Changing direction in soccer has several requirements depending on if you are attacking or defending. For example, to change directions well while dribbling (who does it better than Messi?), you better have high command over the soccer ball, otherwise it will run away from you. When moving off the ball to get open, changing directions well requires the ability to read the game and anticipate where the ball will be played or how the defense will react. Defensively, changing direction to shut down a attacker or follow a runner depends on the ability to detect the opponent’s body shape and react to that stimulus. However, none of those things help if your legs do not have the ability to cut explosively in and out of positions.
Research as shown a correlation between squat strength relative to body weight and a soccer player’s ability to change direction. In the long term investigation, athletes in the strength training group had five to ten percent greater results in COD after two years than players who did no strength training. In fact, when amatuer players strength trained 2x a week, they were able to outperform pros in performance.
Plyometrics also improve athletes’ ability to change direction. I have talked before, and go into detail in the book Soccer Dominance (available on this site) about how plyometrics bridge the gap between the slower force applied in the weight room with the fast force application required on the pitch. I will soon delve into some of the plyometrics that are effective at improving change of direction, but today I will mention 3 exercises using the Landmine that will improve your mobility and strength to get you springing in and out of positions with more bounce than Tigger from Winnie the Pooh.
Landmine Skater Squats: While this exercise is done in the sagittal plane (no lateral or rotational movement), the front leg still has to stabilize itself in the frontal plane and prevent wobbling side to side. Therefore, this will carry over to agility and cutting actions. Ben Bruno, the trainer in the video, is shown with a weighted vest and the weight on the landmine. He does a great job, but I would encourage you to keep more weight on the ball of the foot. If you look closely his toes come off the ground. No worries if you don’t have the weighted vest.
2. Landmine Lateral Lunges: The bar can be held at the chest as shown or lower between the legs. If held at the chest it will force you to have a more upright torso and place more work on the quadriceps. If you hold it lower, your torso can incline forward more and you will place more emphasis on the glutes. Either way is fine, and try both and see if you notice the subtle difference. There should be maximal intent to drive back out of the bottom.
3. Landmine Single Leg Squats: This is the most challenging of the 3 exercise from a coordination and mobility standpoint. If you keep your working leg’s foot straight forward in line with your knee and hip, it requires adequate ankle and hip mobility to get low. If you cannot get your back knee to the foor that is ok, it just gives you something to work towards as you improve your mobility in the lateral calf, etc. As this exercise does a good job training mobility, sometimes I use it as a loaded stretching exercise (also talk about that in Soccer Dominance). There are ways to tweak this exercise such as a quick release to absorb (I will make a video on that) that makes it even more specific to what occurs in soccer play, but nonetheless, this one really does well to prepare the hips and knees for lateral force transmission from the ground up
Try these out. If you want more specific coaching, email smherold4@gmail.com and learn more about our online coaching programs.