I've managed to get an appointment with the orthopedist for this afternoon. My left hip is hurting as much as ever this morning, and I hope I can find out what's going on and get myself on the road to a speedy recovery.
During baseball season I like to listen to Saint Louis Cardinals games on the radio This week they played a series in Anaheim with the California Angels, whose roster includes former Cardinal Albert Pujols. In eleven seasons with the Cardinals, Pujols was their superstar and one of the undisputed stars in all of baseball. Once his career is over, he should be a lock for induction into the baseball Hall of Fame on the basis of his performance during those years.
Sadly, Pujols has struggled with foot and leg injuries since signing as a free agent with the Angels after the 2011 season. So far this season his batting average has languished below .200. As he took an at-bat the other night, Cardinals radio announcers John Rooney and Rick Horton discussed his lower-body ailments and the damper they have put on his swing. A powerful swing, they explained, is not simply a motion of the arms; it starts in the hips and torso, which in turn are dependent on legs and feet that are firmly planted on the ground.
Much the same is true of an effective paddle stroke. A kayaker's feet are planted against the footboard, and leg drive generates rotation at the hips. Most readers of this blog probably know this, but I do encounter people fairly often who are surprised that pain in the hips could have an impact on paddling a boat. I always enjoy learning examples of similar issues in other sports.
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