Can Foot Orthotics Improve Your Golf & Tennis Game

Can Custom Foot Orthotics Improve Your Golf & Tennis Game?

by Dr. Brandon Nevel, D.C., CCSP, CCEP, USPTA

Would you like 15 extra yards on your golf drive off the tee?  How about feeling less fatigued after playing a round of golf or into the third set of your tennis match? Whether you’re Tiger Woods battling for a green jacket, Roger Federer fighting for another grand slam win, or an amateur spending a lazy afternoon playing for a beer and bragging rights, subtle adjustments such as custom foot orthotics often make the difference between winners and losers.

According to recent research published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 12 golfers wore custom orthotics daily for six weeks. The research found that custom, flexible orthotics increased the golfers’ club head speed by 3.5 mph, (approximately a 15-yard increase in distance) and after nine holes of golf, players were less fatigued. Athletes train for months to fight fatigue and gain a competitive edge. Whether it’s golf, tennis, running or any other strenuous sport, wearing custom foot orthotics is an easy way to gain that edge, as well as reduce fatigue, and prevent foot, knee, hip and back injuries.

Your feet affect the entire body due to simple biomechanics, how each part of your body affects another.  As you walk, foot pronation, the inward rolling of the foot, is the primary shock absorption for your body. Pronation is the normal function of your foot and should roll in from heel-strike to toe-off in a controlled manner. As your foot pronates, your leg naturally rotates inward to further absorb the impact of walking or running. However, when pronation is excessive, over-pronation or hyper-pronation occurs. This excessive pronation is common in many people, resulting in improper biomechanics. When this happens, the muscles and ligaments that hold the arch up become stretched out and you lose the ability for the foot and leg to roll inward. Over-pronation can cause plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, shin splints, knee or hip pain, low back pain and early osteoarthritis.

Modern technology now makes it simple to be fit for custom orthotics.  Amfit, a computerized casting device, precisely measures the entire plantar surface. Unlike foam casts, or “scanners” that give a two-dimensional picture, the Amfit digitizer creates a computerized 3-D exact replication of your arch, thus eliminating human error, creating one-of-a-kind orthotics specifically designed for YOUR feet.

Would you like an extra 15 yards in your golf swing or a competitive edge on the tennis court or sports field?  Fight early fatigue and eliminate aches and pains that many people associate with aging with custom foot orthotics. Dr. Brandon Nevel, a Jupiter sports chiropractor and tennis professional, is one of the only physicians in South Florida to offer custom Amfit computerized orthotics. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Silver Surf Sports Chiropractic & Rehab. at 561-746-4242 or visit www.silversurfsportschiro.com.