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PAN AM Weightlifting Footwork

pan am weightlifting          As a weightlifter begins his hoist, it looks like he is going to jump. He puts his weight on the outside edges of his feet directly under his hips. Pushing aggressively and quickly against the ground with his feet, he lifts the weight by transferring force from the ground to the barbell through a hip extension.  Actually, his feet lift just enough to slide outwards.   After the lift, he lands in a squat.  Part of his training involves ‘taking off’ from and landing in the same place until it is muscle memory.

Balanced Lift

If a weightlifter doesn’t get his feet right, he won’t get his lift right.  He must position his grip on the barbell so that he is lifting over his ‘centre of balance’.  He can’t be too far forward or too far behind.  His trainer would have made references to the laws of physics that determine his body’s area of balance.  The area changes depending on the type of lift. (1)

In the ‘Snatch’, a single overhead lift movement, the bar is horizontal to his feet.  As he drives the bar upwards, it stays over the rear of his heel bone and the front of the balls of his feet.  That’s his area of balance.

The ‘Clean’ and the ‘Jerk’ are lifts with two sequential movements. In the variation called ‘Split Jerk’, there is initially a jump and then a lunge or ‘split’. In the jump, he centers his pressure on the balls of his feet and drives the barbell upwards.  Keeping the ‘jerk’ overhead in the ‘split’ requires appropriate foot action.  His rear foot strikes the floor first gaining traction, followed immediately by his front foot. His body moves forward and ends up directly under the bar. His area of balance goes from the balls of his feet on one leg to his toe of the other leg.

Go to – http://www.toronto2015.org/schedule

Resources: 

http://www.toronto2015.org/weightlifting

http://breakingmuscle.com/olympic-weightlifting/the-2-fundamental-roles-of-footwork-in-the-jerk

http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/watch-your-step/

https://breakingmuscle.com/video/breaking-muscle-video-bob-takano-the-importance-of-the-jerk-balance-for-footwork

https://breakingmuscle.com/olympic-weightlifting/how-high-school-physics-can-help-us-with-our-weightlifting   (1)

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.   1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

TRAINING – COMPETITION – PODIUM

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PAN AM Indoor Volleyball Footwork

pan am volleyball indoor          Volleyball is always, always about ball control. Footwork shifts players into positions to accomplish this. Even before the ball is set in motion, all the feet are set in place.  Six players per side form front and back rows placing their feet on the court floor according to strict rules. These stipulations ensure that the whole court is covered.

The players’ begin in their staggered stance with feet apart, knees bent, hips lowered, and body weight shifted onto the balls of their feet. When the ball is served, they break formation and ‘run’ combination plays. The setter calls the plays. Each hitter knows how to approach the ‘set’ with forward momentum or how to adjust her footwork if she is not called to take that ball. Volleyball players endeavor to be in the right position (to dig, pass, set, hit / spike, or block) without getting in anyone else’s way.  That takes teamwork and flexible, agile footwork.

Footwork Patterns for Setting:

As the opposing team serves the ball, the right-handed setter watches the ball in flight and predicts her teammates’ responses.  She anticipates a pass before setting the ball for a spike. She stays mobile so she can deliver the set facing the hitter with her right foot forward. The ball, her forehead and hips will align vertically. In the meantime, she reads and responds to the pass:

  • If the ball is passed in front of her, she takes a big step forward with her left foot, followed by a right step as she sets.
  • If the ball is passed off the net, she takes a big left step sideways away from the net and then squares up to the outside antennae. She sets the ball as she shifts weight onto her right foot.
  • If the ball is passed behind her, she steps back with her left foot, squares up to the target and set, shifting her weight onto her right foot. (1)

Footwork Patterns for Spiking:

The right-handed hitter approaches the set with hips open to centre court so she can create more power. She sprints her last three steps …‘Left – Right – Left’.  These are biomechanically-efficient moves to transition onto a ‘planted’ foot position and then a jump. Facing, but a little behind the setter who has timed the ball’s set, the hitter starts low and jumps straight up “punching her feet through the floor and pole-vaulting off her legs”. (2) She hammers the ball over the net and lands quietly on her feet.

Go to – http://www.toronto2015.org/schedule

Resources: 

http://www.toronto2015.org/volleyball

http://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/volleyball-footwork.html    (1)

http://www.volleyball.org/playing/keywords.pdf

http://www.livestrong.com/article/100917-volleyball-rules-using-feet/

http://www.capitalcityvbc.com/volleyball_articles/volleyball_hitting/volleyball_footwork.php  (2)

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.   1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

TRAINING – COMPETITION – PODIUM

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PAN AM Volleyball Beach Footwork

pan am volleyball beach          The switch isn’t automatic. Even an experienced indoor player needs practice finding her ‘sand legs’ in beach volleyball.  Sinking and stumbling as she learns to jump and run barefoot on (possibly hot) sand is a humbling new beginning. Eventually, her muscles stabilize and she gets used to landing on both feet. Movement forwards, backwards and sideways on the sandy court becomes second nature.  By the time her focus is on entirely on strategy, her light footwork barely disrupts the level sand. The court surface isn’t the only difference. Indoor volleyball has six players per side; beach volleyball has two. The pair must pass, set up, spike, block and serve to their opponents.

“Peeling” – Fast Footwork on Defence

Mid-rally decisions are frequent. If a beach volleyball player can track an incoming attacking ball, she steps forward and blocks it back. If she decides a block isn’t possible, she quickly ‘peels’ into a back court position.

In a ‘Cross, Step, Hop’ combination movement,  the player starts from a ‘loaded position’ with knees bent, one foot in front of the other.  On the right side of the court, her right foot is in front and on the left side her left foot is in front. She

  • Pushes off front foot with open body to the court,
  • Crosses outer leg with inner leg,
  • Takes an aggressive step away from the net, and
  • Swings into a large hop to face attacker. (1)

Go to – http://www.toronto2015.org/schedule

Resources: 

http://www.toronto2015.org/beach-volleyball

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3772587/

http://www.volleyball.ca/sites/www.volleyball.ca/files/Coaching_Entraineurs/Resources/COACH-BasicBeachTechniques.pdf

http://www.volleyball.ca/sites/www.volleyball.ca/files/Coaching_Entraineurs/Resources/COACH-TheBasicsofPeeling.pdf

www.avca.org/…/Fundamentals-of-Sand-Volleyball-Part-3-Blocking.pdf  (1)

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.   1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

     TRAINING – COMPETITION – PODIUM

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PAN AM Badminton Footwork

pan am badminton      Badminton is a fast, fluid game played by the fleet of foot.  Good footwork is critical to reaching the shuttlecock (birdie) before it drops so the player can hit it from a balanced position. Each move flows seamlessly into the next, and every move is made without hesitation. Players know exactly which footwork patterns to use, without having to think.

Badminton Footwork

Stance:  Standing with feet a little more than shoulder-width apart; the player is poised on the balls of toes, taking the weight off heels. His right foot is a few inches ahead of left foot and he is ready to push off.  His every move has an initial counter-move in the opposite direction. To move forwards, he pushes off backwards with one foot.

Steps: One foot crosses over the other, moving forwards, backwards, sideways, and diagonally. Backwards steps are large and fast.

Chassés:  One foot leads and the other follows but does not cross. Long and low in appearance, chassés allow the player to speed up and move into a jump.

Hitches:  Also called ‘shuffles’ or ‘hops’; players spring lightly and quickly along the ground, mainly using their ankles but not their legs.

Jumping:  The player pushes off with one or both feet and lands on one or both feet.

Lunging:  The lunge is always in the direction of movement underway. The knee must not travel beyond the foot. The back foot is used as a brake.

Split drops:  Also called ‘split steps’, ‘pre-loading hops’, or ‘bounce starts’; they enable the player to move quickly in any direction.

Scissor jumping:  Both feet come off the ground and switch places in the air. The player lands on one foot immediately after the other.

The Danish leap:  The player pushes off from right foot with a powerful leap towards the backhand front corner, turning body while in the air, and landing with a lunge on right foot.

Go to – http://www.toronto2015.org/schedule

Resources:

http://www.toronto2015.org/badminton

http://www.howtobadminton.com/advantage-good-footwork/

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.   1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

TRAINING – COMPETITION – PODIUM