As most of us probably know, the primary source of our power when hitting a hard shot begins with the lower body…or should. It begins with good planted feet, transitioning into the ankles, up into the knees, and finally into the hips. In this session, we are going to focus on the hips.
Let’s start off with a little anatomy of the hip. It is a ball and socket joint, that can move in 6 directions: flexion (lifting the knee up as in marching), extension (pushing the leg backward), abduction (moving your leg out to the side), adduction (moving the leg towards/past the opposite leg), internal rotation (rotation that moves the knee towards the opposite leg), and external rotation (rotation that moves the knee away from the opposite leg). It performs these movements, or combination of movements, in order to walk, run, jump, squat, lunge, etc.
During a game of racquetball, we use our hips a lot, especially internal and external rotation. For example, a left-handed person hitting a forehand, uses external rotation of the left hip together with internal rotation of the right hip to produce power in the lower body that will be transferred up through the core into the shoulder and arm and finally into the racquet. During the backhand, the opposite is true for the lefty…internal rotation of the left hip and external rotation of the right hip. To get a better look at this, I recommend looking at video of Cliff during his drive serve. He generates a lot of power out of his lower body. (I highly recommend Cliff’s video on drive serves!)
If we do not have good mobility in our hip joint, these very important motions can be limited. In time, this could cause potentially serious injuries, not only in the hip but possibly in the knees, low back, shoulder, or elbow through compensation.
It can be difficult to assess your own hip mobility. I highly recommend finding a qualified health professional (certified athletic trainer, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc) to help assess your mobility.
Below are 4 of my favorite hip stretches. Yes, there are other ways to stretch the hip, but these are just my main go-to’s. If you find that one side feels tighter than the other, I recommend performing 2-3 times as many stretches on the tighter side.
Start by kneeling down on one knee.
Keep your back straight, head and shoulders upright.
Gently lean forward, pressing your hips forward and down.
Hold for approx. 10-30 seconds.
Relax, and then repeat 2-3 times.
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
While keeping one leg straight, bend one knee while you slightly lean to that side.
Push the hips back as if you are trying to sit down.
Hold for approx. 10-30 seconds.
Relax, and then repeat 2-3 times.
Lay on your back with your knees bent up and feet flat on the ground.
Cross one leg over the other so that your foot is just outside your opposite knee.
Gently grab and pull the knee of the crossed leg towards the opposite shoulder.
Hold for approx. 10-30 seconds.
Relax, and then repeat 2-3 times.
Stand with one side facing the wall within arms-length away.
Holding onto the wall, cross the outside leg over the inside.
Gently press the inner hip towards the wall until you feel an easy stretch.
Hold for approx. 10-30 seconds.
Relax, and then repeat 2-3 times.
A few other suggestions to try include using a foam roller, myofascial ball, or lacrosse ball (to name a few) as a form of self-massage on the hip. I personally find using a foam roll and myofascial ball works best for me when working on my hip. I know that Jose Rojas uses a lacrosse ball. If you need pictures of how to use a foam roller or ball, please let me know.
If you have never tried stretching your hips and/or the rest of your legs, I definitely recommend it. I believe you will find many benefits from it, not only with power, accuracy, and consistency in racquetball but in your daily living activities as well.
As always, this is not all-inclusive and is only my professional opinion based on my education and personal experiences working with athletes.