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10 Concepts for coaching and developing Change of Direction:
Watch athletes complete lots of different tasks before you intervene, look for movements trends and habits, not for isolated ‘errors’
Challenge athletes in all types of COD task relevant to their sport:
Cuts and curvesMulti-directional initiationsHigh speed cuts and turns Lateral transitional movements
Try and identify where their physical and technical weakness is: Deceleration, reacceleration, plant position (linking between decel and re-accel)This ideally needs some objective data
If you find something you don’t like in their technical execution, think hard about why it might be happening
When does it happen? When doesn’t it? Does it link to your other info?
Once you decide to ‘coach’ something, remember, the task is already complicated, don’t fill people’s heads more that they do themselvesMinimise instruction and let the task do the coaching where possible
Remember most technical models look like linear sprinting plus something else. E.g:Cuts and curves = linear speed with a slight increase in frontal plane force and torso orientationHigh speed, large cuts = the above plus a deceleration component
Use your pre-planned drills to challenge something specific about their execution. Not to always just ask them to complete a route as fast as possible (although there is a place for this)Think about stride characteristics, symmetry, trunk control etc
Improve players ability to control their BOS in order to control their trunk. Being able to control your BOS but not your trunk is a danger zoneThe feet must be effective at moving their shoulders, not just their hips
For injury prevention, ensure they effectively control their trunk, lower their COM, control their entry speed and know when they need to dissipate force eccentrically
Expose them to different angles and approach distances to help them understand their capabilities and how their speed affects their manoeuvrability
