The great thing about this drill is that it requires a combination of balance, mobility and total body strength- three things that young athletes desperately need. Be sure to start light with an unweighted broomstick until you get the form down; older athletes can then use a light barbell to help improve shoulder stability as well as core and lower body strength.
To begin, stand with your feet about shoulder's width apart and your toes facing forward. Holding the broomstick with a grip that's about twice shoulder's width, lift it overhead with your arms held straight. Next, keep your arms straight and torso as upright as possible as you slowly descend into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold there for a second and then push back up to the starting position. Continue until you've completed 8-10 repetitions.
The execution of the drill, pictured above, shows what the optimal technique should look like. There are however several things that could prevent you from getting into this position. For instance:
If your feet flatten and your toes turn out, this may could mean tightness of the calves, hamstrings, piriformis and/or weakness in gluteus medius.
Knees that buckle inward could again indicate weakness in the gluteus maximus/medius, and/or tight adductors and iliotibial band (ITB).
Excessive arching of the lower back usually indicates tight hip flexors and latissimus dorsi (lats).
Arms that fall forward as you descend could again point to tight lats, along with weakness of the lower trapezius, teres minor, and infraspinatus.
Arms that flex at the elbow might mean tightness in the pectoralis major/minor and
weak middle traps and rhomboids.
To assess which of these imbalances may be inhibiting your ability to perform this exercise properly, have a parent, or friend photograph you while you're doing it- both from a head on and a profile view. Then, once you've identified where your problem areas are, check back often as I'll be offering up some effective conditioning strategies to help correct them.
