Hip Flexibility and Basketball Performance

In the NFL Draft process, teams evaluate prospective defensive backs on their hips – their flexibility and fluidity of movement which enables them to change directions, change movements and get into and out of breaks.

Basketball coaches are less precise in their descriptions and evaluations, but “good hips” is a pre-requisite for an elite basketball player.

I watched a girl this weekend, and her lack of flexibility and mobility in her hips hampered everything that she did. She did not flex enough to shoot well, did not get into a low position on defense, could not push off and move laterally with any speed and had almost no ability to change directions.

While she diligently practiced her basketball skills, she will never improve until she makes some corrective efforts to fix her hip inflexibility and immobility.

I told her trainer that I would send some information to him, and, as luck would have it, the L.A. Times featured a section today which illustrates two stretches to use to strtch the hips by working on tight gluteal muscles.

To see the exercises and get the descriptions, go here.