By Amanda Cox –
The human foot is comprised of various ligaments and nerves, 26 bones, 33 joints, and 126 muscles (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center). While foot pain is not rare for athletes, the majority of this discomfort is actually caused from neglect. Athletes have higher endurance and strength than most people, so they tend to overlook simple measures such as foot care. In beautiful Southwest Florida, two common causes of foot pain are tennis and golf.
In tennis, proper stroke mechanics are needed to develop a winning game. One of the biggest mistakes tennis players make is disregarding the importance of their foot work. In fact, Venus Williams could be included
in this group. Early on in her career, the Wimbledon champion endured many losses. Her long legs helped her run down any ball, but her lack of coordination and balance limited her success. Eager to approve her ranking, Venus discovered a tennis secret; footwork matters.
Running is often assumed to be the only training that tennis players perform. However, unique movements are needed on the tennis court and these suggested exercises will help round out your training:
1. Sprints
2. Shuttle Runs
3. Jump Rope
4. Strength Training
5. Endurance Running
6. Spider Drill
Without proper support for your feet, you can also throw your entire body out of alignment. Poor posture, pain, and imbalance are the primary causes. Custom Tennis Arch Supports help stabilize your feet and can actually improve your game.
Similarly, highly skilled golfers finish in a perfectly balanced position. Chris Cole, a licensed Pedorthist and owner of Foot Solutions Estero acknowledges that, “feet play a huge role in the mechanics of the perfect golf swing”. You can take strokes off your game by improving your stance, building a solid foundation for your swing. The process of your feet during a golf swing is as follows.
1. Place weight lightly on the balls of your feet, balanced between front and rear foot.
2. Slightly shift weight to the back of the foot.
3. Another shift back to the front.
4. Shift weight to the inside of back foot (failure to do this results in the fatal “sway”)
5. Foot mildly rolls to the inside with front heel.
6. Weight back to inside of rear foot.
7. Rapid shift from back foot to forefoot, with outward movement of left foot.
8. Heel of front foot comes down again and rolls outward, while rear foot rolls back to inside with heel lifting.
9. Balanced rotating movement through ball of foot.
Most experts would agree that having weight redistributed evenly throughout the entire foot benefits a golfer. Further benefits include proper alignment of the ankle and heel, enhanced driving accuracy and power, and a more natural and powerful toe position. Custom Golf Arch Supports assist golfers with these skills. Scientifically proven, Custom Golf Arch Supports increase distance by an average of 15 yards or more.
One of Foot Solutions of Estero’s clients attested, “They have trained personnel in foot problems and what shoes best work for that particular problem. They carry a wide variety of comfort shoes to please my many different preferences in styles. They were friendly and willing to answer questions on what would be my best choice for support in the brand of shoe I was considering. I would definitely send a friend to their store and have already.”
Foot Solutions of Estero’s goal is to help you find greater comfort and better your health. With activities such as tennis and golf, our feet play a much more important role than we realize. Foot Solutions’ Certified Pedorthists help customize arch supports according to your specific needs. Each foot is examined to pinpoint any concerns; shadowing with a comprehensive posture, gait, and balance analysis. Foot Solutions’ digital mapping technology creates a topographic map for each foot. This helps determine what areas need extra support. Whether an athlete, a stay at home mom, an adventurous student, hardworking father, or retired grandparent; we all experience foot pain. Call Foot Solutions of Estero at 239-495-8911 for a free foot analysis today. Let Foot Solutions help you put your best foot forward!