Plyometric Coaching Checklist: From Head to Foot 📋 The head 📋 Torso...
Eamonn Flanagan@EamonnFlanagan
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Jun 05, 2025
~2 min read
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Plyometric Coaching Checklist: From Head to Foot
📋 The head
📋 Torso & pelvis
📋 Knee position
📋 Ankle & foot (before ground contact)
📋 Foot (at ground contact)
📋 CoM over foot (in mid stance)
📋 The head
📋 Torso & pelvis
📋 Knee position
📋 Ankle & foot (before ground contact)
📋 Foot (at ground contact)
📋 CoM over foot (in mid stance)
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The Head 🧠
The head can weigh ~5kg and sits at the distal end of the body. Even subtle deviations affect downstream posture.
✅ Keep the head neutral
✅ Relax neck/shoulders
🚫 Don't develop momentum from the head & neck
The head can weigh ~5kg and sits at the distal end of the body. Even subtle deviations affect downstream posture.
✅ Keep the head neutral
✅ Relax neck/shoulders
🚫 Don't develop momentum from the head & neck
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Torso & Pelvis
A controlled pelvis is key. Watch for excessive lordosis and rib cage “flaring.” The pelvis and rib cage should be connected.
✅ Rib cage & pelvis connection
✅ Pelvis within "neutral" range
🚫 Avoid "penduluming" pelvis
🚫 No “disconnected” upper/lower body
This becomes more challenging in horizontal, unilateral tasks such as bounding.
A controlled pelvis is key. Watch for excessive lordosis and rib cage “flaring.” The pelvis and rib cage should be connected.
✅ Rib cage & pelvis connection
✅ Pelvis within "neutral" range
🚫 Avoid "penduluming" pelvis
🚫 No “disconnected” upper/lower body
This becomes more challenging in horizontal, unilateral tasks such as bounding.
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Knee Position
At the apex of bounds or hops, keep the knees lower than the hips. This:
✅ Avoid excessive hip flexion
✅ Stops pelvis from penduluming
✅ Decreases impact forces at foot strike
At the apex of bounds or hops, keep the knees lower than the hips. This:
✅ Avoid excessive hip flexion
✅ Stops pelvis from penduluming
✅ Decreases impact forces at foot strike
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Ankle & Foot (before ground contact)
Pre-activation is key
✅ Dorsiflex the ankle pre-contact
✅ Develop stiffness through pretension
✅ Flatter foot contact on unilateral / horizontal plyometrics
🚫 Don’t strike the ground overly plantarflexed
Pre-activation is key
✅ Dorsiflex the ankle pre-contact
✅ Develop stiffness through pretension
✅ Flatter foot contact on unilateral / horizontal plyometrics
🚫 Don’t strike the ground overly plantarflexed
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Foot at ground contact
Think “attack the ground
✅ Aim for a full foot or near-full foot contact
✅ Maximize surface area for force transmission
🚫 No excessive landing on the balls of the feet
Think “attack the ground
✅ Aim for a full foot or near-full foot contact
✅ Maximize surface area for force transmission
🚫 No excessive landing on the balls of the feet
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Knee-Hip-Shoulder-CoM "stacked"
At peak compression, the center of mass should be stacked over the foot.
✅ Compact, upright posture
✅ Stiff and strong
✅ Ready to rebound
This is the key position to leverage amortisation in the stretch shortening cycle. Don’t let it collapse.
At peak compression, the center of mass should be stacked over the foot.
✅ Compact, upright posture
✅ Stiff and strong
✅ Ready to rebound
This is the key position to leverage amortisation in the stretch shortening cycle. Don’t let it collapse.
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This thread is a quick overview of the coaching info that we cover in "Plyometrics: The science & practice of reactive strength development", the 3-hour course on Sportsmith
See here for more:
sportsmith.co/courses/plyome…
See here for more:
sportsmith.co/courses/plyome…
