Can't fully straighten arm above head. Possible stretches?

PizzamanIRL · 11-06-2015 10:13PM #1

I play basketball and have been told I could dunk if I would straighten my arm fully when I'm in the air. In my mind, I am straightening my arm, but then I look in the mirror and it's not fully straight at all. I'm probably losing 4-5 inches reach by not being able to straighten it.

When I force my arm to the point of discomfort, it's still not fully straight.

This picture is basically what I look like when trying to straighten them, but from the side my arms aren't aligned with my head, they are in front of my head. I can't even get them to go behind my back while raising them.
http://imgur.com/JjfS8Kq

Whereas this is what I want to be able to do

http://imgur.com/qMBcN0e

I'm guessing it's a shoulder issue. Any ideas for stretches?

thehamo · 12-06-2015 11:20AM

the two pics are quite different in terms of the shot take. One is head on and the other is from the side. The one that is head on suggests that tight lats are at play because of how the are arms are bent at the elbow.

The second picture is actually a bit misleading as the girl in the pic is extending or arching her back quite a bit, which makes it look as though the shoulders are straight up. If she was to have a neutral spine, her arms would be pointing a lot more forward.

Mellor · 12-06-2015 12:02PM

You might get better advice if you throw up an picture of yourself in that position.
Shoulder mobility us always worth a look. But if you aren't straightening your arm at the elbow then there might be Sonething else too.

JJayoo · 12-06-2015 10:59PM

Shoulder, lats and triceps could all be causes.

Can't fully straighten arm above head. Possible stretches?

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