Have you recently started a new sport or activity but want to accelerate your progress? (i.e. crush your opponents – there’s no hiding here, I see your competitive edge)
Or perhaps you’ve been doing a particular sport for a while and want to take it to the next level?
Well you’re in luck because at SPEAR, we are in the business of not just helping people to rehabilitate injuries but to also learn to use their body better to maximize their movement performance.
AND crush their opponents (yes we know what you really want).
In this mini video tutorial, there is more to the exercise than meets the eye. It is a great one for athletes whose sport requires fast rotation while on the move such as in any racquet sports like badminton or tennis.
In this exercise, we start generating power by separating or dissociating the hip and shoulder by taking a step forward which creates a stretch through your mid section. This eliminates the need for a wind up to generate force (for example, think of a golf wind up). In creating this stretch, you are harnessing your body’s stretch reflex to generate immense power – just like a slingshot: the further your draw the elastic back, the further your shot flies. In a similar way with the body, the greater the stretch, the greater the power when rotating the torso. Leading with the hip also serves to increase whip and power as the arm then swings through.
By maximizing your rotational efficiency through hip and torso, you also ensure you’re not overloading the shoulder to generate a powerful swing/shot and therefore will also prevent injury.
Better movement performance while preventing injury.
That’s a win-win.
Rotating explosively while on the move, such as in racquet sports, is a unique skill. And for that reason, this is a fantastic exercise for these athletes. It is also a great one for hockey or lacrosse players and can be easily modified for golfers.
Note: This is an advanced exercise and certain pre-requisites need to be in place in order to perform this safely such as adequate thoracic mobility, and being able to control the hip and knee well. Regressions and modifications to this exercise can be made.
If you enjoy racquet sports as much as I do, such as badminton and tennis, and would like help with an injury, preventing injuries, or improving your movement efficiency, give us a call to book an appointment or alternatively you can also book online.
Together we can work on
crushing your opponentshelping you be the best athlete you can be and keep you playing strong for the long run.Because life is too short to let an injury take you out of the game.
Here to help you be your best,
Sharon