Tag Archive: jack Dempsey

1. Is there such a thing as sport specific training?

   14th April 2021 11:40 am 1 Comment

   The (insert sport here) specific agility programme

   Or, endurance, or power or speed and so on. This is what is advertised, and it is what sportspeople want. Basketball specific, tennis-specific and so on. But the question I always have is.

   Is it Athlete specific?

   Whether you are running after a rugby ball, basketball or tennis ball, the initial start is the same. Recently working on some fundamental movements with athletes from different sports has been interesting. Not only are some sports more open-minded, but also athletes within those sports.

   The less “sport-specific” work the athlete has done, often means that they can actually move better. Too much specific work that has been caught up in historical coaching baggage can lead to restricted movements physically and inhibited movements mentally.

   One fencer told me that she doesn’t have to move her hips when fencing.

   Several tennis players said they don’t have to push fast off the first step when moving laterally playing tennis.

   This leads me to believe that the sporting context has had so many “sport-specific” drills practised endlessly without looking at how to improve them, except by doing more.

   Conversely, Rugby players have been obsessed with the bench press, but not in the application of force and power in the game. Working on this in a session is not “warming up for the bench”, it is helping the athlete apply his strength in the game... where it counts.

   Whole, Part, Whole

   Play the sport, break it down and improve specific aspects of it, then put it back into context.  Part of this is coach education, part of it is athlete education. This can’t get fixed in one session, but it can be developed over time.

   Here you can see a breakdown of part of the soccer game that requires strength and balance: I often take out parts to train like this rather than concoct silly exercises in the gym that may/ may not have transfer to the sport.

   Work on the athlete and the sporting skill. Don’t sacrifice one for the other for short term “Win on Wednesday” answers.

   Read more here How to take charge of your fitness training

2. Strength and conditioning qualifications in the U.K.

   26th February 2015 11:20 am 7 Comments

   “You have to work hard at being a coach”

   Partner strength work

   was my constant refrain over the course of the weekend’s Level 1 Strength and Conditioning course held at Derby University.

   However, this meant more than just sweating in the heat. I started off with two short maths questions, followed by them drawing a mind map, then giving me the answers from quiz questions they had prepared (well, most of them) in advance.

   The idea was to get their cognitive and creative abilities warmed up. You have to be able to think and be adaptable as a coach: it ain’t just about learning a load of fancy new exercises. It is how you apply the knowledge.

   Using the knowledge in the room

   There was a great mix of people on the course, from different sports and with different levels of playing/ coaching experience. It was good to be able to draw on that experience when talking about scenarios or real world examples.

   The flip side of that knowledge\ experience meant that I was constantly challenged and asked “why?”, especially as “You’re an old coach who is out of touch“!

   If I am unable to come up with a sound rationale for doing things, then I should stop doing them. My message of asking “what is the aim of the session?”  then writing the plan from that is something I emphasise on every course.

   But, on every course, candidates insist on including their favourite exercise (this time the Plank) and reverse engineering the whole session around that exercise so they can fit it in. How does the plank help in a “power” session? (How does the plank help……?)

   Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals

   Agility practice

   This course is all about teaching the fundamental movement patterns, movement efficiency, posture, balance, mobility, stability and what exercises can help develop these.

   The candidates then apply this in warm ups and circuit training sessions that they plan and deliver.

   I made the point that no amount of fancy agility\ speed kit can compensate for incorrect movement patterns. The kit can be brought in at a later stage once correct movement is developed.

   I was pleased to see lots of good coaching practice on the last afternoon, when candidates gave each other feedback and reflected on their own delivery.

   They come back for a final day in September, after they have had a chance to practice, revise and reflect on what they have learnt this weekend.

   Thanks to all concerned, Nick Ward for arranging and to Derby University for hosting. 

3. Madden on footwork

   24th January 2015 7:35 pm 3 Comments

   In “One knee equals two feet”,  John Madden talks about footwork for linebackers. Madden was talking to a linebacker and asked him to analyse what he did…

   “My feet and shoulders are lined up together, one told me. My first step is short, only 6 inches, then my next step is...”

   The more he talked, the more I realised he was a robot. He was trying to play linebacker the way some dance students try to learn the tango. By the numbers. One, two, three, four. You don’t play linebacker by the numbers. You play it by instinct.”

   John Madden

   Madden also talks about quarterback footwork when they drop back to pass, and how precise it has to be so that the QB can deliver the ball quickly and from the right side. The difference is between a set play for the QB and the reactions and search and destroy attitude of the linebacker in open play.

   Two main types of agility training

   I have mentioned before the difference between programmed agility (which can be measured and tested) and unprogrammed agility (which is instinctive) and how they can be trained.

   Programmed agility is useful for set routines and allowing the progression of stabilisation, braking and then speed. More acute turning angles and complexity of obstacles can be used to develop leg strength at different angles. Equipment such as poles and cones are useful in setting up these drills.

   Unprogrammed agility can be trained by creating drills and games that force the player to react instinctively. Here the best equipment is other players and balls that are moving without pattern.

   This activates the Central Nervous System more.

   Good Coaches can use both in their training programmes, recognising when each player in their position needs which one.

   • Programmed agility requires underlying mechanical strength to be effective.
   • Unprogrammed agility requires underlying movement skills to be effective.

   I make sure I use a mix of both when coaching our athletes

   So, did I come up with this on my own, or have I been influenced by listening to Madden?

4. Strength and conditioning coaching course reflections

   7th July 2014 9:06 am Leave a Comment

   “Plyometricky: an exercise that purports to be elastic, but is performed slowly”

   a new phrase coined last week on the level 2 Coaching Strength and Conditioning for Sport at Oxford Brookes University.

   The candidates came up with that term when we were discussing the myriad of “power” exercises that are just slow jumps.

   Any time you add weight to a movement (or height in the case of depth jumps) you are SLOWING it down. Taken to an extreme and the stretch shorten cycle (SSC) is absent and instead you get an eccentric contraction, an isometric pause and then a concentric action to rejump.

   That may be ok for certain actions, but be clear what you are trying to achieve. We did this series of pliometric drills outside to emphasise the need for speed.

   Models of training came up a lot on this course: speed, agility, strength, LTAD, endurance. I was quoting a lot of good coaches who had come up with a system (or model) of training that worked for them.

   When I started out as a coach, I was using random bits of stuff from everywhere. I also relied heavily on “what I have done in training“.

   Now, I have a decent framework from which I adapt according to the athlete or the sport in front of me.

   This helps in planning and progression.

   However, one of the candidates said “you’re about mobility not stretching”. I am not “about” anything! I want what works (why stretch?). It is important that we avoid becoming slaves to an ideology or have a framework that is inflexible. 

   More dialogue, less monologue

   Myself and Andy Ellis assessed the previous course’s candidates on Friday. Nerves get the better of even the most experienced coach. If you are talking incessantly and demonstrating at the same time, how much can your athletes learn?

   Coaching groups is different from coaching individuals: positioning, vocal cues, observing many people at once and engaging everyone is hard work.

   Silent demo, 1 coaching cue, observe, ask a question, athlete demo, observe, repeat.

   There were some really good examples of practice and progression in the practical speed and agility sessions.

   • well planned.
   • had clear progressions.
   • started with simple drills to more complex/ random drills.
   • had the athletes asking questions or making observations without being prompted. 

   The theory paper proved simple for all of those who had done the Level 1 course previously. Those who had prepared and revised from the syllabus also passed.

   The take home message?

   Clear aims and purpose, plus proper preparation, leads to a successful outcome.

   Well done to all concerned. I am looking forward to working with these coaches in the future.

   Further reading:

   • How to pass a strength and conditioning coaching course 
   • 4 steps to planning an agility session 

5. Martial Arts- enhance or inhibit natural movement?

   9th June 2014 9:14 am Leave a Comment

   I was recently asked about using Martial Arts training to help a sports academy with their movement patterns. This is ironic because a lot of M.A. training actually inhibits natural movement patterns.

   In fact, these artificial movements become more and more exaggerated, and then become the object of the training, rather than an aid to being a better fighter.

   Bruce Lee called this “Organised Despair“.

   This is common in other sports where a training aid or practice becomes the focus, rather than thinking “does this help us play our sport better?” For example in practising agility drills with equipment, coaches can focus on the drill, rather than on the movement patterns underneath (see our agility guide)

   One natural fighter who used me a lot as a sparring partner (or moving target) was Elwyn Hall; this clip shows some of his movement quite well

   Training with Steve Morris opened my eyes further to this, and I stopped doing the Karate immediately. This was after spending thousands of hours training, plus thousands of pounds spent on Karate: I was a 4th Dan and was on the England squad for 3 years, so had a big investment and “expertise“. (Read about my Karate training).

   I stopped because I realised that it was becoming an end in itself. How many other coaches are prepared to make that type of paradigm shift?

   Are you running drills that are self -serving, or do they make improvements in your sporting performance?

   • Developing Movement patterns 
   • Bruce Lee on agility 

6. How to get fit for tennis

   27th June 2012 9:27 am 1 Comment

   On Monday we looked at the demands of tennis, now we look at putting that into practice. With a nation inspired by British hopes at Wimbledon, start getting fit now.

    How can I get fit for tennis?

   Start with flexibility and build from there. Every player needs to have a foundation of mobility and flexibility to build upwards from. This needs to be worked on regularly, not something that is done once a week or when you feel tight.

   At Excelsior we encourage our athletes to do a series of exercises called 5×5’s, these are 5 exercises to be done daily for a minute each, these work on control, technique and flexibility.

   

   Flexibility can be worked on during warm ups with exercises like multi-directional lunges, this exercise gradually puts the body into full extension stretching muscles and nerves prior to playing.

   Getting into the habit of a daily stretch routine is a great way to improve flexibility, this needs to take into consideration exercises that you as an athlete feel working not just one you have been told to do.

   Working out three routines that can be alternated, can alleviate the monotony of one routine

   Fit for 5 sets?

   Training endurance directly is not always simple due to time constraints and should therefore be done during a tennis session if possible. From looking at the demands and research I would suggest a mixture of interval training and longer distance training.

   In a session shorter distance sprints can be done during an extended warm up or within drills themselves. Longer distances can be done when the athlete has time and for example going on a 5 mile bike ride.

   One problem with common training methods for the aerobic system is that it can result in injuries. Athletes going on long slow runs use poor form compared to if they trained over shorter distances, swimming and cycling would be better methods as they reduce impact on joints. injuries.

   (For running technique tips see here)

    Speed/ Agility

   Before working on speed and agility you need to make sure you can brake and control the movements, this is where a base level of control and co-ordination is required. (More information on different surface requirements here)

   The majority of tennis sessions will involve a large amount of agility, if during conditioning sessions this is worked on solely for long periods of time, there is a good chance the body will not be able to recover and see any adaptations before injury occurs.

   Another time this can be worked on is during warm ups, this does not mean repeated sprints but looking at first steps and braking.

   Over the last 4 months the cricketers I work with have used bodyweight exercises to strengthen and braking drills to improve co-ordination. They have all now met the ECB’s criteria on the yoyo test, this is due to being more efficient and stronger when turning.

   Strength

   To make it to the top in any sport you need to practice, this is impossible if you are injured! A strength programme should help build control and technique to withstand the rigors of intensive training.

   All athletes need to improve their strength, this does not mean looking at how much you lift in comparison to your bodyweight, it means improving strength that is relevant to your sport. Tennis for example is a game where you lunge with varying degrees of extension and control.

   By improving areas such as the BIG HOUSE and legs, you will be able to not only control a lunge better but also at greater speed enabling you to return to a ready position quicker.

   When many people try to improve these they use resistance machines in their gyms, these were designed to reduce the need for stabilisation during a movement and are therefore not ideal. Below is an example of exercises that take away the need for machines and are more athletic.

   Muscle	Machine Exercise	Preferred option 1	Preferred option 2
   Quadriceps	Leg Extension	Squat	Single leg squat
   Hamstrings	Leg Flexion	Single leg bridge	Deadlift

    

   Summary

   • Tennis has evolved over the years and is now a more powerful game, due to different technology and athletes realising conditioning is a vital component of their training.
   • Your programme needs to have a long term plan not just work on a quick fix to one specific area, unless you are in post injury rehab.
   • Building a strong foundation and making small progress will lead you to being an overall better athlete.
   • Starting a training programme can be difficult and you need to get into a routine.
   • It is like pushing a heavy object, getting the object moving takes a lot of effort but as momentum builds its becomes easier to continue the momentum.

   For a comprehensive training programme that fits into your schedule, try our Sports Training System

   Duncan Buckmaster  

7. Bruce Lee on agility

   28th May 2012 2:24 pm 4 Comments

   Traditional Martial Arts Training = Organised Despair

   According to Bruce Lee in the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, where he talks about traditional martial arts training and refers to it as organised despair. 

   “Instead of facing combat in its suchness, then, most systems of martial art accumulate a fancy mess that distorts and cramps their practitioners and distracts them from the actual reality of combat, which is simple and direct.

   Instead of going immediately to the heart of things, flower forms (organised despair) and artificial techniques are ritualistically practiced to simulate actual combat. Thus, instead of being in combat these practitioners are doing something about combat.”

   Now, if you substitute the word combat for agility, you may then see what is going on in your own sport. What happens in coaching environments is that a fancy mess of equipment is laid out and the athletes are told to perform artificial techniques that have no bearing to the sporting contest.

   (Remember John Madden’s thoughts on footwork?)

   A prime example is the Ickey shuffle through a ladder. This footwork pattern was Ickey Wood’s touchdown dance for Pete’s sake, he didn’t do it in the game!

   I saw this drill being used by someone training a tennis player this morning – when is he ever going to do that in a match? Unless he celebrates winning a set by doing the shuffle.

   Testing doesn’t help

   One problem is with agility testing. An athlete told me this morning that he was agile because he came 2nd in an agility test. Agility testing tests your ability to move between fixed points with some change of direction.

   It does not test your response to realistic stimuli, or your ability to change direction in an unplanned sequence.

   There is a place for using equipment and training specific, pre programmed, foot patterns. It is useful in training lower limb strength at specific speeds and angles. Don’t mistake this for true agility though.

   The body has an amazing ability to move and adapt. We have evolved that way in order to hunt, or avoid being hunted. Our ancestors did not practice organised despair instead they would have had more realistic hunting, chasing games.

   Think about using these type of games in your agility work, don’t try and constrain your athletes into artificial foot and movement patterns.

   Agility is the focus over the next few weeks of our Sports Training System

8. How do you coach a visual learner who is blind?

   6th February 2012 9:19 am 2 Comments

   This came up last week in conversation with 2 of the England Blind Football Team. I was unable to physically demonstrate some exercises to Dan James the goalkeeper, (who is sighted) and is a clear example of someone who learns by watching.

   Later that day I was working with Robin Williams (blind) who has never been able to see demos, so has to learn by auditory cues and feel.

   How would I be able to coach Robin if he was a Visual learner like Dan?

   This rapidly turned into some sort of Zen Koan with us racking our brains as to whether this is a learned trait, or an inherited one.

   
   

    

9. How to get more agile- use your head

   30th March 2011 10:34 am Leave a Comment

   

   I used this theme when presenting at the Active Devon Coaching Conference last weekend.

   Do you do endless footwork drills in order to get more agile? Bruce Lee called this organised despair- it looks really productive and efficient, but it has very little transference to open, fast moving situations in a game.

   You use your eyes to see what is happening, and your brain to make decisions. They are both located in your head which happens to be pretty heavy and is balanced precariously on top of a long body and legs. As soon as we learn to walk we are constantly fighting against gravity and our imbalances to stay upright. This is great for stability and moving around normally, but in sport we want to move fast and in many different directions.

   Instead of trying to keep our head still and letting our limbs flail around underneath us like drunken spiders, move your head violently and decisively in the direction that you want to travel.

   That was the basis of my workshop at the conference. I was lucky enough to have a very engaging group, who were willing to try out the random practices and situations that I was creating for them. (The 2 key note speakers were also keen participants Maggie Jackson -England Netball Coach and Andy Jones -Tom Daley’s diving coach.

    

   Malcolm Cook of freeflow coaching ran a great workshop on coaching, I recommend you get along to see him if you get a chance. He looked at technical drill based instruction (he helped write some of the football coaching manuals) and then offered player centered guidance as an alternative. Inspiring and informative, as well as bucketloads of common sense.

    

10. Tradition is the scourge of endeavour

    7th April 2010 9:33 am Leave a Comment

    A quote taken from Terry Pratchett’s “Unseen Academicals”.

    Think about that.

    Having been in a few environments where tradition has been deemed important, I can empathise with this quote. In fact, the hierachy of “people in charge” who have wanted to remain traditional have stamped on any signs of endeavour.

    This could be in Karate- where bastardised forms of fighting have been put in sequences and ritualised beyond all recognition oif actual fighting.

    It could be in the Armed Forces where drill is actually taken from 19th century combat commands, and ritually practiced. Actual combat and fighting is again different, but it would look a bit weird on a passing out parade for the troops to do some fire and maneuver.

    It could be in agility drills where running over ladders is common practice, but bears no resemblance to sporting activity.

    Recognise what is in place, and why. Tradition has its place, it is nice and warm and fuzzy, like an old jumper, but don’t get hampered by it.

    Bruce Lee had lots to say on this.