Zamst Compression Gear - Fitness Product Review

[GolfSpy Dave]

 

Injuries Happen

Let's face facts; our bodies are not always 100%. There are days when the old bod gets a little creaky, swollen, and sometimes downright sore. Golf is a physical activity permeated with repetitive swing motions. Isn't that what we shoot for? Don't we all want to swing the club the same way every time? Repetitive motion is a dangerous goal though. Just ask anyone who fights off the hell that is carpel tunnel syndrome.

 

To be fair, my golf swing is very anti-repetitive in motion. I'm using different muscles in different ways each time I put the metal in motion. It's an all-inclusive swing. In spite of this, soreness and minor injuries come around here and there.

 

At this point, I chalk the aches mainly up to being in my transitioning-to-old years. Even a fine-tuned engine develops some wear over time. But even the young and spry can get injured too. I hope nobody had a bet on Rory McIlroy FC winning The Open...

 

Sore Muscles and Joints Mean No Golf

Let's get to the meat of the argument. If you are sore or hurt then you can't play golf. That's why we are all here, right? You are reading this right now because you are trapped at a computer when you would rather be out playing golf. We concede that jobs, families, and other important things will eat into our golf time. Injuries though, that we can't tolerate.

 

Should an injury happen, we want to heal as fast as possible and get back to complaining about lousy luck in sand traps. It's even better if we can prevent that injury in the first place.

 

I'm Not A Doctor

Let's get one thing perfectly clear before I go any further into this discussion. I am not a doctor, and I am not here to give you any medical advice. I am coming to you to share my experiences from a layperson's perspective. If you are injured, go see your doctor and go from there. Turning to a golf forum for diagnosis is not a good plan.

 

Adonis has a couple of Achilles Heels

How's that for a mess of ancient history? Though I have spent the better part of the past two years getting in the best shape of my adult life, I do have a couple of problem areas that are prone to strain and soreness. I know that my un-sequence-able swing puts some extra stress on my left ankle and left shoulder. Never so much that it takes me into what I would call “pain”, but enough soreness sometimes that I actually consider not hitting balls the following day. Running is not my Achilles tendon's best friend.

 

Truth be told, I'm not a good “rest and let it heal guy”. I'm much more of an “ice it while relaxing with a beer when I get home” guy. My schedule is so ridiculously busy these days that if I have a window to actually hit a golf ball with a metal stick, I don't want to worry about being too sore to do so. No, playing hurt is not a good plan, and I'm not talking about hurt, just a bit sore, fatigued, and looking for some support. I'd love to prevent injuries since I'm not really good at letting them heal.

 

Brace Yourself for Zamst

Zamst was a new company for me. I learned about them during a conversation permeated by my complaining (just a bit) about my ankle and shoulder issues. I didn't know about Zamst, but some pretty big time athletes do. Von Miller from the Denver Broncos uses Zamst, as does that MVP Steph Curry guy. If athletes trust their million dollar bodies to Zamst gear, I should probably take a look for my still-amateur-status body as well.

 

 

Here are some other athletes using Zamst products. Big names. It's worth the CLICK.

 

Before Injury Happens

I've got more than one brace and compression apparatus floating around HQ. I've got them for ankles, wrists, knees, and every other body part that has gone south at one time or another. Thing is, after reading about the Zamst gear, I realized that I may have been approaching using them the wrong way. While I know that compression shorts and socks are great for run support, I was only wearing the joint braces after injury had already occurred.

 

Zamst gear, I learned, helps you to prevent the injury from even happening in the first place. Zamst gear is to be worn while you compete. Steph Curry rocks his ankle gear to prevent injuries from happening, not to heal them. What a concept.

 

Anyway, here are a couple of the specific Zamst products that I was able to try out.

 

Zamst Achilles, Shoulder Wrap, and Ice Wrap

 

The Zamst AT-1 is their Achilles tendon compression wrap. The overall goal of the wrap is to “reduce tension on the Achilles tendon as a heel strike occurs.” Basically, pre-wrapping the Achilles with the AT-1 will reduce strain on the tendon and thus should reduce tendon stress and the likelihood of tendon injury.

 

 

The AT-1 does take a bit of practice to get on correctly. Instructions are good, but there are quite a few Velcro tabs to get into place. Once on, it stays put. It does take a bit of finesse to get the sock over the AT-1, but it's not a big deal. I had to re-lace the shoe too in order to get a comfortable fit, but it fits.

 

Does it work? I can feel that it definitely provides support for the ankle and Achilles, but I'm not real sure how to quantify “working”. It really does provide more support than other ankle socks that I have used, and my Achilles is pain free, so I'll take that as working.

 

 

The Shoulder Wrap is an interesting contraption. In simplest terms, it is like a sleeve with a strap. Really though, there is more going on than that. A while ago, I researched options for shoulder assistance when mine started acting up. Nearly everything that I read said that it was the toughest joint to support because of its wide range of motion. I've used KT Tape on my Achilles with success, but the scheme to tape the shoulder was way to complicated for this novice.

 

Using Shoulder Wrap falls at the other end of the spectrum. It's easy to put on and adjust to fit. To avoid gratuitous shots of my nipples, I am wearing the wrap over a shirt in the photos, but it really fits best on the skin. Over the shirt it slides a bit more than it does on bare skin. It also made me feel like a Roman gladiator.

 

Are you not entertained?

 

You can feel the compression and a bit of warmth when you wear the Shoulder Wrap, but it doesn't restrict the golf swing like I thought it might. Your mileage may vary on this, but I've hit balls with it on and I didn't see an impact on my swing. Granted, nothing impacts my swing much these days...

 

 

Both the AT-1 and the Shoulder Wrap did get a bit warm and sweaty when I used them this summer. They wick the sweat fairly well, but they can't get all of the heat out when it's 105° on the course. Thankfully, they do clean up pretty easily in the sink with mild soap and water, air drying quickly as well.

 

 

Should the preventive measures not totally work, Zamst also makes a very cool icing system. The IW-2 set comes with two ice bags and a neoprene/Velcro belt. The ice bags are really the killer apps for this one. I have a couple of icing systems that use blue ice packs for cold delivery. Those work great, until I find that my daughter has used them to “cool down her bed” and not replaced them in the freezer.

 

 

These I can fill with replenishing ice machine ice, slide the bags into the belt, and off I go to cold comfort. There are a couple of spots where the ice bag can be inserted, allowing you to place it on the area of concern. I've used this to ice the shoulder and the low back and it works comfortably on both. It's not cheap at $79.99, but it does work really well to ice my trouble areas.

 

Add Zamst To The Injury Prevention List

If you have some trouble areas with the old body, take a look at what Zamst has to offer. I am sure that there are cheaper options at your local CVS, but in my experience, the Zamst products are of higher quality and they actually work as intended. Don't take my word for it though. If Steph Curry can trust his MVP ankles to Zamst, you can probably trust them as well.

[wbealsd]

Thanks!  I too, had never heard of Zamst, but I'm going to check out the shoulder wrap since I'll always have some issues with the one I dislocated last year.

[fozcycle]

Great review......much needed braces for a lot of us.

 

I currently use the ankle brace from ASO...

 

 

I have been using this for about a month now and have adapted to wearing a crew sock on my left foot with the ankle brace and a low cut on om right......By summer's end, my tan line will be pretty screwed up....LOL

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

The shoulder rig looks like just the ticket -- been having rotator cuff issues all season.  It doesn't hurt when I play, but afterwards - golly Moses!!!  Sucks when your body is out of warranty....

[fozcycle]

The shoulder rig looks like just the ticket -- been having rotator cuff issues all season.  It doesn't hurt when I play, but afterwards - golly Moses!!!  Sucks when your body is out of warranty....

 

One of my golf buddies was just told he needed rotator cup surgery.......guess that will put him out of action for awhile....

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

One of my golf buddies was just told he needed rotator cup surgery.......guess that will put him out of action for awhile....

 

That's why I'm avoiding the doctor until November at the earliest!!

[Kenny B]

My orthopedic surgeon said that November is one of his busiest months for surgery because of sports activities.  I suppose that in Florida and Arizona most of these surgeries happen in May.  

[fozcycle]

My orthopedic surgeon said that November is one of his busiest months for surgery because of sports activities.  I suppose that in Florida and Arizona most of these surgeries happen in May.  

 

 

I guess it really doesn't matter in Florida, as we play all year round.....LOL

[wbealsd]

I guess it really doesn't matter in Florida, as we play all year round.....LOL

Rub it in, rub it in...

[fozcycle]

Rub it in, rub it in...

 

That's why I choose to live and retire in Sunny Florida!

 

Got a nice club where I can play year round and a great bunch of guys to play with.

 

Life is Good!

[Kenny B]

That's why I choose to live and retire in Sunny Florida!

Got a nice club where I can play year round and a great bunch of guys to play with.

Life is Good!

Foz, I've been to Florida many times in the summer. I know why the Snowbirds head back north for the summer! Other than the humidity, bugs, storms, it's great! Courses were relatively empty and cheap. I played a lot in Naples and bought a "lung card" which got you tee times on private courses for the price of a cart. Great deal.

 

But I am not sure that I could live there in the summer. If I lived there and needed surgery. I would do it in May because I wouldn't miss playing in the summer as much as when the weather is a little more pleasant.

 

See you in February... and the weather better be nice!!

[Hula Rock]

temped to get the shoulder wrap, only thing holding me up is the constant 100+ degree weather here in South Texas.