Learning how to decelerate the way to get to the ball quicker - and keep it

COACHES' CORNER SLOW DOWN TO GET UP SPEED:Coaching experts JIM KILTYand LIAM HENNESSYdiscuss ways to Get Faster by Slowing Down

DID YOU know that improving your skill at slowing down will speed you up? For those involved in any of the field or court sports where deceleration is important then improving your skill at slowing down will help you perform better.

Just as a player will practice the skills of kicking, striking, pulling, throwing and so forth, he or she should also practice the skill of quickly slowing down.

The skill of slowing down demands that the player takes more control of the way the body balances and stabilises during the final steps into taking possession or challenging an opponent.

Take a Gaelic footballer, for example, who is accelerating to a stationary ball 10 metres away. In order to get to the ball he must firstly accelerate from his starting position and then – as quickly as possible – slow down approaching the ball and ensure he can gain possession at his first attempt.

He will flex or bend at his knees and hips as he approaches the ball. Getting himself into a strong balanced position is crucial as he needs to be able to withstand the physical contact that is part and parcel of contact sports. Believe it or not, this is a skill poorly executed by many players in games such as soccer, rugby, hurling, hockey, basketball and Gaelic football.

Consider how many times a player looks awkward or clumsy as they move into challenging an opponent. Many players actually cannot slow down under control and keep their balance. Often they stumble into the challenge and sometimes they fall over.

Learning to slow down more efficiently will make them better at challenging an opponent.

By becoming better at slowing down the player can expect to gain possession and also challenge the opponent who is in possession better.

Practising what we call “deceleration drills” and activities will improve this very important but often neglected skill.

Here are a few suggested drills to help your players improve their deceleration if playing field or court games – Drill 1: Jump forward to land on both feet and hold the landing steady in a semi-squat position. We call this a “stick” landing.

Drill 2: Jump forward from two legs and land on one in a stick landing position and hold this steady for a count of “3”.

Drill 3: Accelerate over five metres and then slow down quickly but under control and “stick” the semi-squat stop position.

Drill 4: Have two players accelerate over five metres and then upon your signal have them quickly slow down and stick in a steady semi-squat position.

These drills will start to develop what we call yielding strength and stability and balance in your players. They are best done after a period of training where players’ functional fitness has been developed and where they have a solid foundation for this deceleration training.

It is important that training is progressed and these drills may seem easy to complete but are actually demanding. They should be introduced, as noted, after a period of foundation training and the coach should emphasise at all times good mechanics of movement.

Over time and with the addition of other deceleration drills players will become faster – simply by becoming better at slowing down.

• These notes are contributed by Dr Liam Hennessy and Jim Kilty of Setanta College, the Institute of Strength and Conditioning Studies (www.setantacollege.com)