Reviews of Lee Tafts Speed and Agility Certification

Lee Taft, known to most but as "The Speed Guy," is highly respected as 1 of the peak able-bodied movement specialists. He has taught his multidirectional speed methods to top performance coaches and fettle professionals all over the world.

Since 1989, Lee has taught foundational movement to outset youngsters and helped athletes ranging from the immature amateur to professional person levels become quicker, faster, and stronger. Lee'south entire philosophy is based off ane of his almost notable quotes: "Learning athletic movement correctly from the outset is the foundation for athletic success."

With the release of Ground Breaking Athletic Motilityin 2003, Lee revolutionized the fitness industry with his motility techniques for multidirectional speed. His innovative approach to training has impacted how athletic motility speed is taught. Lee brought to light the importance and fine points of the "plyo step," "hip turn," "directional crossover step," and athletic opinion. According to Lee, "Speed and agility done right is nearly making sure we marry the natural movements athletes have with effective and efficient body command to maximize speed and quickness."

Freelap U.s.: What are some key distinctive movements of change of direction in team sport that coaches should exist familiar with? (I believe these are "linking movements.")

Lee Taft: This is a swell question and very of import for coaches to empathize. If I am not mistaken, I believe you are asking almost the repositioning movements that occur out of a reactive state. These movements are hardwired into the neural system and are an indispensable attribute of the fight or flight response.

The movements I will mention fall under the category of "repositioning steps." When an athlete rapidly accelerates frontward or on an angle forrad, I termed this move a "plyo-footstep." It is most unremarkably known, incorrectly I might add, as a "false step." The reason it was chosen a false step is considering coaches thought athletes were actually stepping backwards. In reality, the athlete is instinctively repositioning 1 foot behind the center of mass in order to have a proper force application bending to move the middle of mass forrad, or in whatever direction of travel. This activeness of repositioning the foot backside the trunk opens the joint angles of the human knee and hip and creates a "stiffness" that induces a stretch shortening cycle response (SSC), besides known equally an rubberband response. This action lone creates quickness—which is what athletes want.

Video 1. In the 'plyo-step,' an athlete instinctively repositions ane human foot behind the center of mass. This repositioning opens the joint angles of the knee and hip and creates a 'stiffness' that induces a stretch shortening cycle response (SSC), also known every bit an elastic response. This action creates quickness.

Another movement that falls under the repositioning category is known as the "hip turn." The hip turn is performed when the athlete of a sudden realizes they have to retreat backwards. A typical activeness might exist that of a lawn tennis player at the net having to quickly turn and run to chase a lob, or a baseball player chasing pop-fly hits over their head. The principles are identical to the plyo-footstep.

The hip turn simply replaces what we usually phone call a pivot. The pivot, when an athlete is trying to exist explosively quick, creates too much friction and poor force application angles. The body'due south natural trend is to reposition by moving 1 foot forward, contrary the direction of travel, equally the hips open in the management of travel. Again, like the plyo-step, the hip-plow is a reaction to the athlete having to accomplish a task quickly.

Video two. The 'hip turn' replaces the pivot. The body's natural trend is to reposition by moving ane foot forward, contrary the direction of travel, as the hips open in the direction of travel.

Another reactive repositioning action that is innate to an athlete'due south sudden need to move speedily is known as a "directional step." The directional stride, unlike the plyo-step and hip-plough, comes from the action of the front leg—not the back or pushing leg. This is more of "training footstep."

The directional pace allows the athlete to have efficient pushing mechanics during the #acceleration, says @leetaft. Click To Tweet

What I mean by this is when an athlete is going to take off and run laterally from the management they are facing—let's say a tennis player or softball infielder having to quickly motion to their right­—the lead foot unweights itself and externally rotates via the hip. This activeness occurs while the behind human foot pushes the athlete's center of mass (COM) over the lead foot.

This atomic number 82 foot, by doing a directional step, is preparing to take over the strength production duties once the dorsum leg has finished pushing (this is called the gait bike) and drive down and back. If the atomic number 82 foot remains perpendicular to the direction of travel and is used to produce force at the same fourth dimension as the rear leg, the coordination of the gait cycle is disrupted, and force is dissipated. The goal of the directional step is to allow the athlete to take efficient and effective pushing mechanics throughout the acceleration.

Video 3. The directional step's purpose is to enable the athlete to accept efficient and effective pushing mechanics throughout the acceleration.

Freelap United states: What tend to exist the biggest deficiencies in these key linking movements?

Lee Taft: The merely deficiencies that can be seen are when athletes apply poor postures or techniques during these repositioning actions. And then, the reaction is correct, but the postures, limb movements, and overall deportment to advance might be poor. For case, a soccer player may have a ball chipped over their caput and have to quickly plow and run—they volition most likely apply the hip turn. If they drop their head and shoulders too much during the acceleration, information technology will pb to less-effective acceleration.

The other potential deficiencies in these movements tin can stalk from a lack of mobility and/or stability. When an athlete lacks mobility of their talocrural joint articulation, the power to create force into the ground quickly during a hip plough, plyo-step, or directional step volition be compromised. The issue is the athlete is unable to properly dorsiflex (load the talocrural joint articulation in flexion) and, therefore, a distortion in joint loading and posture results.

Freelap United states: What are some ways to know when to double-decker a movement and when to go out information technology alone, particularly for novices in movement training and immature coaches?

Lee Taft: I really dearest this question because information technology brings us to the "art" of coaching. Only because we know how to coach, doesn't mean nosotros have to talk and instruct every second of every training session. Athletes learn from feel and feedback. What I hateful is, if an athlete performs a skill and it feels bad-mannered to them, but they actually performed it correctly, they need the feedback and reassurance it was done correct and to continue going. Also, if they performed the skill incorrectly only it felt right to them, the coach needs to give feedback urging better technique.

Later on I teach skills to athletes, I allow them time to fail their manner to success, says @leetaft. Click To Tweet

One of my rules when I teach skills to athletes is to permit them fourth dimension to fail their way to success. This means, when an athlete fails in their execution of a skill, it is about likely due to not having a clean motor programme already written for that new pattern. And then, the encephalon needs to have multiple attempts thrown at information technology to write the proper sequence of patterns. If the athlete clearly understands the actions of performing the skill correctly, simply just hasn't felt it enough, I give them time to "neglect their way to success." A great example of this would be a immature basketball player learning to shoot a layup. They know what it looks like and understand the mechanics of lifting the same knee as the shooting arm—only they haven't developed the coordination, balance of the ball, and release sequence yet. So, I give them time with simply slight guided feedback.

If the skill I'g educational activity is very challenging—let'south say I'chiliad education the triple jump—and so I give much more feedback and many more coaching strategies right at the start. The reason for this is because the skill is not only challenging from a coordination standpoint, but has some inherent danger to it if done incorrectly.

1 of the greatest examples of learning through feel is learning to ride a bike. As a parent, I can say whatever I desire, but the child has to feel what it means to conform and balance to stay upright on the cycle. This only improves with time. On the other end of the spectrum, a skill that needs a lot of instruction is shot putting. The deportment of how to movement beyond the circle, get into the ability position, and release the shot without stepping out of the circle accept progressive teaching.

Freelap USA: Looking at all of the cueing and instruction methods out at that place to set up athlete technique, what are the best means to make new motility patterns "stick," in your experience?

Lee Taft: Without question, my become-to strategy is to make the skill relevant to sporting situations. Past doing so I can make the skill stick because information technology adds association to the athlete'south memory bank. The first ii questions outlined the importance of how innate the reactive footwork is based on completing a job. Well, it is my responsibility as a double-decker to stay aligned with this reactive nature of sport movement, so I try to put my athletes in scenarios similar to what they experience in games.

Examples of this are partner reactive movements. If I am working on a skill such as a hip turn and accelerate, I will have a partner endeavor to fake the run past the defender to the right or left side. The defender must read, react, and execute. I become to evaluate and give feedback on the spot if needed. This instant clan to the bodily sport skill is crucial in the edifice of subconscious call back of recognized patterns.

Without question, my become-to strategy is to brand the skill relevant to sporting situations, says @leetaft. Click To Tweet

To become a bit deeper on this strategy, I believe athletes learn instinctive, reactive movement by being put in situations that draw that out of them (game-like situations). Now, if I can design drills that drive these patterns and actions repetitively, not only exercise I get a clear view of what needs to be cued or focused on, the athlete gets real-time intrinsic feedback and self-regulating stimuli. This goes back to an earlier question on how much practise we, equally coaches, interject? My answer is as lilliputian as possible while keeping the athlete on the right path to competency.

Freelap USA: What are some of your favorite drills that besides serve as assessments?

Lee Taft: This is i of my greatest strengths as a coach. The ability to design drills or exercises that bulldoze the patterns, reactions, and positions I desire to assess in my athletes.

Hither is a listing of 3 of my favorite drills/exercises to assess my athlete's movement quality:

1. Brawl Drops: A ball drop is pretty much what it sounds like. I drop a lawn tennis brawl from shoulder height, standing anywhere from 10-15 feet from the athlete. The athlete must grab the brawl before the second bounce. If I am looking to drive and appraise the directional step, I have the athlete face sideways before accelerating. To assess the hip turn they face backwards, and to appraise the linear acceleration blueprint I have them face forwards—ordinarily the plyo-step follows. I tin can assess torso postures, limb actions, and strength awarding angles.
2. Shuttle Run: A typical 15- to 30-yard shuttle run where the athlete must alter direction at a predetermined line. This form of drill is not a reactive drill, merely it allows me to dive into how the athlete manages force absorption and production, besides as how they produce angles of application.
3. Tag Activities: I have dissimilar tag games based on the types of movements I want to assess. If the athlete is involved in a sport where dodging is important (running back in football game), I put them in tag scenarios where they must avert being tagged while trying to become past their opponent. If they are a goalie, I can use tag games where they must tag opponents attempting to cross a line they are protecting, so lateral move is important, and then on.

Video four. In 'Goalie Tag,' the goalie has to movement laterally only to stop the partner from crossing past the cones.

Video 5. In 'Box Tag,' where the 2 partners come up at each other, the girl tries to tag the boy and he tries to avert being tagged for equally long equally he can. It typically takes identify in a volleyball courtroom size area. Goalie Tag improves lateral abilities while the Box Tag game is for dodging on the defensive side and the offensive person tries to cut off angles and corner the partner.

I know it is much easier to teach drills that are apposite, such as cone drills. I likewise sympathise they look much meliorate to those who evaluate our training sessions. These drills often look great on the exterior only lack consistency, with an athlete having to read their environment to attain a task. My training, which I call "The Reactive Tier System for Speed," is built around allowing athletes to move reactively first, and so including correctives based on what was observed or what is commonly a faulty design.

Since you lot're hither…
…we accept a small-scale favor to inquire. More than people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Delight take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments beneath, and link to manufactures when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

davisforritan69.blogspot.com

Source: https://simplifaster.com/articles/lee-taft-speed-agility-team-sports/

Share this post