If you would like more strength, speed, or efficiency and less injuries and pain in any sporting activity you will find the Alexander Technique can provide you with to be an extremely useful set of tools.
Swimming
Whilst swimming provides excellent exercise a cursory look at lap swimmers at your local swimming pool is evidence that most people's swimming style lacks grace and coordination, resulting in a lot of effort for little result.
Good coordination in swimming is based on underlying good coordination. Working with a specialist Alexander teacher who is also a swimming coach is an ideal way ensuring that all aspects of improving your stroke are linked to the overall use of yourself.
Ferry, a graduate of the school and an accredited swimming instructor, can work with you in and out of the water to help you improve all aspects of your coordination.
For more details on the application of the Alexander technique to swimming go to Steven Shaw's website The school organises Steven Shaw's teaching when he visits Melbourne.
Golf
Golfing can be at time the most pleasurable and at times the most frustrating activity. Many golfers have found the Alexander Technique an invaluable tool in correcting underlying faulty posture and coordination which interferes with their flexibility and ability to swing. The mental aspect of the technique which is preeminently a technique for changing repetitive fixed patterns of movement provides an invaluable tool for dealing with bad habits which seem resistant to change. Recent statistics have shown that 57% of golfers experience recurring or constant pain, including problems in the neck, hips, back, shoulders, knees and elbows.
F.M. Alexander in his book "The Use of the Self" has a chapter entitled "The Golfer Who Couldn't Keep His Eye on the Ball" which deals in detail with the Alexander Technique approach to changing habit.
Read more about Alexander Technique applied to golf:
A number of golf related articles by Ron Palmer
Running
Running is a wonderful activity for developing cardiovascular fitness, but unfortunately all to often these benefits are offset by the wear and tear on the joints of the body, particularly knees and back. Our bodies are designed for running as well as walking, but if we observe most joggers we see a pattern of discoordination which puts extra stress through the whole of the body. If we use ourselves badly in normal everyday activities the discoordination puts pressure on joints which eventually results in pain and injury. An activity like running in which the forces moving through the body are much stronger than walking and more sedentary activities can create these injuries much faster.
If your running style is causing you problems, or if you know that your style needs to be improved, an Alexander teacher can help you to change. An Alexander teacher will look at the underlying coordination you bring to your running, and with both verbal instruction and gently manual guidance assist you and give you the tools to initiate change. Make sure that you find a teacher who is prepared and able to look at you in the act of running.
For more details on the application of the Alexander technique to running go to Malcolm Balk's website.
You may also want to read Roy Palmer's article Running and Back Pain.
More Articles on Alexander Technique applied to various sporting activities
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Getting into the Zone with the Alexander Technique by Roy Palmer
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Performance Stress by Roy Palmer
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Core Stability: Pure Stupidity? by Roy Palmer
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Horse-riding and the Alexander Technique by Marigold Smith
