."

The role of Bresnan and other senior colleagues will be crucial next season in trying to help Yorkshire's new coach settle quickly at Headingley.

"But I don't think it will change a great deal," he said. "We already self-police on the field as well as off it. We're a very experienced core group of players.

"If someone's getting out of line, no matter who they are or where they come from – even if they've just dropped out of the Test side – we will take them down. That's part of being a Yorkshire cricketer.

"You're never safe and can't rest on your laurels. You always have to give 100 per cent for the county.

"That's the way it's always been ever since I've been a Yorkshire cricketer and I will live to those standards for as long as I play."

Yorkshire physio Kunwar Bansil says he expects Bresnan to return to full fitness within a couple of months but added: "There are no real time constraints due to the time of year."