Fundamentals of Change of Direction Training

The ability to change direction quickly and efficiently is a major advantage for all field and court athletes.

In sport, where an athlete has to react to their surroundings, this would be referred to as agility. It is an open skill, meaning they must react to an ever-changing environment.

A precursor to having elite agility is a strong foundation of change of direction (CoD) training. CoD training is a closed skill, meaning athletes perform preplanned movements. They are not reacting to an external stimulus, they know where they are going to go.

Not only does this type of training enhance performance, it is one of the best ways to mitigate injury risk. We want to put athletes in every position possible in a controlled environment. Then, when they get in a similar position in a game, their body will be better suited to handle those forces and keep them safe.

In a team or large group setting, my preferred method of training this is something most refer to as The Grid.

This product gives great information on the basics of training CoD, as well as explanations and diagrams of how to set up and use The Grid.

There are progressions listed that can be used over the course of weeks or months to prepare your athletes to stay quick, and most importantly stay healthy.