Michael Clarke: A Movement Quality Study

Technique.  One of my favourite subjects when it comes to movement.

Just as more and more people are concerned with the quality of their food these days (think organic, fresh, non GMO etc), more and more people should pay attention to the quality of their movement.

A lot of injuries are caused by poor movement skills/ability (and inefficient alignment).

Some people are more ‘injury prone’ not because of any true structural issues but rather from lower quality movement skills.  Add on top of that a high intensity/load and trouble awaits.

The most recent example is Australian cricket captain, Michael Clarke.  Having had back ‘problems’ for most of his life and now more recently hamstring issues (three aggravations in a few weeks and seventh in the last two years!), Michael Clarke fits that bill.  High load, generally good movement but obviously still deficient in some areas which is why he is breaking down.  Which is a shame as he is otherwise a very graceful mover not to mention an important part of the Australian setup.  Another case in point is former Australian vice captain Shane Watson.  He is another ‘injury prone’ athlete who can otherwise be quite dominant when fit.  However, that has not been regularly enough for some.

The common approach here and one which I’m sure the team has been addressing is probably stretching, massage and what is commonly called core stability.  But obviously they are missing something.  No more proof is needed beyond the continual breakdowns.

But if one looks at simple routines that the Australian cricket captain does, there are hints and clues there.

His back is a case of overuse but more importantly overuse due to poor dynamic alignment and connection.  Watch Michael Clarke take guard, watch the way he plays those lovely cuts and drives.  It’s not the positions he finds himself in but rather how he initiates the actions that I think is causing him problems.  It’s not the amount of cricket he plays but the amount of strain Michael Clarke is self inflicting on his poor spinal structure.

This is how important movement quality is.  The line as well as the point of power generation.  And it becomes more important the more the action is loaded or repeated.

This movement quality goes beyond simply what is happening in training and in competition.  They can be seen in more static and everyday positions like sitting and standing.  And they are easier to improve in sitting and standing due to the much simpler nature of these ‘actions’.  And the greater amount of time we spend in these positions.

Injury management should be injury prevention not just injury treatment once something happens.

The same patterns will show up but they will be easier to address.  It’s not a matter of muscle strength alone but true stabilisation through alignment.  So simply strengthening the abdominal muscles or the hamstring muscles will not fix the underlying issues.  Get the wheels aligned before you pop in a bigger engine.  I hope the experts do a better job with you this time round Michael Clarke and I wish you well in your recovery.