← EXERCISE LIBRARYAgility
Deceleration Snap-Down
Drop sharply from standing tall into a low athletic stance and hold it. Teaches the braking position every cut, stop and landing depends on.
- 01Stand tall with the feet together, arms overhead, weight on the forefeet.
- 02Snap the arms down and hop the feet out to shoulder width at the same time.
- 03Land in a quarter squat: hips back, knees bent and over the toes, chest up, shins forward.
- 04Freeze in that position for two seconds with no wobble and no extra steps.
- 05Stand back up and repeat for 6 to 8 reps, using it as part of a warm-up before agility or plyometric work.
- 01Snap down, do not sink down.
- 02Land in the position you would cut from.
- 03Quiet feet, then hold.
- 01Landing with the chest over the toes and the hips forward — the knees take the braking force instead of the hips.
- 02Bouncing straight back up — the hold is what teaches the body to actually stop.
- 03Knees drifting inward as you land — that is the mechanism behind most non-contact knee injuries on a deceleration.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.