Tags
Athleticism, baseball, defense, developing an athlete, golf, hip strength, power, ready position, triple point, wrestling
Get low, stay on your toes and get ready. In basketball it’s called triple threat. In baseball it’s referred to as getting your gloves down. In golf it’s called the address position. Billiards, volleyball, golf, basketball, football, rugby, wrestling, cycling… Once you learn the ready position you are destined to become an athlete.
Baseball
Golf
- Notice how in the pictures shown that each athlete has a slight knee bend and hip bend without arching or hunching of the low back. Learning how to engage the gluteals and maintain “neutral spine” is a skill that will set the ordinary little leaguers from those that advance to the all star team.
In adolescent athletes who make the plays or hit the ball further, they have developed a knowledge of how to create power through their hips. This makes them faster, quicker, and less likely to become injured.
Cyclist
Wrestling
So the key to developing or creating lifelong athleticism is to train the ready position. Developing neurological connections that will enhance muscle memory for development of the ready position will ultimately make it easier to pick up any sport and excel…at any stage in your life. I was recently told by a client of mine that he can tell at first swing weather or not his business golf outing will be for business or sport. He can tell by looking at his address position if his partner will be competitive on the course.
This concepts strengthens the fact that kids should focus on skills rather than sport specialization early in life. Go to basketball and football camps that foster hard work and lots of defensive drills. Play games that force quick reaction so that the participant has no other option to stay low and on the toes. As a youngster this concept is easier to train and develop, but it could also be a key component in the rehabilitation process in order to keep the patient from returning with additional injuries from sport.
PT Jess 