www.shawnclementgolf.com Shawn Clement, Director of the Richmond Hill Golf Learning Centre, and top 25 CPGA Teaching Professional as rated by Score Golf Magazine, shows you untold putting secrets that will have you sinking putts from everywhere!
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Junior the game of golf Clubs – hints To aid You come across the most effective Clubs for the youngsters
Junior the game of golf Clubs – hints To aid You come across the most effective Clubs for the youngsters
Finding the right junior golf clubs is critical to having your junior player playing well as early as possible. Quite simply, junior golf clubs are extremely important to helping your child play well, because having the right equipment is essential.
If you get clubs that are either too short or too long for the player, they will not be able to swing the club effectively. Here are some important tips when looking for golf clubs for sale to help you choose the best golf clubs for your junior player as quickly as possible, and best yet, without spending a fortune in the process.
Keep in mind, today most junior golf clubs are meant manufactured by the top brand names in the world, such as Cobra golf equipment, Titleist, Nike, etc, and are thus usually just as expensive as getting regular golf clubs. Of course, you might be able to save a little bit of money, but generally speaking you’ll end up paying just about the same price. Of course, you can get them cheaper, and therefore not in as good a shape, but if your junior player to be serious about playing golf, you will absolutely want to pay a good price for your golf clubs.
One of the most important things to remember when shopping for you for your junior golf clubs is the height of the clubs. Quite simply, you want to make sure that the club matches your child’s height, and will also be tall enough so with the when they grow, they can still use it.
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For instance, you certainly don’t want to buy a new set of golf clubs every single year, as these are more expensive than shoes are closer other things they used to change annually. When you are purchasing clubs for a junior player, you have to remember that there they will still be growing, and therefore keep this in mind.
Therefore, you should probably purchase them a little taller at first; this way, if they are too tall for your child, they can simply choke up on them until they are the perfect height. Obviously, you can purchase the exact height for your junior player, but just keep in mind that you will have to purchase a new set either every year or every couple eyras, and whether or not this is worth it simply depends on how avid a player your junior is.
Of course, the weight and the shaft of the golf club are extremely sport important as well. How far are naturally they hit the ball is very reliant how much the club ways. Since junior golfers will generally have lower swing speeds than adult players, you will want a purchase lighter clubs for them, to help them hit the ball farther.
The best tips to help you find the best junior golf clubs is to search for them on the Internet, on either discount websites or eBay. You can often times find used golf clubs much cheaper than new golf clubs, and with just as good a quality. You can find many of these used golf clubs the Internet today, and can therefore save a lot of money. You can even purchase top of the line models such as the titleist mb 710 for sale, a driver you typically would have to pay several hundred dollars for if you were to buy it new.
Of course, if you plan on purchasing clubs other than brand-name such as Titleist or Nike, make sure you read reviews about them on the Internet by both current and past customers, and find out what they had to say about that company. This is essential if you plan on purchasing anything other than the mainstream clubs, because the small brands will be less known and therefore could be less reliable and effective than the top of the line clubs.
However, when you do your research, you can find some great clubs without paying top dollar, as you would have to by purchasing the most popular models. Hopefully these tips will to find the best junior golf clubs for your younger player, and help them enjoy a lifetime of playing golf.
Golf Clubs for sale. – Golf Drivers; – Golf Fairway Woods; – Golf Irons; – Golf Wedges; – Golf Hybrid; – Golf Putters; – Golf Rescues …
The Most Powerful Move in Golf
The Most Powerful Move in Golf
This article is written for those who would like an open and honest detailed review into the most powerful move in golf. I am personal friends with Martin Ayers and Steve Elkington. I have been fortunate to be able to work with Martin Ayers one on one. I met him over a six months ago through a site known as Secret in the dirt that Steve Elkington created as a free online community for every level of golfer to be able to connect and share anything and everything golf related.
Personally I own a golf academy for kids and through implementing what I have learned and teaching my personal students there is no doubt that the most powerful move in golf will change anyone’s swing immediately by following the simple drills outlined in the video.
So what is the most powerful move in golf ?
The Most Powerful Move in Golf is a collaboration effort between 10 time PGA tour winner Steve Elkington, Golf Instructor Martin Ayers along with legendary World Golf Hall of fame Jackie Burke.
Steve Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998. Elkington has won 10 events on the PGA Tour, most prodigiously the 1995 PGA Championship at the Riviera Country Club, which is his only major, and the 1991 and 1997 Players Championships. Elkington was a member of the International Team in the 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 Presidents Cups. In 1995, he was awarded the Vardon Trophy; this award is given annually by the PGA of America to the tour player with the lowest scoring average.
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Martin Ayers is an Australian golf instructor. Martin developed a large following in his own right by expressing his unique ideas on Youtube and in various golf forums. He was also one of the earliest members of Secret in the Dirt when in launched in April of 2010.
He began working with Steve Elkington in the Spring of 2010. The concepts that he worked on with Elk are now presented here in “The Most Powerful Move in Golf.”
When the two connected, they began collaborating on Elk’s swing together, and began work on The Most Powerful Move in Golf. Within the video, you’ll discover:
1. How Martin Ayers came to understand The Most Powerful Move
2. Why it is so effective the average golfer
3. How to implement the Move into your swing easily and effortlessly.
Here are what a few people are saying about Martin and The Most Powerful Move DVD:
“I could go on for hours about the specifics and whatnot, but all I can say is that Martin is seriously a genius of the golf swing, through some unorthodox drills and ideas, you will get a lot better hitting the ball and can really change the way you look at golf “.
The wait for “The Most Powerful Move in Golf” seemed like an eternity! But I can tell you now it was well worth it!
“The video is a great piece of work. Martin has discovered something very important. If this isn’t Hogan’s Secret then Hogan never had one.
Take if from a guy who feels like he has tried everything — I literally have read well over 150 books on this game — Martin’s stuff is the real deal. For the price of a round of golf at a municipal course (perhaps with a cart in some places), you can learn a move that will put more power, accuracy, and confidence in your game. That is the bottom line”.
“I bought & downloaded Martin’s video and got up at 5.00am this morning to try the swing. As a devoted TGM admirer I found the moves Martin succinctly described very useful and I did get the ball to fly 10-15% further.The biggest improvement I found was that the move kept the pressure points on my grip intact without having to grip the club any harder. Occasionally my grip separates at the top, not any more.The description of the swing was well described and easy to follow”.
“If you have not given Martin’s method a try all you are doing is cheating yourself out of a lot of great golf…”.
For a full review and special video trailer plus bonus then CLICK HERE
Most Friendly TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set Reviews
Most Friendly TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set Reviews
Article by wholesale golf
Yesterday i tried this iron . It’s so amazing . Share them with you today. Hope that you will love it.
The TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set consists of irons individually engineered, resulting in the enhancement of multiple club properties that promote distance, uniform distance-gaps, increased playability and better sound and feel. A multi-functional sole lowers the center of gravity and reduces turf-drag to make it easy to launch shots high and long, while the inverted cone in each clubface is strategically sized and shaped center of gravity location in each head is precision-placed to optimize long-, middle- and short-iron flight; high-coefficient of restitution faces promote fast ball speed for long distance in the long-irons.
Each iron individually engineered, resulting in the enhancement of multiple club properties that promote distance, uniform distance-gaps, increased playability and better sound and feel.
Multi-functional sole lowers the CG and reduces turf-drag to make it (TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set )easy to launch shots high and long, while the Inverted Cone in each clubface is strategically sized and shaped.CG location in each head is precision-placed to optimize long, middle and short-iron flight; high-COR faces promote fast ball speed for long distance in the long-irons.
For more than a year, TaylorMade’s Burner irons have been among the best selling irons in the game. The combination of distance and ease of use made them especially popular with mid- and higher-handicap players.
Tinkering with that success was not without risk, but Brett Wahl, TaylorMade’s senior director of product development for irons, (Taylormade R9 Forged Irons)says that the new Burner 2.0 irons are simply better than their predecessors – for several reasons.
“In a way, we took the concept of developing eight individual clubs a little more seriously this time,” Wahl says. “Each of these clubheads have more beneficial features built into them than the previous Burner irons.”
For example, the faces of the Burner 2.0 long-irons are thinner than the faces of the original Burner long-irons, which should help golfers create more ball speed and distance. The weight saved by making the faces thinner has been redistributed to the lower section of the clubs, (TaylorMade R9 SuperDeep TP Driver)near the heel and toe areas, which Wahl says should make them more forgiving too.
At the same time, the faces of the short irons are thicker than the original Burner’s, and the heads are smaller and feature thinner top lines. Doing this puts a greater emphasis on accuracy and control at address, but also puts more weight directly behind the ball to enhance feel.
The multi-material badge on the back of the Burner 2.0 is also an upgrade over the original Burner’s. “It has a softer material integrated with the aluminum which gives it better dampening naging vibration,” Wahl says. “And in the long-irons, there is a stiff nylon layer of material that you can’t see that really helps to improve the sound.”(wholesale golf clubs)
ICP In addition to the badge, on the back of all the Burner 2.0 irons you’ll see a circular piece of metal that is part of TaylorMade’s Inverted Cone Technology (ICT). But once again, it’s been upgraded
Find more wholesale golf clubs on http://www.onlinegolfwholesale.com
About the Author
Golfers always pursue the golf equipment with extraodinary
performance. At the same time,wholesale golf clubs is beloved by
them. and discount golf clubs teps to promote.
What are the most common golf swing faults?
What are the most common golf swing faults?
Every golfer at some time or another let’s a swing fault creep into his or her game. Half the battle of fixing a golf swing fault is identifying what the golf swing fault is in the first place.
Below is a list of the twelve most common golf swing faults that all golfers experience on or off the course at one time or another.
1.Pull Hook: The pull hook is a golf fault that starts left and curves farther left.
2.Hook: The hook shot is a golf fault that starts right of target and curves left of target.
3.Pull: The pull is a golf fault that starts left of target and continues straight left.
4.Push: The push shot is a golf fault that starts right of target and continues straight right.
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5.Slice: The slice shot is a golf fault that starts left, but finishes right of target.
6.Push Slice: The push slice is a golf fault that starts right of target and continues farther right.
7.Thin/topped Shot: A thin or “topped” golf fault occurs when the leading edge of club strikes equator of ball usually sending the golf ball a few inches off the ground and only a few feet.
8.Fat/Duffed Shot: A “fat” or “duffed” golf fault occurs when the golfer hits behind the ball and hits the turf before the ball is struck sometimes popping the ball in the air with little distance.
9.Shank Shot: A “shank” occurs when the ball strikes hosel of club and ball flies viciously to right.
10.Left Arm Collapse (also known as “Chicken Wing”): occurs when the left arm collapses before club face impact with the golf ball resulting in significant power loss and errant golf shots.
11.Pop-Up Golf Shot: A “pop-up” golf shot occurs when the golf ball is popped straight up into the air with little distance usually resulting from too steep of a swing.
12.Poor Distance: Poor distance occurs when the golfer makes decent contact with the golf ball but does not achieve adequate distance with either irons or woods shots. This usually occurs because the upper and lower body are not synchronized to achieve maximum swing speed and power.
Learn about golf swing and faults to lower your golf score. Golf Genie’s golf tips will help you every time when you need it. Golf hook, golf uphill and golf bunker shots advanced tips.
The Most Common Reasons For Back Pain
The Most Common Reasons For Back Pain
Article by Julian Hooks
There are many reasons for back pain, the most common being muscle strain. Muscle strains occur when when lifting or moving items that are too heavy or lifting them incorrectly.
It is important to seek medical attention for back pain that does not go away in a couple of weeks. The first course of back pain treatment for muscle pain is to take an X-ray to be sure there are no bone fractures or abnormalities.
Then, after resting the back for a day or so and treating with over the counter pain medication such as ibuprofen and ice or heat, a gentle exercise program can be prescribed. Any back pain treatment is customized for the patient as every patient experience is slightly different.
Learning to maintain correct posture is very important for back and spine health. The shoulders should always be aligned with the hips and torso kept straight. Gentle exercises further support the trunk of the body, thereby strengthening the back and core muscles overall. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough.
When pain persists, further options can be explored. Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI films of the neck or lumbar regions can be obtained. These results will be reviewed with you and your orthopedic spine specialist. MRI’s are helpful in determining soft tissue damage of the areas surrounding the spine. These films can reveal herniated discs, tumors or cysts.
Tumors and cysts are relatively rare, but herniated discs are common. The discs are located between the bones of the vertebrae, or spine and help keep the back flexible and supportive. The discs are made of a softer than bone material, known as cartilage. These discs can be misplaced by movements, injury, accidents, falls, poor posture or even heredity, to some extent.
Some people have herniated discs with no symptoms and some cause a great deal of pain. Some resolve on their own and some require medical intervention.
Sciatica is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve, one of two large nerves than run down each leg. It is most commonly caused by a disc compressing the sciatic nerve. If the pain of sciatica is not relieved by physical therapy, chiropractic care or other minimally invasive procedure, epidural injections or surgical options may be discussed with your orthopedic surgeon. Medication can be injected into the painful areas in the office, or more deeply into the back tissues as an ambulatory procedure using an epidural. If pain persists, the surgeon can remove the offending part of the disc and bone that is impinging the nerve and give much needed relief. Of course, surgery requires a longer recovery and a stay in the hospital.
If you suffer from any type of back, neck or sciatic pain, then you need to go grab a copy of The Healthy Back Institute’s new book, The 7-Day Back Pain Cure.
Right now they are actually giving it away for FREE… You just pay a small shipping fee. Plus they are also they are also donating a portion of the shipping fee to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or Habitat for Humanity – you even get to choose the charity!
Get your FREE Copy at BackPainTreatment4U.com
You can also review our collection of articles about back pain, neck pain and sciatica along with information on causes, back pain treatments, and more.
About the Author
BackPainTreatment4U.com
Most Advanced TaylorMade R9 SuperTri Driver
Most Advanced TaylorMade R9 SuperTri Driver
Article by Golf Wholesale Shop
Unconfirmed sources are pointing to more differences between the SuperTri and original R9 460. Not only is the head bigger but the face is rumored to be made of SP-700 titanium and the fitting sleeve is supposed to be lighter and more secure. Prototype images are also appearing of a version with only 2 weights one of which is named the Taylormade R9 Super Deep “DF”.TaylorMade has introduced its new R9 SuperTri and R9 SuperTri Tour drivers, which combine Flight Control Technology (FCT) and Movable Weight Technology with three movable weights in a 460cc head.The larger head is more forgiving, and its centre of gravity is two millimetres further back in the head than the r9 making it easier to launch the ball higher and with more spin. The inclusion of MWT with three weights promotes a side-to-side trajectory change of up to 75 yards.The TaylorMade R9 SuperTri driver features Inverted Cone Technology (ICT). Although it’s milled onto the back of the clubface where it’s out of sight, ICT plays a critical role by increasing the area of the clubface that delivers fast ball speed, promoting more distance on off-centre hits. The R9 SuperTri driver clubhead has a new shape and a black-on-black colour scheme, including a black PVD clubface. The R9 SuperTri is equipped with a Fujikura Motore 60-gram shaft, which is five grams lighter than the Motore 65 used in the R9 driver. In addition to being lighter, the Motore 60 makes it easier to launch the ball on a higher launch angle and at a higher spin-rate, which helps many players achieve longer carry for increased distance.The R9 SuperTri unites four viable performance technologies: FCT, MWT, UTW and ICT. Never before have four such impactful, performance enhancing technologies been combined so effectively in a single driver. Plus, there’s the superior aerodynamics of the new crown shape.The R9 SuperTri and R9 SuperTri TP are the most advanced, highest-performing drivers TaylorMade has ever developed. The distance producing power and shot straightening abilities created by their combined clubhead size, clubhead design, performance technologies and shaft specifications make them clubs that no golfer should be without.Sleek all-black looks made this a very good looking club. The black PVD face was first seen from TaylorMade with the highly regarded R7 SuperQuad. The head shape is not quite the classic pear shape with its fractionally extended rear but its a million miles from the lairy max-MOI efforts that are now so commonplace. Because the face is so deep it has a very reassuring look at address – not only do you get the sensation that the face is impossible to miss, you also get the subliminal message that you are playing a club with much greater loft so you don’t need to rip into the ball to try and lift it up.Sound off in the comments area and vote in the poll! Is it more of the same? I hear that the adjustment sleeve has been updated but that provides no substantial gain for the player’s shot, perhaps they made a new sleeve to save even further on weight. I unlike many people welcome almost all new releases by Taylormade because they push the envelope and keep their competitors on their toes. So what if its virtually the same as the R9 except with a deeper face, my only gripe about it is of everyone I know who has an R9 very few actually adjust the club after the first several rounds.Players’ review:This driver definitely surprised me. I had been told by many that I would hit the ball to high with this club because of my swing speed and natural trajectory, but was impressed with a penetrating ball flight. The ball was very hot off the face and very accurate.After two rounds, I love the solid feel and am getting used to the Motore shaft. Distance and control are both big plusses! Have not yet tweaked the adjustments, and will probably stick with the factory settings. As a Titelist devotee, I demo-ed their new driver, but found the Super Tri to be much friendlier and easier to control both ways (draw or fade). Can’t wait to try the three wood.With one round under its belt, the SuperTri is proving to be money well spent. Distance increase isn’t massive for me but accuracy and ball flight is very impressive so far. It looks great at address, doesn’t seem enormous, I’d say very forgiving as well. I have gone through 3 other drivers-Cleveland Monster XLS, Ping G10, & TM R9 460, over the past year, and the SUPER TRI is without a doubt the best driver out. The R9 460 is also a great club, but the Super TRI is far more superior & worth the upgrade. This driver is also very forgiving. This driver is exactly why Taylormade drivers are the #1 driver on the Tour.Over many years playing golf I have owned many many types of drivers. I am what you call a driver collector. At present I have the R7, Ping i15, Ping G15, Callaway FTiz and the Tri. All are very good clubs but the Tri is the best of all in distance and shot dispersion. There is one simple reason why this club is so much better than the rest of my drivers and that is the Fuji Motore shaft. I would recommend to all golfers seeking the goal of improving their game- go buy a good quality shaft and reap the benefits.More information at http://www.shoppinginjoy.com/TaylorMade+R9+Super+Tri+Driver+-goods-871.html
About the Author
www.golfdiscountsale.com
How To Get The Most Out Of PSD-to-HTML Slicing Services
How To Get The Most Out Of PSD-to-HTML Slicing Services
In web development projects when it comes to turn .psd, .ai, etc designs into xHTML/CSS code, a common option will be to use PSD-to-HTML slicing services. And a natural question raising here is: How to get the most out of them?
PSD-to-HTML services are quite easy to deal with: you send or upload image files on a provider website, select conversion and layout options, pay through an online payment system (PayPal, Google Checkout, etc), and get a resulting markup coded. But in order to make the most of it and avoid unnecessary troubles it is better to follow some simple rules.
Properly prepare designs for uploading
1. If you have several files to convert, archive them and give that archive an understandable name, for example, “AnnSmith23June2009.zip” (i.e. “YourNameDate.zip” or “ProjectNameDate.zip”). It can be convenient for you as well, especially in case you need to check your previous orders.
2. If there are files additional to your main .psd image (e.g., custom fonts), don’t forget to send or upload them too.
3. Make sure you send or upload right files. PSD-to-HTML services are very fast, and by the moment you notice the problem with your files your markup may be ready. As a result, it could cost you some money to correct a mistake.
Design slicing, xHTML/CSS conversion requirements
1. Try to explain as accurate as possible what you want to get. Usually an order form on PSD-to-HTML websites has special subsections and items to help you with this task.
2. Nevertheless, if your requirements cannot be described in this way or you don’t have time to use it, don’t hesitate to write down your requirements in a field named like “Notes” or use other communication channels convenient for you: live chat or email.
3. If you are confused with something (“Is that option included? What is the delivery time?” etc), ASK! Sometimes even friends and relatives see things differently. So it is better to ask and to be sure that you and your provider get everything right and in the same manner.
Communication
1. DOUBLE check your email address which you mention in the order form.
2. Make sure that your anti-spam filters and email servers are not too overzealous and allow the provider’s emails reach you.
3. It depends on the provider but usually they send you an order confirmation (as well as your login and password to access a client zone on their website). If you don’t receive such an email during several minutes, contact the provider through the order form or live chat — the reason may be a misprint in your email address.
4. Just in case give the provider’s team an alternative communication channel (mobile telephone number, instant messenger (Skype, MSN, ICQ), etc).
5. If time is crucial for you, specify the PSD-to-xHTML/CSS provider’s time zone.
If there are any doubts
1. If it is your first PSD-to-HTML project or you select a provider for long-term cooperation, start from a relatively small pilot project to test the waters.
2. Check the provider’s Returns Policy, e.g., whether they provide a money-back guarantee.
3. If it is important for you, don’t hesitate to ask for NDA (non-disclosure agreement).
4. Specify whether they offer after-sale support and what it means. If the provider is confident of their work, usually the technical support is free.
Change management
1. A small addition to .psd designs may lead to large modifications in xHTML/CSS code. If the process of PSD-to-HTML conversion is in progress or finished and you change your design, be objective while estimating changes to be made in the markup.
2. Small changes are usually free.
3. But if changes are large then it is like an additional page in your order and should be paid accordingly (note: usually prices on secondary pages are up to 50% discounted).
4. If you are not sure, talk to the provider — together you will find a reasonable and mutually beneficial solution faster.
Project completion
1. Check the finished xHTML/CSS markup how it corresponds to your design and conversion requirements. If there are some remarks or defects, ask the provider to fix them.
2. Change access rights to your servers (passwords, logins) if you gave it to the provider’s team.
3. If you think the provider has deserved your testimonial, give it. You will support a qualified and diligent PSD-to-xHTML/CSS provider in the market and help other users to get to know them.
PSD-to-HTML services are just a tool to slice and convert designs into website markups, WordPress themes or Drupal templates. The better you know how to work with them the more you get.
Natalia Savchenko is the CEO of HTMLcut.com, a PSD to HTML/CSS slicing and PSD to XHTML conversion company.
In Order To Achieve The Most Distance In Your Swing You Need A Proper Golfing Grip
In Order To Achieve The Most Distance In Your Swing You Need A Proper Golfing Grip
Article by John Higbie
Learning the basics of a golf swing often starts with mastering the golfing grip. At least, that’s what player Ben Hogan thinks. Unlike the grip used in other sports like baseball, the grip used to play golf is unique. You cannot develop a great swing without first having a proper golfing grip, and this will surely cause your game performance to suffer. Your hands should be the only part of your body to ever have contact with the club. It should become an extension of yourself and if it does not, your entire swing will suffer as your body tries to compensate for a poor grip.
There are a number of different grips that exist and are used to excellent effect by professional golfers. Most commonly, there are three grips to focus on. The most popular grip is called the “Vardon Grip”, but it also goes by the name “overlapping grip” for the way the hands overlap one another. This grip has the pinky of the right hand overlapping the left hand between the index and middle finger for a right handed golfer. This grip works well for the vast majority of players regardless of the length of their fingers or the strength of their hands.
The next golfing grip is called the interlocking grip. This grip requires the player to interlock his hands at the right pinky and left forefinger (If he his right handed). This is most popular Continue reading “In Order To Achieve The Most Distance In Your Swing You Need A Proper Golfing Grip”
Men In Ballet – How To Get The Most Out Of Your Foot’s Demi Pointe – And Then Your Pointe Shoes
Men In Ballet – How To Get The Most Out Of Your Foot’s Demi Pointe – And Then Your Pointe Shoes
Article by Dianne M. Buxton
I am going to cover a few of the finer details in strengthening, stretching, and maintaining your foot mechanics, and health. You want to get the most out of the joints and muscles that you have in your foot for your demi pointe. If you are among the men in ballet, you may choose to try some work in pointe shoes.
I’m not referring to demi-pointe shoes in the title above, but your own demi pointe, your foot.
Whether male or female, I recommend that you view some drawing or x-ray of an ankle joint, and the foot bones. It is good to know what is under your skin.
If your ankle joint is flexible enough for you to point a straight line, or more, you can probably get up onto demi pointe so that your toes are a ninety degree angle to your instep.
If you do not have this ninety degree angle, first you can work on the big toe joint. There is a muscle going under the big toe that can be gently massaged and stretched. Just working this joint can get you a gain on the angle you need to be fully on demi pointe, and therefore able to complete the postural plumb line of the body. That means getting the metatarsal joints under your ankle joint, regardless of how the arch in between shows up curve-wise.
To maximize the ankle joint flexibility, consider the tension that builds up in the tibial, or shin muscles, practicing ballet, that could detract from your ankle joint flexibility. This tension can be released, daily, with the help of a soft rubber ball. Kneel, then sit back on your feet, making sure there is no inward sickle. Roll the rubber ball just below the knee joint, into the top of the shin muscle. Lean on it, easing down the leg. Press into the tender spots until you feel some tension release. Don’t lean too heavily on it, it is just to get a release of the tension.
Get all the way down to the ankle joint. You have now resolved some of the work-related tension and can do a stretch for the top of the ankle/foot area. Place the ball under the foot above the metatarsal joints (and you can do more than one spot here), between the big toe and second toe, and you’ll feel a wonderful stretch. You can move the ball a little more in between the second and third metatarsal area, only if it does not cause the foot to sickle. And stretch again, gently holding the stretch for 10 seconds at first. You can increase the hold time, but not to the point of pain.
Then start on the other leg. I have Deborah Vogel to thank for that rubber ball use and foot stretch.
Using a rubber ball or a golf ball on the sole of the foot releases tension in those muscles. Roll it and push gently. You don’t want to exert too much pressure on the foot joints, just feel for tension release. Do this daily, or after every class.
Soaking your feet in warm water and Epsom Salts or mineral salt (sea salt) and then icing tired and aching foot muscles is a treatment your feet deserve.
Especially if you plan to dance classical ballet in pointe shoes, attend to these few daily routines. They are not pampering, but needed care for all women and men in ballet.
Click here for a resource on ballet wear, pointe shoes, ballet technique articles and The Perfect Pointe Book.
About the Author
Dianne M. Buxton trained at The National Ballet School of Canada, The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and Toronto Dance Theater. Find out how to get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, how to prevent dance injuries, how to get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and details about classical ballet technique.