Hip Demands of the Upright Torso

Hip range of motion is essential for athletes because most sports demand them to be in an upright position. When demands of the torso to come upright increase, so do the demands of hip mobility. Strength and conditioning programs should include exercises that force their athletes to maintain an upright torso so that they can develop better posture and maximize performance. One way to point out deficiencies in the hip is do a pop-up squat. This exercise allows the athlete to land in a spontaneous position which reveals imbalances in their technique. Here is a video by Kelly Starrett that demonstrates three types of pop-up squats (Back, front snatch squats) that allows coaches the access to find what is really going on in the athletes ankles, hips and motor control.