50 Words or Less
The Hyperice Vyper vibrating roller is an excellent tool for warming up and recovering. Expensive but worth it.
Introduction
It’s 2016, so I’m not exactly breaking new ground when I tell you that foam rolling can be a very important ingredient in maintaining mobility. If you’re a modern golfer/athlete, you probably own a foam roller yourself. What I want to share with you today are my thoughts on the Hyperice Vyper, a foam roller that vibrates. Hyperice makes the bold (and awesome) claim that “if a foam roller is a sword, the Vyper is a light saber.” I wanted to see if that was true.
Effectiveness
First of all, the vibration is no joke. On level one (there are three levels), you get a substantial massage. It’s the only level I’ve used for an extended period. The other two levels are for people with serious knots in their muscles and/or a high tolerance for discomfort.
The benefit of the vibration is that it does what a foam roller does but faster and more completely. I notice this most in warm ups. I can spend a couple minutes on the Vyper and feel ready to lift, run, swing, etc. With a regular roller, even after a longer session, I feel like I need to ease into my activity. I feel the same benefits in recovery: a couple minutes on the Vyper and I feel refreshed and loose again, a feeling that takes much longer to achieve with a standard roller.
Clinical Testing
You don’t need to take my word for the effectiveness of the Vyper, it’s been tested by experts. Jean-Jacques Rivet, Head of Sport Performance & Applied Biomechanics at ETPI, and Martin Pronko, Biomechanics Engineer at Biomecaswing Sport Performance Center, studied the effects of the Vyper on 12 professional or top amateur golfers.
Each golfer used the Vyper for ten sessions (six minutes each) over three weeks. The researchers saw a gain in posterior muscle chain elasticity of 7.154 cm. That may not mean anything to you, but this will: they increased the carry distance on their 6 iron by 5.5 yards. For a top flight golfer to gain that kind of distance in three weeks, with just one hour of work, is pretty impressive.
Value
The Hyperice Vyper retails for $199. Yes, this is many times more than the basic foam rollers you can get at Target or even the fancy name brand rollers. However, the difference between standard foam rolling and Vyper-ing (yes, I made that up) cannot be overstated. For athletes who are serious about their warm up and recovery, the Vyper is an investment worth making.
Conclusion
If you’ve never used a foam roller before, it’s time to get out from under that rock and try one. Dip your toe in the pool with a $20 roller. When you realize the impact it can have on how you move, or if you already know, and you’re ready to take that to the next level, step up to the Hyperice Vyper. This is the easiest way I know to upgrade your warm up and recovery.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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