Why is it that some kids who are really fairly slow in sprinting but can move so quick on the court? The reason is they have the ability to control their bodies when changing direction better than the rest.
When I teach deceleration I break down the components of it so the athlete is safe and can understand what I am explaining. I show them foot and ankles positions and how the knees, hips and back should be positioned so they can make corrections if need. The single most important part of deceleration is the re-acceleration. If two athletes are changing direction at the same location and get to the location at the exact same time, the athlete that can go from an eccentric load to and concentric load quicker will always be quicker on the court.
Coaches need to be aware of the goal of deceleration. It certainly should be taught to protect the athlete against injury. The most important aspect regarding quickness is to teach the deceleration move so they can get to where they really want to be. In other words, when I decelerate at the first 5 yard mark in a 5-10-5 test my goal isn’t to stop at the first 5 yard mark. It is to get to the next 10 yard mark as fast as possible.
In order to accomplish this mind set we need to educate our athletes on how to decelerate with a purpose and change direction better. Here are some random pointers:
1. When an athlete knows where he or she is going to decelerate to change direction, like a 5-10-5 test, they should begin the deceleration process early before they get to the line. This is accomplished by beginning to lean as they turn and be ready to push off immediately.
2. If the athletes doesn’t know when or when they are going to change direction, like most random based reactionary sports, they have to understand a couple concepts:
a. Play in the tunnel- this means to stay low, control the up and down wasted motion of the hips, control the swaying of the shoulders, and learn to quickly reposition the feet from under the hips to create a great deceleration and re-acceleration angle.
3. Make the athlete practice changing direction on each leg. You might find an asymmetry when they use their left leg compared to their right leg. If this is the case make sure you address the issue and clean up the left foot deceleration move.
4. Be certain that they have adequate ankle dorsi-flexion and can load the ankle properly. This action is the engine that drives the big muscles of the body.
The next time you are teaching shuttle drills or random cutting or change of direction drills make sure your athletes have efficient mechanics, but change the mental approach from being good at decelerate to being great at getting out of the deceleration move. Remember, you don’t receive a blue ribbon for stopping better than everyone else if that is only half the race. Finish the race by getting out of the deceleration move.
