Plyometric programme for netballers

Hi

Have you already done a lot of stability/balance work in your programme. If so would suggest things like hopping and bounding, deoending on ages of athletes.

Hello there and welcome andreaa. I have put your query on our Facebook page as well to see if you get any answers. Good luck in your final year!

Hi Andrea,

People often confuse plyometric training with explosive power training and think it needs to be done with very heavy weights or jumping from high boxes and rebounding back up etc. This is not the case!

The correct principal is all about increasing ones strength, speed, range of motion and agility to mimic as closely as possible the demands of ones sporting event. For instance in the case of improving netball throwing, if the ball weighs say 400g, you should be working your clients with a slightly heavier medicine ball (approx 0.6-0.8kg to start)and get them to throw it (after an appropriate warm up) as far, and as fast as possible to you, where you catch it, return it and then change your position on the court before making them throw it back to you. Build up to 3 sets of 15 reps with a 45-60 second rest in between sets. Also ensure they work with both arms to develop equal strength/throwing ability on both sides of the body. Once this is being carried out easily, gradually increase the distance their are required to throw the ball remembering it is all about developing their skill set and speed alongside any increases in endurance/throwing power. If you try to go to much heavier with the weight you will simply alter the dynamics of their throwing action, thus totally defeating your original objectives.

A large amount of core stability work should also be incorporated thus providing a rock steady base for any change of direction and throwing movements.

Lower body agility and speed movements should be carried out by setting up shuttle and change of direction drills which again mimic the movement patterns around the court. These should be carried out as quickly as possible and repeated several times during the space of 4 minutes perhaps along the lines of a Tabata system of 20 seconds on 10 seconds off (starting with 2 minute drills at first and working up as clients all round strength/fitness improves). Repeat the procedure up to 3 times allowing at least 2 minutes light active recovery in between sets. Keep an accurate record of the distances to be covered within the drill patterns etc. to enable you to track increases in speed/agility as they occur. Each session change the direction of the drill patterns but keep the distance constant at all times to enable a comparison to be carried out post training.

If you are working with younger netball players (or any sports participants for that matter) you should never do heavy weight plyometrics with them as the potential for long term joint and connective tissue damage is huge. As a general rule, one should not undertake any sort of weighted plyometric training until able to squat at least 2.5 times bodyweight or leg press 4.5 times bodyweight.

Although the person may not notice any ill effects whilst doing the training, it is the long term unknown effects that could kick in 20 years down the line due to massive shock drama to the joints and connective tissue when it was simply not strong enough to tolerate the massive additional loads caused by extremely high stress plyometric training. I'm sure none of us would like to think we had exposed our clients to such long term risks.

Above all this remember to warm them up correctly with dynamic stretches and mobility drills before hand and static stretching after training as part of the cool down process.

Good luck.

Simon

Simon Vincent
Performance and Nutrition Consultant
Body Bullet Dynamics
Aberdare
South Wales
www.totalcyclingperformance.co.uk

A response from Darryn on Facebook:

'To summarise.... best not to perform plyos on netball court unless it is sprung floor, med ball passes arent really plyo as they have minimal SSC, performing agility under Tabata protocol would develop aerobic/glycolytic capacity not power and speed. Plyos can be done at any time regardless of relative strength, it's all about landing mechanics and drill progression.

Would need a SnC professional on site to watch mechanics and adjust intensity accordingly. As a rough guidleine start with single VJ and HJ and progress to multiple on spot then multiple on move then multiple unilateral. Laterals over cones are great too but if landing mechanics are not adequate due to increased Q angle or weakness in hip external rotators or abductors, then start with jump and land or Heidens.

Also check out NSCA training journal on plyos in 2007 available from www.nsca-lift.org or read peer reviewed article on plyos such as 'Does plyometric training improve strength performance? A meta-analysis' J Sci Med SPort 2010'

Well Andrea, it seems you have 2 very conflicting viewpoints here on how best to develop a programme that improves agility, power and throwing distance.

Points noted Darryn on the amount of SSC involved in med. ball throws and thank you very much for pointing this out.

I am guessing though that Andrea may not have access to and SnC professional to analyse mechanics etc. hence her initial request for ideas?

However the crux of the matter is the age and physical capabilities of her potential study group.

Still maintain that weighted plyo should not be carried out by young or weak athletes not able to meet the PWR ratios previously mentioned, likewise jumping down off high boxes (4 foot plus)could also cause serious long term damage to connective tissue and joints in such groups. I seem to remember reading about this somewhere in years gone by may be in Mel Sith's Super Training book, but please don't quote me on that.

Therefore Andrea, with due consideration to Darryn's points, it seems that Plyometrics may not the best method of reaching your specific goals with your group, and I feel the formats suggested by myself would help to achieve netball specific improvements (taking into account key considerations such as hand-eye coordination, rapid change of direction agility, and throwing distances etc.) much better than any PM programme, but naturally you are fee to decide.

I admit that PM is not my specialist area, and would be interested to learn how one would undertake an SSC based excise in relation to improving ones throwing power/distance whilst developing necessary increased levels of hand-eye coordination and motor movement skills at the same time?

Too many of my clients (across a range of different sports seem to focus so much on power forgetting that it only makes up one of several key components in any sport specific training/improvement plan.

In conclusion I draw attention to the age old saying of "Power is nothing without control".

Good luck

Simon