Rotational Athletes with Joe Combs DPT

What separates elite rotational athletes from everyone else isn’t strength — it’s sequencing.In this episode of Doc Talks, Dr. Nick Rohlfs, DC sits down with Joe Combs to break down the biomechanics of rotational athletes and why timing, coordination, and kinetic chain efficiency drive both performance and injury risk.This conversation dives deep into how rotational power is created, why so many athletes leak power, and how faulty sequencing leads to common injuries in golf, tennis, and baseball.Topics Covered: • What defines a rotational athlete and how rotational power differs from linear power • The kinetic chain, from ground contact to arm speed • Why rotational power is about timing, not strength • Proper vs. faulty sequencing and the “whip effect” • How childhood motor development (rolling, crawling, gait) influences adult performance • The consequences of skipped developmental patterns and excessive container time • Common injury patterns caused by poor sequencing: • Lumbar compression in golf • Elbow tendinopathy in tennis • Shoulder overload in throwing athletes • Screening principles to identify power leaks: • Hip IR/ER symmetry • T-spine rotation • Rib cage and pelvic control • Anti-rotation strength • A sequencing-based training progression: • Stability → Controlled Rotation → Dynamic Rotation → High-Velocity PowerThis episode is essential listening for athletes, coaches, parents, and clinicians working with rotational sports such as golf, tennis, baseball, softball, and pickleball.