BEST USED FOR
DRY TEST · LEVEL 1 MOBILITY
Dryland Mobility Assessment
A standardized field screen of shoulder, thoracic, hip, hamstring and ankle mobility relevant to swimming positions. It records exact measures and compensations without converting them into a medical diagnosis.PRIMARY OUTPUT
Measures plus context
Degrees, centimeters, side-to-side differences, active/passive differences and compensation notes.IMPORTANT LIMIT
Not a diagnosis
No single angle proves the cause of restriction or predicts pain, injury or swimming performance by itself.THE ASSESSMENT
Ten standardized mobility measures
Administer in the published order with the same assessor, device, warm-up and setup whenever possible.- AActive wall streamlineReach quality and compensation
- BPassive supine shoulder flexionDegrees left/right
- CSupine shoulder external/internal rotationER, IR and total arc left/right
- DBroom overhead reachAngle or standardized quality
- ESupine chest-opening screenSide comparison and compensation
- FSeated thoracic rotationDegrees left/right
- GThoracic extension screenStandardized qualitative result
- HHip internal/external rotationIR, ER and total arc left/right
- IModified Thomas hip-flexor screenPosition, angle and compensation
- JActive and passive straight-leg raiseDegrees left/right
- KAnkle dorsiflexion and plantar flexionKnee-to-wall cm and plantar-flexion degrees
PRINTABLE COACH FORMS
Download the standardized materials
The packet includes the TEAMGOLDUSA cover, complete protocol, multi-athlete field sheet, interpretation boundaries and hot scientific-journal links.INTERPRETATION
Keep the profile—not one total score.
- Retain exact values and the measurement method.
- Compare left and right only under the same setup.
- Separate active control from passive range.
- Document pain and compensation rather than explaining their cause.
- Use longitudinal change with growth, training load, technique and symptoms.
- Refer concerning or painful findings through the appropriate clinical pathway.
SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
Supporting context and measurement research
The evidence does not support using shoulder range of motion alone as a universal injury predictor. These links support swimmer context, measurement reliability and trunk-roll relevance.- McKenzie et al. — Shoulder pain and injury risk factors in competitive swimmersScandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports · DOI ↗
- Hibberd et al. — Effect of swim training on adolescent physical characteristicsAmerican Journal of Sports Medicine · DOI ↗
- Andersen et al. — Shoulder and hip roll at different front-crawl speedsJournal of Strength and Conditioning Research · DOI ↗
- Johnson et al. — Reliability of thoracic rotation measurementsJournal record ↗
- Kolber et al. — Reliability and validity of active shoulder mobility measuresJournal record ↗
COMMON QUESTIONS
Mobility assessment FAQ
Is the mobility assessment a medical screen?
No. It is a repeatable coach-administered performance screen and does not diagnose injury, identify a tissue restriction or clear an athlete to participate.
Does TEAMGOLDUSA use one passing score?
No. Exact values, left-right comparisons, compensations, symptoms and change under the same protocol are retained separately.
Why measure active and passive straight-leg raise?
Recording both describes the difference between active control and available passive range. The difference does not diagnose its cause.
What happens if an athlete has pain?
Stop the test, document the symptom and follow parent or guardian communication, individualized restrictions and qualified clinical referral procedures.
Stop for pain or concerning symptoms
Do not force end range. Stop for pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, dizziness, apprehension or guarding. This assessment does not replace a clinician, preparticipation evaluation, individualized restriction, return-to-participation plan or emergency action plan.