"Plyo Step"
The basic principle in regard to first step is that the center of gravity must be going in the intended direction, the exception being a tactical advantage that I mentioned in the earlier post. I have seen the stuff on the so called ‘plyo step” to take advantage of the stretch shortening cycle. The problem is that it is not a fair trade off. You gain more with a positive step. We researched this in 1989 looking at base running stance and start. There were three different footwork patterns studied. In short the positive step gave an advantage that was clear at one, five and ten yards. The two “false step” scenarios, one of which could be considered a “plyo” loading step resulted in a disadvantage that was never regained.
posted by Vern Gambetta @ 12/20/2006 08:28:00 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Vern,
I was sent a link to your blog by someone who has followed my "plyo step" concepts. I just wanted to respond to be clear about why the plyo step is by far the most natural and effecient way to move. We forget often in sport that athletes have natural abilities to realign the body quickly when forced to react. If you line a group of athletes up at center court in an athletic stance tell them to react and run in the direction you point (either point behind them for them to quickly turn and run back or forward for them to accelerate forwards)99% of the time all athletes will quickly move a foot in the opposite direction of travel. This movement immediately puts the center of mass in front of the push off point, plus the advatage of the stretch shortening cycle. You don't need to teach this it just occurs. Now you can easily try to coach them out of doing this, which is a mistake, but then you have taken away the body's reactive and instinctive nature to attack or escape. Every Professional game, college game, high school game, junior high game and others that I watch and specifically look at the athletes reactive movement proves that the Plyo Step is the purest and quickest way to move. I love to speak about this topic because I feel it has been one of the great mistakes coaches over the years have made in regards to athletic quickness. Just so everyone understands, there are times when the plyo step is not needed. When an athlete is in a standing track start and 3 or 4 point stance would be examples of the body already in a great push off angle and the need to react in another direction is limited if not completely gone. Love this topic
quick is not fast as fast is speed Lee. If the plyostep is so natural why coach the thing? Would it kill DVD sales if we just let mother nature work things out? Walter Payton did things just fine without products from sports speed.
While I love products from Vern, and have Lee's video on plyo stepping, I must say this, this year we had a running back who all season had trouble getting to the line quickly and with the power he possessed the year before. Our coaches did not encourage, nor discourage the use of the plyo step. They finally came to me and I watched a few runs in practice. Turns out he was not utilizing this great concept.
I pointed it out, gave him some quick drills and turns out he finished the season well using the plyo step. While mother nature may have something to do with it, sometimes it is the coaches who are trying to discourage this movement, sometimes it is the athletes who are not "thinking" about what they are do to best take advantage of the quickness they possess. I think it is a great concept to teach. How many plays in football are really taking advantage of speed versus quickness?
Not sure why a comment had to be made about my DVD sales. Please keep it professional so the readers can learn from all concepts being argued. Vern, I am certainly not in this profession to get into a "pissing" match. I don't know why that comment was even made- anyway...
There was research done by Kraan, Van Veen, snijders, and Storm in 2001 journal of Biomechanics on the plyo step in which they refered to as a paradoxical step. They used a force plate and proved without a doubt the plyo step is most beneficial. They used the parallel start with a positive step, a parallel stance with a plyo step, and a standing track stance. First off, they had a difficult time even getting the athletes to take the positive step forward without using the plyo step. The forces and impulse time were much greater with the plyo step and gave greater acceleration.
I think the biggest mis-understanding attempting to change the plyo step into a positive step is the random reactions that occur in sport. When a person gets attacked or chased they don't think about using a plyo step or the positive step- they simply react and go. The feet naturally re-align. There is not a true step back as in the hips do not travel back- it is just a displacement of the foot to create force back into the ground.
I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts and concepts.
Thanks
lee
Personally being in the track world, but lately giving help to those in other sports I have encountered this plyo step as you call I call it a false step. The reason for this is simple I will agree with you on the notion of putting the hips into alingment and allowing gravity to assist the athlete. However, this can be accomplished in two ways.
Way one is the take a step back to take a step forward. I have not witnessed your videos or work, but if basics mechanics come to mind to take a step back this foot must then take a second step forward. This does allow the athelte to get into a staggered position to apply force and propel themselves forward.
The second way is to use gravity and let the hips make the first movement. Each one of us is built with a strong side and quick side. To see what I mean do a leaning start. Stand staight up and down and fall forward. One foot will step automatically. You do not have to think abou this it just occurs. By moving the hips and shoulders out infront of the feet gravity will pull you forward and cause your foot to step automatically not because you thought about it.
Personally what I have seen is athletes what to think about any step they take. This usually results in them thinking about the step first and not moving the body first. This results in a sinking of the hips and a collapsing of the chest. Wrong in every aspect of acceleration mechanics.
Personally speaking the plyo (false) step is a response to put an athlete into the correct position without actually fixing their acceleration mechanics. Get the hips and shoulders moving one foot will move automatically. Then the athlete needs to only worry about the gateway step as Vern stated it. Look at the hips to find the answer. Those that stumble of fall to accelerate properly without the false step need work on their posture and body alignment leading into the first step taken.
The article you post Lee is nothing new in the sports world and yes it happens when the athlete is not in position to accelerate properly. If I had a receiver tall with two feet together I would be fired! The starting position would never be used in sport and that is why coaching is not allways research driven. Athletes will naturally use their feet to adjust their COM.
Here is a video clip
http://rwhite2.homestead.com/video.html
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