Disc Golf Doctor: Injury prevention, form, and exercise

[Disc Golf Doctor]

New video on knee injury prevention. This will be an ongoing thread to keep the information together.

https://youtu.be/oJW_5cD2MfQ (knee injury prevention)

Other videos:
https://youtu.be/fOKdV4i8FLk (basic form: x-step, shoulder strengthening)
https://youtu.be/paqnIMQ3HoM (maintaining consistent line, beginning core strengthening)
https://youtu.be/yL-4tevpN78 (anhyzer & hyzer form, progressing core stabilization/strengthening)
https://youtu.be/r9e9rGyaYgE (grip and further core)
https://youtu.be/v4b-kxcE8UE (forehand, lunges)
https://youtu.be/oztQQyKhGcw (forehand further discussion)
https://youtu.be/7YU7NpfY_cg (lunges)
https://youtu.be/mWfcLq8N2mo (thoracic spine)
https://youtu.be/bk8NYoK7nT4 (feet alignment)
https://youtu.be/dLNdU3RRgCg (shoulder injury prevention)
https://youtu.be/FUWJoNnsXZ0 (scapular stabilization)
https://youtu.be/pKSUHI2ExlM (rotator cuff strengthening)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEE1dt_ozE4 (ultimate players having difficulty transitioning to disc golf)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snthl3unc84 (tendonitis in disc golf)

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Video on shoulder injury prevention: https://youtu.be/dLNdU3RRgCg

 

[GoobyPls]

Thanks for putting these together.

Here's a suggestion for a potential topic: preparing for field work, i.e. lots of repetitions at higher power.

 

[sidewinder22]

Video on shoulder injury prevention: https://youtu.be/dLNdU3RRgCg

Nice presentation Doc. You mention external shoulder rotation on backhand, but if you pronate palm down in followthrough wouldn't that be internal rotation? Does it depend on whether your arm follows through above(high five) or below(thumb down) the shoulder socket?

Another topic suggestion for you to cover - Piriformis and IT Band.

 

[slowplastic]

Shoulder video was excellent. A few more exercises in the future, as you mentioned, would be appreciated. I have done some moderate strengthening with dumbbells in similar motion to your couch exercise, minus the external rotation part, and it seemed to help prevent a mild impingement hangup feeling I had for a little while. Glad to see the motion I was doing was on the right track, from trying to google and do my best.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Great stuff doc, the stuff on scapular / serratus anterior. I've got scapular winging to some degree and have been using the following exercise:



along with a number of other stretches and push up plus.

I have had neck issues over the years and finally got to the point were holistically improving the issue has become a requirement.

If you have an specific exercises for scapular winging, I'm all wings.

 

[storyboy]

Thanks so much for the shoulder strengthening video. I tore my rotator cuff and my bicep muscle and also had my bicep muscle turned upside down, all from trying to do a 80' push putt. It put me on the ground in pain. I had it all fixed about 3 months ago and have been doing lots of physical therapy. I am back to were I can do short putts with my right arm but I have to be very careful. I worry that I won't ever be able 2 throw with my right arm again but I refuse 2 give up. I want 2 make sure it doesn't happen again so I really need 2 exercise the crap out of it. I hope all disc golfers watch your videos because I have never had shoulder problems and just like that I was down 4 the count. Thanks again.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Thanks for putting these together.

Here's a suggestion for a potential topic: preparing for field work, i.e. lots of repetitions at higher power.

Good idea. I was planning on a stretching/warmup video but an emphasis on field work prep makes sense.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Nice presentation Doc. You mention external shoulder rotation on backhand, but if you pronate palm down in followthrough wouldn't that be internal rotation? Does it depend on whether your arm follows through above(high five) or below(thumb down) the shoulder socket?

Another topic suggestion for you to cover - Piriformis and IT Band.

You are right, it depends on the follow through. I'll have to think on it, but the reach back would seem to be a combination of horizontal addiction and some internal rotation and the follow through horizontal abduction with the tendency towards external rotation (not that the external rotation is encouraged). I wouldn't mistake pronation for internal rotation but the two often go together. Otherwise, you are right.

Thanks for the suggestion. From my experience piriformis and IT band syndrome are way over diagnosed and are almost always not the issue. The sciatic nerve courses through the piriformis in only about 10-17% of the population. Most of the time it is being impinged elsewhere. IT band syndrome can happen with runners or other long distance/repetitive movement athletes but is not nearly as common as people think. That may be a good topic in and of it self in that sense.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Shoulder video was excellent. A few more exercises in the future, as you mentioned, would be appreciated. I have done some moderate strengthening with dumbbells in similar motion to your couch exercise, minus the external rotation part, and it seemed to help prevent a mild impingement hangup feeling I had for a little while. Glad to see the motion I was doing was on the right track, from trying to google and do my best.

Great stuff doc, the stuff on scapular / serratus anterior. I've got scapular winging to some degree and have been using the following exercise:



along with a number of other stretches and push up plus.

I have had neck issues over the years and finally got to the point were holistically improving the issue has become a requirement.

If you have an specific exercises for scapular winging, I'm all wings.

Just posted this last night on scapular stabilization. It is intended to be the first of two parts.: https://youtu.be/FUWJoNnsXZ0

 

[sidewinder22]

You are right, it depends on the follow through. I'll have to think on it, but the reach back would seem to be a combination of horizontal addiction and some internal rotation and the follow through horizontal abduction with the tendency towards external rotation (not that the external rotation is encouraged). I wouldn't mistake pronation for internal rotation but the two often go together. Otherwise, you are right.

Thanks for the suggestion. From my experience piriformis and IT band syndrome are way over diagnosed and are almost always not the issue. The sciatic nerve courses through the piriformis in only about 10-17% of the population. Most of the time it is being impinged elsewhere. IT band syndrome can happen with runners or other long distance/repetitive movement athletes but is not nearly as common as people think. That may be a good topic in and of it self in that sense.

What would you classify these arm articulations as?

Felt like piriformis when I'm driving in car a long time, upper hammy felt tight. After raising my hips above the knee with a towel under butt it felt much better driving. Also had a MT work on all the hip flexors, omg my hips feel so much freer.

When I was doing a lot of straddle putting practice, my left hip started cracking and hurting. Foam roller helped that a lot.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

What would you classify these arm articulations as?

Felt like piriformis when I'm driving in car a long time, upper hammy felt tight. After raising my hips above the knee with a towel under butt it felt much better driving. Also had a MT work on all the hip flexors, omg my hips feel so much freer.

When I was doing a lot of straddle putting practice, my left hip started cracking and hurting. Foam roller helped that a lot.

Would mainly classify them as horizontal adduction into horizontal abduction. Looks the rotation could be more neutral in both pictures.

Often the symptom you are describing ends up being something like a ischial or gluteal bursitis. We have a lot of people that adjusting the angle they sit at when driving makes a big difference, like described. There are certain wedges we have people use to change that angle. A lot of people have tight hip flexors and we do find some myofascial work facilitates typical stretching. There is no downside to foam rolling IT Band or other structures if it helps, it is just that traditional ITB syndrome would be lateral knee pain with repetetive movements and we don't see that too often outside of runners (and even not too often then).

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

One simple way you could guess at whether you are in more internal rotation or external rotation would be to get in that position and see how much you can internally rotate the shoulder and then externally rotate it. Neutral should have about equal rotations in both direction. That is by no means a tested scientific way (and will depend on how much shoulder internal and external rotation ROM you have) but may give you some idea.

 

[Tepi]

Hey Doc, quick question regarding that clearing of front foot.

I thought that clearing happens automaticly after your hip flexors can't rotate the hip more internally. So when you plant your heel, you start to rotate the hip internally which straightens your plant leg and once you can't rotate more your foot clears open. Is my image of the sequence that happens all wrong?

Sorry about my bad english.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Hey Doc, quick question regarding that clearing of front foot.

I thought that clearing happens automaticly after your hip flexors can't rotate the hip more internally. So when you plant your heel, you start to rotate the hip internally which straightens your plant leg and once you can't rotate more your foot clears open. Is my image of the sequence that happens all wrong?

Sorry about my bad english.

Sorry, I thought I responded the other day to you but must not have gone through. The hip flexors do not actively internally rotate the hip. In fact, the hip flexor will limit hip internal rotation range of motion. Otherwise I would agree with what you are saying, the motion should happen normally. I think of it similar to a full followthrough. It should happen naturally but many people don't do it or resist it. You should just let it happen.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Scapular Stabilization

Here is the video on scapular stabilization exercise. Had one thread but the admin that was going to manage it hasn't been too responsive.

https://youtu.be/FUWJoNnsXZ0

 

[sidewinder22]

Hey Doc, quick question regarding that clearing of front foot.

I thought that clearing happens automaticly after your hip flexors can't rotate the hip more internally. So when you plant your heel, you start to rotate the hip internally which straightens your plant leg and once you can't rotate more your foot clears open. Is my image of the sequence that happens all wrong?

Sorry about my bad english.

Sorry, I thought I responded the other day to you but must not have gone through. The hip flexors do not actively internally rotate the hip. In fact, the hip flexor will limit hip internal rotation range of motion. Otherwise I would agree with what you are saying, the motion should happen normally. I think of it similar to a full followthrough. It should happen naturally but many people don't do it or resist it. You should just let it happen.

Right, your momentum drives the pelvis internally into a bracing front femur and then you can clear the front hip by extending and pivoting dynamically upright on the leg and lifting your toes slightly inside your shoe to pivot on the heel. If you are dynamically balanced on the front leg, you will pivot naturally.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Here is the new video on rotator cuff strengthening: https://youtu.be/pKSUHI2ExlM

 

[deyo7]

Here is the new video on rotator cuff strengthening: https://youtu.be/pKSUHI2ExlM

Hey Doc, I really appreciate your content. It's very well done. I've found the scapular stabilization exercises beneficial and good pairing with the shoulder exercises.

Question: I played more than usual a couple weeks ago and my shoulder was hurting in a new spot. It now hurts when I externally rotate my arm back or even neutral as if I'm throwing the disc. It hurts at what I would guess is my posterior deltoid (it was hurting on front side and down towards the bicep but now it's more in the "back" of my shoulder and hurts to externally rotate and extend my arm back). I can take a picture of my shoulder and markup where it hurts if that helps. If I do the scapular and shoulder exercises and concentrate on having good posture the pain does lessen in severity but still present some. Finally to the question: Should I keep doing these exercises above or do something different you think?

Thank you, Doc!

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Deyo, I am sorry, I thought I responded to you a while back. The location of the pain provides only limited diagnostic information. The brain is very complicated in how it interprets pain signals. You can do the exercises but only if they are entirely pain free. It is hard to say anything with more detail without a real physical evaluation. The issue may not be entirely due to strength and if so, those exercises would not be enough by themselves.

Hey Doc, I really appreciate your content. It's very well done. I've found the scapular stabilization exercises beneficial and good pairing with the shoulder exercises.

Question: I played more than usual a couple weeks ago and my shoulder was hurting in a new spot. It now hurts when I externally rotate my arm back or even neutral as if I'm throwing the disc. It hurts at what I would guess is my posterior deltoid (it was hurting on front side and down towards the bicep but now it's more in the "back" of my shoulder and hurts to externally rotate and extend my arm back). I can take a picture of my shoulder and markup where it hurts if that helps. If I do the scapular and shoulder exercises and concentrate on having good posture the pain does lessen in severity but still present some. Finally to the question: Should I keep doing these exercises above or do something different you think?

Thank you, Doc!