Deceleration in Sport
“All gas, all breaks?”
There’s nothing like hearing the crowd scream “OHH!” when someone gets their ankles broken. No matter how many times you see someone get eaten by the turf monster or snipped, you know you don’t want it to be you who ends up on the highlight reel - or do you?
What if YOU could be the one out there making people miss? Have you ever wanted to become more elusive or shifty? We’ve all seen dudes like Mike Vick & Kyrie Irving showcase elite agility, but how do we tap into similar skillsets? I’m going to share with you some of the secrets behind “stoping on a dime” so you can be on the positive side of the next highlight reel.
First, we need to understand that in order to stop (decelerate) there are numerous things our body & brain need to accomplish. Let’s start with our body. A 2022 study by Damian J. Harper & colleagues notes,
“Intense horizontal decelerations require application of high braking forces in very short time periods to enable rapid reductions in whole body momentum,” (Harper et al., 2022).
Basically, if you want to decelerate efficiently, you will need to generate & apply lots of force into the ground - quickly. So, how do we go about training for that?
Perform single-leg exercises (reduces asymmetry between limbs)
Execute depth jumps & other types of plyometrics (enhances preactivation & tissue tolerance)
Develop strength in the ankles, knees, & hips (allows force absorption & application)
Practice quick hops, drops, jabs, etc (accentuates rate of force development)
Now, those are only a few examples of things you can do to improve your ability to decelerate. As always, make sure you are cleared to exercise & are under supervision of an exercise professional if necessary.
As previously mentioned, our brains play an incredible role in decelerating. The ground breaking, new study goes on in further detail,
“Similar to horizontal accelerations, horizontal decelerations require a highly co-ordinated sequence of lower-limb movements and rapid postural adjustments to achieve an effective application of braking force,” (Harper et al., 2022).
In other words, all the previously mentioned training wouldn’t matter unless we execute the correct technique. You see, our brain is constantly providing & receiving feedback from/to our body. In this case, knowing the necessary body positioning & posture enables us to produce the force required to stop our momentum. Below are a few common examples for deceleration technique:
Lower vertical & more posterior center of mass (COM)
Knees bent, hips back
This helps with stability & force application into the ground
Striking the ground “heel-first” in front of the body
Allows proper orientation of force application
Aids in absorbing the shock from the ground
Control the trunk/torso
Tight core, shoulders drop with hips
Forward trunk lean may increase lowering of COM & activation of hamstrings
Now, I know there’s a lot of information here (30+ pages of scientific literature summed up), but hopefully it provides you insight on how stop more efficiently & ways you can train for it. If you liked what you read or want to be trained to break ankles, click/tap the button below to sign-up for a FREE agility & deceleration consultation with New Wave Performance. Don’t wait, start making plays now!
