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Hip · Tennis or lacrosse ball

Inner-thigh ball

Soften the inner thigh so the knee is less likely to cave, then load it on purpose.

45–60 seconds per side
Tennis or lacrosse ball

Why we use it

Inner thighs that stay short and guarded make split stance and a Copenhagen feel impossible. A ball here is specific. Do not roll the groin itself.

A ball or roller can briefly turn down guarding and make a joint easier to move. It does not break scar tissue, melt fascia, or diagnose what hurts. The useful window is short — that is why every technique ends with a drill from the program.

Start here

Lie face down or on your side. Ball under the inner thigh, well below the groin and well above the inner knee.

How to

  1. 1Place the ball in the middle of the inner thigh.
  2. 2Let a little weight in. Tiny rocks along the muscle, not into the pelvis.
  3. 3Bend and straighten the knee slowly if it helps you find the line.
  4. 4Stay off the groin. Stay off the inner knee joint.
  5. 5Then do a short Copenhagen or a 90/90 switch.

Feel for

A line of dull pressure along the inner thigh. No pinch in the groin.

Breathing

Breathe into the inner thigh. Do not hold.

Do this

  • — Mid-thigh. Not the groin. Not the joint.
  • — Small rocks.
  • — If you cannot breathe, take weight off.

Common mistakes

  • — Sliding the ball into the groin.
  • — Jamming the inner knee.
  • — Turning it into a split that the hip cannot own yet.

Easier · Harder

Easier: Tennis ball against a wall, standing, inner thigh to the wall.

Harder: Lacrosse ball on the floor, slightly more weight.

Stop if

Pinch in the groin, numbness, or pain at the inner knee.

Then move: Short Copenhagen or 90/90 Hip Switches.

Then do the drill

Short Copenhagen

Load the inner thigh so the knee is less likely to cave in.

90/90 Hip Switches

Own turning both hips in and out so the low back can stop making up for them.

Related patterns

One hip taking over
Knee caving in

Same area

Front-outside hip ball
Back-of-hip ball
Front-of-hip ball

This is education for your own body. It is not a way to diagnose or treat a problem, and it is not a substitute for a clinician. These self-massage techniques are not a training method, and they are not to be used on other people.

All self-massage