Reactive Change of Direction Drill

-March 2nd, 2012-

I have seen a lot of agility/movement skills videos on the internet, and there aren’t many of them that I have liked and wanted to share.

It’s usually random stuff, with very little coaching or technique other than someone yelling ‘faster’!

Or it’s completely ridiculous stuff.

But today I came across this video of Matt Zash training his movement skills on STACK TV.

Strength Coach Justin Kull is actually coaching the technique of the movements, not just yelling random buzzwords with no guidance on how to improve the movements.

The focus on technique is key! Technique is more important than speed when training, as you are trying to teach the body a more effective and efficient way to move.

Head and Chest up, Feet point straight ahead, hips square in the crossover run, weight on inside foot when changing direction, positive shin angles, feet shoulder width apart.

Great tips to remember!

Adding the reactionary component, where Matt has to change direction on the coaches signal, increases the level of difficulty of the drill.

Usually the athlete’s form will really breakdown here, but because Matt has been taught how to move properly prior to this, he does a good job of maintaining the technique.

This is a simple drill you can try at the park or on the field with a friend, taking turns directing the other person. Just remember to not just move, but move with purpose mastering the technique before speeding up the drill.

Tags: agility, change of direction, crossover run, lateral movement skills, matt zash, shuffle, stack tv