Solid Shoulder Series: Part 5. Scapula Control

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The Scapula, those little triangle-shaped bones so thin you can easily pass light through them, are crazy important to shoulder health and performance. So, they need to move in the correct way to make sure our athletes are performing at their best in the water and no losing pool time because of avoidable injuries.

Injuries such as Shoulder Impingements can be caused by the Scapula not going where it’s meant to. The full picture of the Scapula movement is complex and is beyond the scope of one article. So, let’s break it down over the course of this series, starting with correct movement. When the arm is raised overhead, the Scapula should make a rough 55° angle relative to the spine. This may vary individually. This means the muscles of the Scapula are effectively working together to achieve a good quality of movement. Any less than this could indicate issues and compensation when reaching overhead, and over time cause problems, pain and injury in the athletes.

Below is a solid example of quality overhead Scapula movement, using a resistance band to provide some additional resistance at the top of the movement to further improve the athlete’s streamline ability.

Demonstration of a Banded Y Raise. Allows the athlete to feel what their shoulder is doing with further resistance at the top of the movement.

Some things to consider:

1. Half kneeling position to control the lumbopelvic region.

2. Slow movement at first.

3. Brace and keep your spine neutral and ribs down.

4. Move the arm up and back as far as you can.

5. Movement only from the shoulder.