Why So Many Great Pigeon-Toed Athletes?

[bijanc]

Jackie Robinson
Robert Lee Hayes
Michael Jordan
John Elway
Dominique Wilkins

http://www.elitetrack.com/blogs/details/3820/

[lonewolf]

I don't know but my college coach tried to get us run pigeon toed. And, wear competion spikes on size too small.

[bijanc]

Houston McTear/Floyd Little/Quinn Buckner

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Running slew-footed compromises forward motion.

The coach covered in this book insisted that his players walk pigeon-toed!

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/Pr ... 1558537457

[gh]

I seem to remember reading in the magazine at the time that Jimmy Hines was pigeon-toed.

[eldrick]

there's probably some bio-mechanical validation

humans aren't perfectly evolved yet - we are evolved quadripeds standing upright after only ~ 1 million years with almost certainly problems not yet "evolved out" - lumbar spine of human has not yet fully evolved to take care of the weight it supports - that's why such a high incidence of low back pain in the world

similarly, lower limbs are probably not evolved enough yet to have a "straight gait"

the clue is simple

the thigh muscle is not symmetrical vertically - it is massively favoured by outer aspect ( see leroy burrell ) - this favours inward toeing thru leverage downwards & anyone who adapts accordingly, will do well - maximal use of lateral thigh strength

[SQUACKEE]

I dont know anything but, it seems to me a lot of runners when sprinting throw there foot out to the side and when you see the foot plant its at a 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock angle or worse. Most of the great sprinters land their foot closer to a 12 o'clock angle. Tyson Gay comes to mind.

[DrJay]

Wasn't McTear pretty pigeon-toed?

[gh]

Putting on my science hat for a minute (oops, doesn't fit as well as it used to; need to go for a Barry Bonds-sized one!)..... is the basic premise perhaps false?

Is there any study that shows how many people in the general populace are "pigeon-toed" (is that even quantifiable?)? And if so, is that percentage any different than amongst "great" athletes?

[Pego]

Putting on my science hat for a minute (oops, doesn't fit as well as it used to; need to go for a Barry Bonds-sized one!)..... is the basic premise perhaps false?

Is there any study that shows how many people in the general populace are "pigeon-toed" (is that even quantifiable?)? And if so, is that percentage any different than amongst "great" athletes?

I am not an expert here, bambam may correct me, but my understanding of a pigeon-toing is that it represents a mixed bag of minor orthopedic congenital anomalies (ranging from a hip to a foot). Since it is a wastebasket of diagnoses, I agree with gh that the term is too vague to make any reasonable biomechanical conclusions.

[bambam]

Putting on my science hat for a minute (oops, doesn't fit as well as it used to; need to go for a Barry Bonds-sized one!)..... is the basic premise perhaps false?

Is there any study that shows how many people in the general populace are "pigeon-toed" (is that even quantifiable?)? And if so, is that percentage any different than amongst "great" athletes?

I am not an expert here, bambam may correct me, but my understanding of a pigeon-toing is that it represents a mixed bag of minor orthopedic congenital anomalies (ranging from a hip to a foot). Since it is a wastebasket of diagnoses, I agree with gh that the term is too vague to make any reasonable biomechanical conclusions.

Pego is correct - pigeon-toeing ("in-toeing" orthopaedically) can occur anywhere from the hip to the foot. We know about this tendency but don't know why there seem to be a lot of great athletes who are pigeon-toed. The other ? by EGH about what is the % of the population with the tendency is a very good one and I do not know the answer.