| Sign in: |
| Members log in here with your user name and password to access the your admin page and other special features. |
|
|
|
|
|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Basketball Claw and you
Robert Scheer, Photographer
 |
Indianapolis | IN | USA | Posted: 11:36 PM on 03.02.11 |
->> Pick up camera A, Put down camera A, Pick up camera B, Put down camera B, Pick up camera A. . . . . . .
Basketball Claw is what I call my right wrist soreness that comes on each March, and hits its zenith if I'm at a Final Four. One, two, three, FOUR games a day, three to five days a week. Preps, college of course, toss in some NBA, it gets nutty.
Last year I hit the Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) like a fiend, which helped. This year, I may have to add a wrist brace (I'm vain about stuff like that), more ice, acupuncture. . .
For you "seasoned" photographers, what tricks do you employ to keep your BC under control? Or do you just embrace it. . . |
|
Darren Whitley, Photographer
|
Northwest Missouri | MO | USA | Posted: 11:54 PM on 03.02.11 |
| ->> Basketball legs... those are legs without any blood circulating in them. That's what i suffer from after sitting on the hardwood. |
|
David Minton, Photographer, Student/Intern
|
Denton | TX | USA | Posted: 12:16 AM on 03.03.11 |
->> Dude I hear ya:
I've noticed a lot of video guys tape their wrists when they have to have their right wrist cranked over all night holding the camera. I bet a lot of us simply hold too much weight at too much of an angle for too long than our bodies can take.
Maybe something like this might help to keep from over extending and overloading your wrist: http://www.mcdavidusa.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=69&DEPARTMENT_ID=56
Also a hand massage from the girlfriend helps. |
|
Clark Brooks, Photo Editor, Photographer
|
Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 12:34 AM on 03.03.11 |
->> Robert,
Get a set of Boading Balls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baoding_Balls) and stick them in your camera bag or photo vest. Between games, at halftime or while transmitting roll these in your shooting hand or both (ideally). Boading balls increase wrist, hand and forearms strength as well as finger dexterity. Correct manipulation offsets the repetitive strain caused from "Pick(ing) up camera A, Put down camera A, Pick up camera B, Put down camera B, Pick up camera A. . . . . . ." Basically, the object is to give the hand different repetitive task to do rest the muscle groups involved in the primary task.
I keep a set on my desk for times when I spend too many hours with my 'mousing' while editing photos or doing design work. A quick five minute 'workout' with them every couple of hours or while I'm thinking/figuring out a design issue helps avoid the soreness from keeping my hand cupped all day over a mouse and right clicking.
HTH |
|
Clark Brooks, Photo Editor, Photographer
|
Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 12:36 AM on 03.03.11 |
->> I wrote, "Basically, the object is to give the hand different repetitive task to do rest the muscle groups involved in the primary task."
It should have said: Basically, the object is to give the hand a different repetitive task to do and rest the muscle groups involved in the primary task. |
|
Chuck Liddy, Photographer
|
Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 1:21 AM on 03.03.11 |
| ->> I use a tennis elbow strap. since I have tendonitis in my right arm. I also have a bunch of exercises that a physical therapist gave me to help "stretch" the muscles....other than that, a 12 pack of beer and five aspirin seem to make my arm feel much better after four games a day during the tourney. |
|
Rick Yeatts, Photographer
|
Dallas | TX | USA | Posted: 11:07 PM on 03.03.11 |
| ->> I shoot with one hand held camera with a Canon lens 28-300. Sure beats switching camera. |
|
Louis Lopez, Photographer
|
Fontana | CA | USA | Posted: 12:04 AM on 03.04.11 |
| ->> I just suck it up... |
|
Eugene P. Tanner, Photographer, Photo Editor
 |
Honolulu | HI | USA | Posted: 2:15 AM on 03.04.11 |
| ->> Try taking Aleve. It's a great for pain relief and it last for 12 hours... |
|
Andrew Richardson, Student/Intern, Photographer
|
Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 2:30 AM on 03.04.11 |
| ->> Much like Charlie Sheen, I cured all my problems (including basketball claw) with my brain. I have a 100% success rate. |
|
Kevin Krows, Photographer
 |
Forsyth | IL | USA | Posted: 4:08 AM on 03.04.11 |
| ->> Have a cheerleader kick you in the head. Your claw pain will immediately be gone! I'm an expert with experience --it works. |
|
Bradley Leeb, Photographer
|
Champaign | IL | USA | Posted: 8:14 AM on 03.04.11 |
| ->> Point and shoot on a monopod |
|
Louis Lopez, Photographer
|
Fontana | CA | USA | Posted: 12:06 PM on 03.04.11 |
| ->> Winning!!! |
|
Jeff Stanton, Photographer
|
Princeton | IN | USA | Posted: 1:15 PM on 03.04.11 |
| ->> I use one camera. It depends on the gym too. I shoot mostly high school and some of the lighting is so bad I need to use a 50 1.4 AFS (Nikon). Therefore, no repetitive motion issue. When I shot at the wrestling state finals recently, again, I used one camera and an 80-200 2.8 AFS for action. For feature shots, I used a 24 mm 2.8. Light and compact. After using multiple cameras and carrying tons of gear around for years, I have a problem with my left shoulder. I have lightened my load considerably because it's just not worth the pain. |
|
Robert Scheer, Photographer
|
Indianapolis | IN | USA | Posted: 3:30 PM on 03.04.11 |
->> @Kevin, Ha! My mom always said stuff like that. If I whined about a skinned knee, she said to whack the other knee with a hammer. Voila!
@LL, I hear you, but, last year I spent all April cranking down just so I could tie my shoes and drive the stick shift without wincing. Sucks getting older. Winning!!! :)
Jeff/Rick, I'm with you, and may shoot some games with the 70-200. Downcourt blowups look great on it with a Mark IV and strobes.
@Eugene, I cranked down four Ibuprofin yesterday before a three-game set, and the wrist feels great now.
Probably posted elsewhere, but did somebody say Charlie Sheen?
Sheen Wars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=665PiWDqXyc |
|
Dennis Wierzbicki, Photographer
|
Plainfield | IL | USA | Posted: 5:45 PM on 03.04.11 |
->> So, Andrew, do you have tiger blood, also?
I'm with Darren - my legs take a beating sitting cross-legged on hardwood floors - more so than my wrists or arms. Shooting 4 games in a day, I sometimes have moved back and forth between the front and back row just to be able to kneel as a change of position for my legs. |
|
Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
|
Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 7:44 AM on 03.05.11 |
| ->> Flexibility and strength training. Simple as that. |
|
Dennis Wierzbicki, Photographer
|
Plainfield | IL | USA | Posted: 12:56 PM on 03.05.11 |
->> @Chuck: "Flexibility and strength training. Simple as that."
Yep, as simple as that PLUS a pair of 20 year-old legs to replace the ones on my 50 year-old body. "Simple" as a leg transplant...or while we're at it, how about a body transplant as long as I'm under and on the table?
I'll keep my 50 year-old mind, though, as it hasn't betrayed me yet. |
|
Phil Hawkins, Photographer
|
Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 2:50 PM on 03.05.11 |
| ->> I've learned how to lance the boils on my arse after sitting in one spot for 10 games in 2 days shooting the CIF Central Section High School BB finals... then sleep for 12 hours straight... |
|
Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
|
Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 6:41 PM on 03.06.11 |
->> @Dennis...damn, will it be that bad in 4 years? :-)
I took a page out of Cal Ripken's book. Had the opportunity to shoot him playing in 2001, and noted his stretching and running routine pre-game.
I'm no iron man...short, fat, and generally out of shape. But...a little stretching pre-game does wonders. Not to mention small dumbells next to the TV remote.
And my abbreviated version of Cal's pre-game workout has also done wonders for my slow-pitch softball career. |
|
Sam Santilli, Photographer, Photo Editor
 |
Philippi | WV | USA | Posted: 3:20 PM on 03.07.11 |
| ->> Glucosamine & Chondroitin plus Blue EMU...both of which can be bought at Sam's Club in large quantities. |
|
Robert Scheer, Photographer
|
Indianapolis | IN | USA | Posted: 7:30 PM on 03.26.11 |
->> Well, update. Good news=I won't have to worry much about Basketball Claw!
Doing a little basketball, (two local high school games today), but not much going on for us with Indianapolis basketball up to this point.
In fact, nobody at my newspaper is really worrying about Basketball Claw this March with our schedule of fun local contests. Some Big Ten hoops a few weeks ago for us, and some good local women's Final Four action next weekend, which should be a good time. |
|
Michael Granse, Photographer
|
Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 9:27 PM on 03.26.11 |
->> Robert, have you tried bracing your hands and wrists at night while you are sleeping? I have been doing this off and on for a couple of years now and after a particularly long day or days of shooting this really makes a difference.
My doctor suggested this and the braces were only a few dollars with my insurance, but even if insurance does not cover them they are probably not terribly expensive. |
|
Robert Scheer, Photographer
|
Indianapolis | IN | USA | Posted: 9:53 PM on 03.26.11 |
->> Thanks Michael, I haven't tried that, and it's a good suggestion. My wife does this for Carpal T., and it helps her a lot.
I should be in good shape this year though, few worries with BC this year. |
|
Mark Sutton, Photographer
 |
Herndon | VA | USA | Posted: 10:24 PM on 03.26.11 |
| ->> Remote two camera's at the opposite basket and two on the nearest basket, one under the media table and one in the stands. Then sit at press row and fire pocket wizards all game. I did it at the last MEAC Tournament I covered when 2 teams I didn't cover where playing and I didn't have much time to check out my focusing like I wanted to. |
|
Return to --> Message Board Main Index
|