Indy Golf Coach

Is Foam Rolling Bad For You?
Guest Post By Mike Boyle
Functional Strength Coach 4

I wrote this a while ago but finished it yesterday after getting three different versions of “Stop Rolling Your IT band”.

As is always the case in life an on the internet, someone has to decide to take the other side of an argument.

I often think that those who do so are simply looking for recognition in a crowded field.

Recently, we have had two widely distributed “articles” critical of foam rolling. The word articles is in quotes because both so-called articles were actually blog posts.

I find it funny because it seems difficult to me to criticize something that universally makes people feel better. In one article (which was actually written four years ago), the author, Mike Nelson, makes the very basic case that pain is bad and the foam roller causes pain; therefore, the foam roller must be bad too. However, in reading the authors bio, I can’t help but notice that he has been a student for the last sixteen years as opposed to a coach, and moreover, carries a clear bias toward the neurological origins of pain.

I am not discounting the neurological basis of pain as that would be as illogical. However the author’s primary premise seems to be that pain is bad and should be avoided at all costs. It is also worth noting that the author is a paid practitioner of a technique he feels is better than foam rolling.

It is obvious that I don’t agree and, I intend to make a scientific case for my disagreement rather than a personal one.

I am also of the belief that pain is bad. However, I will qualify that statement and say that most pain is bad. In the case of the foam roller, I will go so far as to say that pain is good. I frequently tell my athletes that the foam roller is the only violation of our Does It Hurt rule. In a nutshell, my normal reaction to any question as to whether someone should do any exercise is to ask “Does It Hurt”? If the answer is no, then the exercise is generally acceptable. In the case of foam rolling, however, I think we actually need top seek out painful spots. Foam rolling is very counte rintuitive.

Mr. Nelson’s theory is based on the belief that pain is neurological and that pain causes reflexive actions, all of which are negative. However, in the world of physical therapy, the belief is widely held that often painful techniques of soft tissue mobilization are in fact essential to produce long-term healing. What Mr. Nelson fails to acknowledge in his treatise on foam rolling is that in the end, the process is about chemistry, not electricity. All mechanical and neurological inputs become chemical inputs. It is clear scientific fact that the disturbance caused to tissue via mobilization (rolling, massage, Graston. ART) in effect irritates the tissue. This irritation is painful in the short term, but the response is often a healing one, not a negative one. In soft tissue mobilization, the tissue is deliberately disrupted in order to produce the exact substances that tissue needs to heal and to realign.

Mr. Nelson also attempts to draw a line between massage and foam rolling by saying that the skilled hands of a therapist in essence make soft tissue mobilization OK. His premise is that soft tissue work done by a person is infinitely better than pressure provided by an inanimate object. Again, this logic is flawed.

Mr Nelson makes the case that a skilled therapist knows how much pressure to utilize while a person working on themselves will produce so much pain as to render the technique useless. To be honest , I think most people are much easier on themselves than a therapist would be on them. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen a bruise produced by a foam roller but I have seen numerous bruises produced by a well meaning massage therapist.

The second, more recent, anti-rolling article focused on the IT band. The author, a muscular therapist, focused on the fact that the IT band could not be changed through foam rolling. He implores us to stop rolling the IT band. Again this “anti” article was widely distributed on the internet.

However, if you continue to read into the comment section of the post, the author makes two critical points. In one post, he says that he is ranting and is not sure if he even believes himself. (Yes, I read all the comments). In another, he eludes to the fact that maybe he just wrote this when he was having a bad day.

In any case, both blog posts were widely read and widely distributed without the accompanying comments.

So, back to why we foam roll. In the simplest sense, rolling is step one on the preparatory process. Our goal pre-exercise is to prepare the tissue for the stresses about to be applied. Proper tissue preparation allows an athlete to perform a workout without injury. I think or hope that we can accept the position that tissue changes in response to stress.

If the tissue is stressed optimally, the resulting adaptation is positive. If the tissue is overstressed by inappropriate volume (too many reps) , speed of lengthening (too fast) , or inappropriate overload (to much weight) the tissue response can shift from positive to negative. Although tissue soreness is deemed normal, we must acknowledge that there is an ideal amount of that normal response, and the response should be limited to the muscle tissue and not be present in the connective tissue. In other words, sore quads would be OK, but sore knees not be OK.

In addition, muscle soreness and tissue damage can be the result of blows to the tissue instead of the planned application of stress. This tissue damage must also be mitigated, not just by time. It is important that tissue maintain its ability to deform properly. Loss of this tissue deformation ability results in what is called a stress riser. These stress risers set up us up for later injury.

The big take away point is that thousands of athletes are rolling every day and getting a good result. Two blog posts should not be enough to relieve us of our common sense. Pressure to tissue when well applied seems to produce positive results. Even if we are not confident of the exact physiological response, the results of thousands of athletes speak for themselves. Don’t be fooled by internet writers looking to take a contrarian stance to get site hits. Focus on results. Massage works and so does foam rolling. Just ask anyone who does it.

Quick note. I have often said that the density of the roller corresponds to the density of the athlete. If you lack muscle, try Yamuna balls or white soft rollers (yes, I know they don’t last, but it’s a compromise). Progress to the Perform Better black as your tolerance improves.

P.S. – Mike Boyle is releasing his new program, Functional Strength Coach 4 on Tuesday, April 24th. Functional Strength Coach 4 is Coach Boyle’s most up to date system cultivated from over 30 years of coaching everyone from general fitness clients to athletes ranging from junior high to All Stars in almost every major sport, that will guide you to better results with your athletes and clients. Click here to be the first to know about the all new Functional Strength Coach 4

The Causes of Early Hip Extension in the Golf Swing
Hypothesis:

Our hypothesis for this research is when a golfer fails any of Leg
Lowering, Toe Touch, or Overhead Deep Squat tests early hip
extension will be exhibited in the golf swing.
Procedure:
Subjects are greeted at reception in the Body Balance for Performance
centers.  Subjects will be required to complete a Client Registration
form fully and sign a standard liability release.  The subjects will be
escorted to a clinical area to meet with the researcher.  During that
meeting the researcher will ask the following questions of the subject:
1. Tell me about your golf?
2. What is your handicap or average score?
3. What are the challenges you face in golf?
4. What have you done to improve your golf?
5. How often do you play golf?
6. How often do you practice golf?
7. How much time do you spend when you practice golf?
8. Do you exercise regularly?
9. If so, what do you do?
10. What are your physical issues or challenges?

The researcher will explain the procedure to the subject.  The
researcher will tell that subject that the tests are done to determine if
there is a correlation between the body and golf swing.

Testing Procedure: Methods
Complete Overhead Deep Squat:
How to Perform the Overhead Deep Squat Test
To perform this test, begin by standing with feet shoulder width apart
and toes pointing forward. Next grasp a club approximately shoulder
width apart and extend the arms directly overhead, keeping the shaft
in-line with the head and over the foot print. Next, simply squat down
as far as possible, while keeping the club as high above your head as
possible. The test will stop if any of the following conditions are seen
or felt; 1) pain or discomfort, 2) heels coming off the ground, 3) club
falling forward past the feet, 4) loss of balance.
To be considered a complete full deep squat one must see the
following at the bottom of the squat:
• Upper torso is parallel with tibia or toward vertical
• Femur is below horizontal
• Knees are aligned over feet
• Feet are pointing forward (not flared out)
• Dowel is aligned over feet
This test is graded as a pass/fail.
Leg Lowering Test
Test Objective for the Leg Lowering Test
The Leg Lowering Test is used to assess how the golfer uses the
abdominals and the overall stability of the core. Any weakness in the
abdominal area can be disastrous for the golfer. The abdominals are
the key muscles used to stabilize the spine and pelvis, rotate the
torso, and maintain posture throughout the golf swing. In this test,
any loss of lumbar curvature is a sign of abdominal weakness.
How to Perform the Leg Lowering Test
Start by having the golfer lay flat on back with the knees bent and feet
flat on the ground. Have the subject lift the pelvis off the ground and
slide a blood pressure cuff under the small of the back (make sure it is
centered). Make sure the subject is relaxed and inflate the cuff to 40
lbs of pressure. Now, have the subject contract abdominals and hold the brace. Record what happens to the needle of the blood pressure
cuff when subject contracts the brace (up, down, no movement). Now,
keeping the subject braced, instruct slowly sliding the left leg down to
the ground, noting what happens to the needle on the cuff.
What to look for in the Leg Lowering Test
In this test the researcher wants to know three things:
Does the subject engage the abdominals?
The first part of the test determines what muscles are recruited when
asked to brace abdominals, seeing minimal recruitment of anything
but the abdominals. The blood pressure cuff needle should elevate
between 40 and 50 lbs if perform a great abdominal brace without
modifying the curvature of their lower back. If accessory recruitment
occurs the researcher may see the following:
1. The blood pressure cuff needle drops below 40 lbs. This is the worst
possible recruitment since it means the hip flexors and lower back
engaged instead of the abdominals. Therefore, the lumbar spine
increases its lordosis and the result is less pressure on the cuff.
2. The blood pressure needle increases over 50 lbs. This is due to the
player performing a posterior tilt with the pelvis when engaging the
abdominals. This is a better fault, but the player must be trained to
isolate abdominals without modifying the spinal curvatures.
Can the abdominals work independent of hip extension?
The second part of the test determines if the player can maintain a
good abdominal brace with movement of the lower extremities. When
asking the player to slide leg all the way down, hip extension should
occur. Normally, hip extension should not affect pelvic or lumbar spine
motion, especially if the abdominals are actively bracing the pelvis and
spine. If the musculature of the hip is shortened and pulls on the
lumbar spine and pelvis, the abdominals must resist this tension. If the
blood pressure cuff drops during hip extension, then either the lack of
mobility in the hip musculature or lack of strength (or neurological
control) of the abdominals is evident.
Is there an asymmetry between the left and right hip?The last portion of the test determines if there is an asymmetry
between the left and right hip and core. Indicating, if the blood
pressure cuff needle drops during right hip extension, but does not
move during left hip extension, an asymmetry exists.
Toe Touch Test
The Toe Touch Test is a great test for overall mobility in the lower
back and hamstrings, plus it can help identify a hip problem versus a
lower back/core limitation.
How to Perform a Toe Touch Test
To perform this test, begin by having the player stand with feet
together and toes pointing forward. Next, have the subject bend from
the hips forward and try to touch the ends of the fingers to the tips of
the toes, without bending the knees.
If the client presents with a limitation in the toe touch, then it is
imperative to go a step further to differentiate the cause. At this point
simply ask the client to perform the same test however this time
elevate one of the feet slightly with a lift of some sort (phone book,
mat etc.). This will cause a slight bend in one knee while the other is
straight. Ask the client to bend over and touch the toes. Repeat in the
opposite direction.
If this test is tough on one side but easy on the other side, subject
may have a unilateral hip limitation, not a lower back or hamstring
flexibility issue. Make sure to only go as far as possible without pain
and try to keep knees straight throughout the entire test.
Bilateral Toe Touch Test Unilateral Toe Touch Test
What to look for with the Toe Touch Test
In this test the researcher is looking for the ability of the client to
demonstrate a good hip hinge or forward bend. This is important for
the golfer since any restriction in hip hinge mechanics can lead to poor
address and dynamic-Posture. Players will tend to get too rounded
from the spine or excessive knee bend to make up for limited hip
bend.
During the second portion of the test the researcher is looking for
whether or not the client can get fully down into a toe touch with one foot slightly elevated as compared to both feet being flat. Oftentimes a
client presenting a hip joint issue will show a limitation in one of the
sides while performing the unilateral toe touch test.
Bouncing!!! Do not allow the client to bounce in order to get down
further. The use of momentum in this test is highly discouraged and is
highly associated with injury.
Video Analysis:
Video analysis will be used to test for early hip extension. The capture
will be of a down the line view of the subject.  The test will be graded
as pass or fail.

• Video full swing of the subject with an 8 iron.
Analysis of video:
• Once the golfer is set up in address position, draw a vertical line
on the posterior most aspect of the buttocks. Using software
drawing program.
• Make sure to draw the line at the very outer edge of the pants at
set-up.  Make sure there is no daylight between the buttocks and

the drawn line. • Forward the video to the top of the backswing as evidenced by
the stopping of upward motion of the golf club and pause the
video.
• Verify if there is space between the buttocks and the line drawn.
If so, there is early extension on the backswing.
• If not forward the video to impact.
• Verify that the buttock is still in contact with the initial line
drawn.
• If the buttocks is not in contact with the line then, the player has
early extended. This golfer has failed to maintain posture, and
failed the test.
• If maintained, buttocks to line, the test is passed.
Results:
Toe Touch Test in correlation to early hip extension is no to NullHypothesis based on p=0.1921<r(1.303)df(0.05) no to null stated in
an inverse relation.
Over Head Deep Squat in correlation to early hip extension is no to
Null-hypothesis based on p=0.1375<r(1.303) df(0.05)no to null stated
in an inverse relation.
Leg Lowering Test in correlation to early hip extension is positive to
Null-Hypothesis based on p=.0829<r(1.303)df(0.05) no to null stated
in a linear relation.
Conclusion:
There is a relationship between a golfer’s ability to touch their
toes, based on the TPI standard Toe Touch Test, and presence of early
hip extension in the golf swing. The statistical correlation may lead us
to the conclusion that the inability to hip hinge and bend properly is a
major component in a golfer rising out of the swing.
Based on the inverse relation, failure of the Test and Exhibiting
of early hip extension show a failed toe touch test early hip extension.
Early hip extension is considered by many a major swing fault that
leads to inconsistency.  We believe that by clearing this issue through
proper release and retraining techniques, stability and control of the
pelvic region will reduce exhibiting early hip extension. Subjects who
did pass Toe touch test were 54% less likely to exhibit early hip
extension. There is a relationship between a golfer doing a TPI standard
Overhead Deep Squat Test incorrectly and exhibiting early hip
extension in the golf swing. The inverse relation of the test and
exhibiting early hip extension show the bodies inability to move
ergonomically in a squat effects the golf stance at address and through
the ballistic movement of the swing.
The overhead deep squat uses a sequence of muscles that are
paramount in the stability of the entire body through ballistic
movement.  Weak glutes, abdominals and scapular muscles and tight
calves and lats appear to be the main culprits of over head deep squat

failure.  Early hip extension is also a result of poor muscular control of
these areas. Subjects who did not exhibit overhead deep squat failure
were 25% less likely to exhibit early hip extension.
Clearly further study is needed on this topic.  It would also be
good to study how the fixing of overhead deep squat and toe touch in
golfer who have these body faults is related to improve golf.