Original TMBW Blog Post

Tennis is a great game and yet so many aspects of your game can be affected by how your body is working or perhaps better said, coping. I’m a great case in point.  I’ve been known to have a killer first serve – it’s fast and has a near perfect curve.  It always brings a big smile to my face when it hits – it’s often hard to return.  My problem is that I’m not at all consistent. I always thought it was an issue of practice, practice, practice.  However, through my studies in orthopedic massage, I’ve learned that there was a more telling factor at play – my own shoulder mechanics. In other words, because of
  • long hours in front of a computer
  • which resulted in my neck coming forward towards the screen,
  • my shoulder turned inward as it rested on a standard keyboard
When I’m really focused – and working long hours, I also have
  • a tendency to shrug my shoulders upward towards my ears,
  • and, I clinch my teeth
Which means …
  • I further strain my shoulders and upper back
  • and my neck comes forward towards my screen AND also gets terribly cranky.
When I’m sleeping, I also have a habit of tucking my arms close to my chest – it’s all about that ever comfortable curl! Which means…
  • My pecs were tight all night long,
  • My shoulders often lifted closer to my ear,
  • And I also curled my top leg in front of my other leg
— Because of all of these things, I had compromised shoulder mechanics and hip tightness that restricted my speed. In other words, because of my own compromised muscle mechanics, my body adapted by sacrificing the elasticity of my fascia to lock my shoulder into that compromised structure. What that means is that the support structure of my own fascia was now rigid, rather than elastic, – and that rigidity kept my shoulder locked in the forward position. And so now, every time I attempted to swing my arm back to power up my serve, my arm had to fight to swing through the rigid structure of my shoulder. Without shoulder elasticity, my arm required more power to swing, resulting in less efficiency, and a greater tendency to an inconsistent swing arc. What Sets Massage with The Mind Body Whisperer Apart from Other Massage Practices What sets The Mind Body Whisperer apart is our focus on helping you understand your current muscle mechanics and how those mechanics are either supporting or handicapping your game.  In addition, we will work with you to help you Find and Unwind the limitations in your swing so that you can Reset to Your Own Optimal Muscle Mechanics so that you can Power Your Serve and Your Tennis Game!
Ready to Optimize Your Tennis? — Let’s Get Started!
Click Schedule Now to schedule online or Call or Text me , Christine Eckery, at 302-593-9262 with your date and time preferences. You can also find me at TMBW.Massage@gmail.com I look forward to working with you and to helping you Optimize Your Tennis Game! Christine The Mind Body Whisperer  – Dedicated to Helping You Get Optimized for Your Favorite Sport and Pain-Free Living!