No.2 Scapula / Upper Back The scapula (shoulder blade) is a bit of a strange bone in that is one of the only ones in the body that isn&apost connected to another bone. It essentially “floats” amongst a whole host of different muscles – 17 to be precise. No wonder it is a difficult bone to able to control, especially if you consider that we cant see it perched on the back of the shoulder. It also isn&apost one of the most glamorous parts of the body so doesn&apost get much attention. Not many are likely to complement you on your attractive scapulas after all! The scapula does however have a very important role in functional movement. It has a lot of influence over movement on the shoulder and can either be a great aid or terrible restriction on simple movements like push and pull. The scapula has to be both mobile and stable, there needs to flexibility in the muscles surrounding it but also great control too. What are the common scapula issues? A) Fixed Scapulae They appear glued in one place and don t move with the shoulder. Muscles like pectoralis major and minor are dragging the shoulder and scapula forward and preventing it from moving backward. B) Winging Scapulae The bottom angle of the scapula (shoulder blade) points back and up. Often caused by a combination of tight pecs and/or lack of control in serratus anterior and lower traps. How do my Scapulae (shoulder blades) Relate to my Golf Swing ? The scapula has a huge influence on the movement and function of the shoulder, which affects the elbow, the wrist and ultimately the club. We can have fantastic range of motion in the shoulder but if we are lacking control of the scapula then it is really difficult to get the club set in the right position and we have to make an inefficient compensation somewhere else in our swing. Here are a few exercises that will help you develop scapula control and awareness. These should be done on a daily basis if possible, try 3 sets of between 30-60 seconds for each exercise. Nick Randall is a Strength and Conditioning Coach, Presenter, Rehab Expert and Massage Therapist contracted by Golf Australia and Golf Queensland to work with their top elite players. Nick has recently developed and launched a comprehensive Golf Fitness app along with other golf fitness resources and products, available on his website www.golffitapp.com