Why the Scapula is the Key to Power
All of us who follow sports marvel at the power of professional athletes in their chose sports. Who does not love watching professional golfers hit 300 yard drives, baseball hitters in a home run derby, NFL quarterbacks launching 70 yard bombs, etc. Our analysis indicates there is tremendous similarity in all these motions with a key moment which comes during the transition of the right arm from windup to forward motion.
The most compelling figure in explaining the power generation is rotation speed of major league baseball pitchers. Their hips reach a maximum speed of 700 degrees/second while their shoulders reach a speed of 7000 degrees/per second. This speed multiplier from hips to shoulders is essential for power generation. The shoulders are the fastest moving joint in the body. Beyond the rotational speed of the shoulders, a major league pitcher adds additional levers in the lower arm which moves from 160-170 degrees of external rotation to approximately 100 degrees at release and also the snapping motion of their wrists.
The diagram above shows a picture of shoulder the picture of the Horizontal adduction of the arm which is motion driving velocity of the pitcher. Horizontal Adduction is the movement of the arm around the shoulder socket INDEPENDENT of the movement of chest. It is important to note that the Humerus (upper arm bone) does not move independent of the scapula. For the the arm to go through Horizontal Adduction, the Scapula MUST protract.
For Reference, the charts below shows the potential movements of the Scapula:
The chart to the right shows the some of the portions of the scapula:
The picture below shows the elements driving the force multipliers in Clayton Kershaw’s left handed pitching motion.
The following is the sequencing of what is happening:
1. Horizontal Abduction of Arm – As the picture starts moving toward the plate, Kershaw abducts the Left Arm
2. Anterior Tilting of Scapula – Kershaw begins to move his left arm upward but angled in front of his body. This causes anterior tilting of the scapula which moves the scapula away from the rib cage making it easier to move the scapula across the rib cage.
Retraction and Elevation of Arm
3. Scapular Retraction– As the pitcher’s right foot nears the ground, Kershaw retracts his scapula causing the scapula to move towards his spine. As he retracts his scapula, he arches his upper back which stretches his chest muscles.
4. Elevation of of Arm – A split second prior to Kershaw’s left foot planting causes upward rotation of the scapula. The picture below shows the position of the Scapula after all these movements.
Stretching of Back Muscles and Trapping of Scapula
5. Stretching of Back Muscles from Right Hip to Left Shoulder – By moving his right leg forward well ahead of his left and keeping his head back and arching his upper back, Kershaw has stretched the muscles in his back from his right hip to left shoulder.
6. Trapping (Can’t Protract) of Scapula Against Chest/Spine – The impact of repositioning of the scapula is that it has reached the end of its range of movement. With the upward rotation of the scapula, the scapula can not protract or retract without either the head moving forward or the arm moving downward.
Planting of the Left Foot/Rotating Right Hip
7. Planting of the Left Foot/Rotating Right Hip- when Kershaw plants his right foot he exerts tremendous force on his right hip backwards causing rapid rotation of his hips. This causes a force at the base of the spine pushing it backwards and to Kershaw’s left.
Flexion and Side Bend
8. Trapped Scapula Causes Back Flexion and Side Bend – The rotation of the hips and tight back muscles create a rotational force on the right shoulder which would be seen by the Scapula as a protraction force. However, the scapula can not protract. As result, force is place on the scapula as shown below as well as the associated points of the rib cage. Force at the Medial side the scapula is accomodated increasing the extension of the back (e.g. back/spine flexes backwards). Force on the opposite side of the scapula causes the throwing arm to abduct and externally rotate far more than normal. This can be seen in the throwing motion of Drew Storen below.
Releasing Stored Energy Moving to Release
9. Releasing Stored Energy Moving to Release – as Kershaw moves to release he is moving to protraction in his shoulder, releasing the extension in his back, and releasing the external rotation of his shoulder. These are all energy stores that are being release simultaneously to create maximum velocity with the shoulder reaching 7000 degrees/second!
Release
10. Release – Kershaw continues to protract his scapula. After reaching 160 – 170 degrees of external rotation, Kershaw’s throwing arm reaches the end of its range of motion and begins moving forward. He moves his head forward as part of this release but his hips do not move forward causing him to bend forward. He releases at 100 degrees of external shoulder rotation.
Other Sporting Motions
When both hands are attached to a bat or golf club, the motion is similar but the external rotation does not occur with arm rising, but rather with the trail or dominant arm rotating underneath the bat or club. Above is a view of Michelle Wie. You can see similar retraction of the scapula, lordosis of the back, and external rotation of the dominant arm. She also sequences it similar to a baseball pitcher – retracting first and then raising the arms. Unlike a throwing motion, the torque is not bend the dominant arm, but rather the club or bat as the straight left arm shifts the application of force away from the right elbow. You see a similar moment where power is built while the scapula is retracted and then tremendous power is release just as it moves to protraction. The amount or Lordosis or arching of the back is far less than a baseball pitcher. This is one of the reasons this movement is so much more difficult. The reason is that the left are is connected to the club and therefore pulls the right shoulder with it as the hip turns.
This view below shows a similar pattern in Rory McIlroy’s swing. His transition sequence is to being shifting weight back to the right with lower body while scapula remains in position. This increases lordosis and begins the external rotation of the right arm.
In Jose Altuve’s batting sequence, you see a very similar increase in external shoulder rotation in the right shoulder as it travels around and underneath the left shoulder creating massive torque that deforms a solid baseball bat.
You can really see the similarities in the Golf and Baseball swing in the photo on the right:
How can I use this to Improve my Sports Performance?
Many people have an easy time throwing a ball but really struggle with a sport like golf. Most will naturally sequence the movement of the arm and scapula appropriately when throwing. If this can be translated to golf, baseball or other sports, it would vastly improve performance. Another important aspect of why we struggle can be seen from the pictures below. Sitting at a desk basically destroys many of the key motions required for Throwing and Swinging. It is also important to note that this is NOT always permanent and can at least partially be reversed in some cases. SITTING AT A DESK DESTROYS OUR ABILITY TO PERFORM KEY ATHLETIC MOTIONS!!!
How to Resolve Range of Motion/Strength Issues
The following are some of the tools that can be used:
Advanced Release Technique (ART)
Performed by Chiropractors and we have found to be very effective for improving range of motion due to tight muscles. Case study on this site shows a gain of 25 degrees of external rotation in 2 months. Word of Caution: ART is very painful.
Yoga/Stretching
Will take a lot longer but will be a lot less painful than ART. The best way to think about Yoga is preventative. It is both strength and flexibility. Basically with our bodies, if you don’t use it, you lose it. If we don’t use muscles or ranges of motion, they will be reduced over time. Yoga as a routine keeps us from letting this happen.
Muscle Activation Technique
We believe this is essential for golfers. This is currently being championed by Bryson DeChambeau and he credits this technique with his ability to add muscle and distance. The key is that many of us have muscles that have been “deactivated” over the years due to overuse or injuries. This leads to suboptimal movement patterns. Muscle activation identifies those muscles and “turns them back on”. It also will diagnose the pattern that causes issues as the sequence of muscles turned off often provide clues to the underlying issue. In our case, flat feet led to a series of muscles being turned off on the posterior side of our legs and hips.
Pilates/Lagree
Excellent for regaining Core and Glute strength which is critical for the golf swing.
Targeted Adductor Exercises
You can find these online. We do not often move our lateral muscles in modern life.