Approach and Stick
Quick Information
Category
Deceleration & Braking
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Cones
Primary muscle group
Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary muscle groups
Hamstrings, Calves, Core
Movement pattern
Deceleration Landing
Training goal
Deceleration
Sport
General Athletic Development, Football, Soccer, Basketball, Hockey, Sprinting
Overview
Purpose. Develop horizontal braking impulse at progressively higher entry velocities, which is the closest thing to a pure deceleration exercise that exists.
How it fits the system. A beginner-level deceleration landing entry in the Deceleration & Braking section, programmed to develop deceleration. Related work in the library: Split-Stance Drop and Stick and 45-Degree Cut Drill.
Primary muscles
Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings, Calves, Core
Movement pattern
Deceleration Landing
Equipment
Cones
Difficulty
Beginner
How to Perform
1. Take two or three approach steps, or a short jog-in, towards a marked line.2. Plant on one leg and lower the hips to absorb the momentum.3. Hold a stable single-leg position with the knee tracking over the foot.4. Stick the landing for two to three seconds with no extra steps.5. Walk back and reset before the next repetition.
Coaching Cues
Get your feet in front of you; sit back into the stop; short, choppy, aggressive steps; stick it and hold for two seconds; knees over the middle of the foot, not inside it.
Common Mistakes
Gliding to a stop instead of braking; stopping tall through the knee only; letting the knee drift inward on the final step; rounding the lower back to slow the trunk.
Progressions & Regressions
Progressions
5 m approach, then 10 m, then 15 m, then 20 m; then stop on a visual or auditory cue delivered late; then stop and redirect.
Regressions
jog-in deceleration; walk-in deceleration; deceleration into an uphill run-out.
When to Use It
When to use
early in a session when the nervous system is fresh, on a day with at least 48 hours before competition.
When not to use
when the athlete cannot yet hold a snap-down position, or in a fatigued state where technique will degrade.
Programming
4 to 8 repetitions total at maximal entry velocity, with 60 to 120 seconds of rest. Treat it like sprinting, not like conditioning.
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