Lake Oconee Breeze

Ask the Doc

March 31, 2010

Foot position can make a difference in sports

By Dr. Lou Pack Lake Oconee Breeze

LAKE OCONEE — “Can foot position affect my performance in sports?”



As the foundation of our entire skeletal system, every sport begins and ends with proper foot positioning.  Despite this, the foot remains the most neglected part of human sports performance.  

A foot that pronates (flattens), is a poor lever; i.e. it’s not a rigid platform to push off from.  So a tennis, baseball or football player with a flattened left foot might be slower to their right side.  

A flattened foot is also often associated with a longer leg on that side.  So a right handed golfer with a longer left leg would find it more difficult to get through their golf swing because they’re swinging “up hill.” Yet what we do in golf is often try to correct everything but our own structure.  As the great Sam Sneed said, “All good golf begins at the waist.  All great golf begins at the foot.” But we do very little about this.

A weight lifter with a flattened left foot can’t lift as much weight because as the foot flattens the knee rotates inward and that side begins to collapse.  A baseball catcher can come out of a squatting position much faster if their feet are not pronated or collapsed.  If you’re a martial artist doing a side kick with your right foot, a flattened left foot will make you more unstable and result in a less powerful kick.  A high hurdler will not be able to lift their right leg as high to clear the hurdles if their left foot flattens.  A gymnast will be more unbalanced, and a pole vaulter, diver or basketball player will not be able to jump as high.

 

The foot affects sports even if you don’t stand. A horseback rider with a longer leg will tend to lean more towards their shortened side, greatly affecting their riding ability and causing more strain to their horse on that side.  Swimmers with a longer leg will not push off evenly on their initial jump and on their turns.  Rowers and others who sit are similarly affected.

 The affect of a flattened foot in running is also profound.  A flattened foot means that it’s on the ground longer and you are running slower.  A precisely made foot insert that decreases this time by only five one thousandths of a second each stride, can change a forty yard time from four point eight to four point six seconds or less, which can mean a whole career for some athletes.

Those with very high arched feet have other problems like poor shock absorption and a tendency to sprain their ankles. So foot position not only controls performance but can increase the risks of injury.

Optimally correcting foot abnormalities can have the fastest and most profound effect on performance in any sport.

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