Rotational Athletes

Rotational athletes are those that play sports we have largely defined as needing some sort of turning mechanics. Baseball is the first one that comes to mind. We think about swinging a bat or throwing a baseball and the rotation needed is obvious. That being said, each of us requires the ability to rotate, and although the vast majority of us are not playing sports at a high level, some degree of athleticism is needed for every movement we produce. In essence, rotation is a quality required for all movement, well beyond the traditionally described sports where it appears to predominate.

Activities that appear to exist in straight lines could merely be rotation hiding in plain sight. Investigate foundational mechanics and you might find that each of our movements contains spin, and improving those foundational qualities often leads to better motion.

I would argue that turning, or rotation, is the basis by which we all move, in all cases. Some movements appear to be in a straight line, but the mechanics are such that we must rotate to accomplish the movement. For instance, straight line running is effectively walking but at higher speeds. As one foot advances past the other, the pelvis, amongst other regions, rotates, allowing for the motion to occur. Another example would be a deadlift, appearing to be simply a forward bend and then return to standing. As you bend forward to grasp the weight in front of you, your hips turn inward before returning to an outward facing position upon standing. These are two examples among many where at the surface it appears we are moving in a straight line, but the reality may be a rotation story.

The foundation by which we move seems to be rotation and turning. Each activity we perform, whether on the field or in the gym, demands we spin. Selecting only particular athletes or sports as rotational limits our perspective. The restoration of turning mechanics often restores desirable movement qualities that allow us to perform the activities we want to perform. In fact, when we lose the capacity to turn, we tend to get into trouble. The ankle that doesn’t dorsiflex (turn inward) limits knee mobility and squat depth; the hip that cannot internally rotate loses its ability to also store energy and propel us into a vertical leap; the loss of wrist pronation (rotation) restricts us in the push-up position.

A powerlifter tends to lose rotational capacity, but the before and after above demonstrates the ability to restore those capabilities.

Turning is key to how we move and if we reduce our vision to only promoting rotation in certain athletes or endeavors we may miss out on low hanging fruit when it comes to restoring capacity. Activities that appear to exist in straight lines could merely be rotation hiding in plain sight. Investigate foundational mechanics and you might find that each of our movements contains spin, and improving those foundational qualities often leads to better motion.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist