Quick rewind:
In PART 1 of this series, we established that your feet are the foundation for all ground-based movement. Additionally, most people in Western culture have weak, dysfunctional feet.
“Once your feet are weak, your weight will be unevenly distributed when walking and exercising. the better your feet can tolerate a load evenly, the more options for movement they have for movement, the better and more cooperative things will be up the chain, including your knees, hips, and lower back.”__Dr. Emily Splichal
Nerve Pathways
“Because most of us are walking around with shoes on, we’re not stimulating those nerves — even walking around barefoot would make a difference – so (the goal is) trying to keep those nerve pathways active.”__Dr. Emily Splichal
In PART 1, we also learned how important the feet are to a consistent and powerful golf swing. What we consistently see in ‘better players’ is the ability to shift pressure from the lead foot to the trail foot as the club comes to about lead arm parallel we’ll see anywhere from 70%-80% of downward pressure just behind the arch of the trail foot. That pressure then needs to be shifted to the front side to get out of that position and launch the ball with power and precision.
PART 2 of this series, I introduced a simple strategy to improve the function of your feet by simply using a massage ball or stick to loosen up the plantar fascia and stimulate the foot. Over the years, the golfers I have worked with have told me that doing that alone has greatly impacted how they feel and how they move overall.
The next part of Floss Your Feet is reflective of flossing your teeth. Now we are going to get into the spaces between each toe with what is traditionally known as yoga toes. Dr. Emilie’s company, Naboso has created a beautiful version of a toe spreader called SPLAY (which means to separate or spread out).
When I first tried these, I had trouble getting them on. That’s a sign my feet were weak! I had to use two hands to pry open the space between the toes to get them on. I would also notice foot fatigue in a short time, about 30 minutes. After regular usage, I got so used to them that I could wear them through the night in bed! I try to get them on my feet as often as I can and have the opportunity to keep them on for an hour or more each time.
Benefits of Toe Spacers
- they can relieve foot pain
- they stretch out the intrinsic muscles of the foot
- they can enhance your foot stability by helping you create a stronger arch
- they can realign the foot to its natural shape
- wearing toe spacers for as little as 10 minutes a day can help improve foot mobility and repair damage from wearing narrow toe-box shoes.
Your Feet And Brain Health
So not only will rolling your feet and wearing toe spreaders help your feet feel good and help you with your ground reaction force production in golf but wearing toe spreaders has now been shown to improve brain health.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently met with Dr. Richard Isaacson from the Institute of Neurodegenerative Disease to speak about the brain and our feet. Below is what Dr. Gupta learned:
“In the recommendation about brain health, I did not expect an intervention involving my feet, but the nerves that run to the feet are the longest in our body. When you don’t move your toes and feet regularly and freely, Dr. Isaacson said, you can lose sensory awareness, also known as proprioception, leading to “sensory paralysis.” Over time, the nerve connections that run from your feet to your brain start to disappear.” __Dr. Richard Isaacson
“Consider wearing toe spacers occasionally. Start with 10 minutes every few days, and increase the time as you get used to them.”__Dr. Sanjay Gupta
So there you have it. Floss Your Feet.
“Adding Distance to Drives and Years to Livess”__since 2010
“I am a high handicap golfer in my early 60s who needed someone to help me learn to perform the requisite movements required to hit the golf ball further (and still stay on the fairway). I have had a number of trainers and golf instructors over the years; Brett is by far the best in helping me achieve my potential.”__Al Hurley
