Why Deceleration Training Is the Missing Link in Volleyball (and all athletic) Injury Prevention
4 Min Read
I just spent the last 8 weeks working with the National Men’s and Women’s Indoor Volleyball teams. And am currently on my way back from supporting 9 of the USA Men’s and Women’s Beach teams!
One of the things I notice while with these athletes is their attention to details….every little detail.
Bigger. Faster. Stronger. Yes these things help in getting these athletes to the highest level but it is these details that solidify them there. Yes they can jump higher, but they need to be able to handle the forces of landing that jump. They can absolutely hammer a kill, or serve a ball up to 70 mph, but they also need to be able to absorb those same forces to slow down their arm from producing this force.
This Is Where Injuries Occur Most Often
Most ACL tears in volleyball occur on the landing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ACL tear from the jump. 86% of volleyball injuries are non-contact. Meaning there was no other person involved in the injury, it occurred due to the player's own movements or forces acting on the body, without any direct external force from another player or object. So that’s a lot of injuries that could be avoided if the proper training is implemented to handle these types of forces!
Deceleration: The Overlooked Factor
It is in the deceleration. The landing of a jump, a change of direction/cutting, slowing down from a sprint or controlling the arm/shoulder after an absolute monster of a swing.
Deceleration is the reduction of speed.
So in order to reduce the risk of injuries in volleyball (or any sport for that matter) you need to be able to control decelerating forces. Currently there is a lot more focus on trying to increase the production of force, not enough emphasis on controlling/absorbing the resulting increase in power/force.
The Forces Your Body Has to Absorb
To give you an idea of what type of forces we are talking about. Landing from a jump your body absorbs 3-5x your body weight! So if you are 150lb you need to be able to absorb 450-750lbs of weight! Now don’t read this as you need to be able to squat 750lbs! That’s not the same! But you do need your body to absorb that force every time you jump.
If you go back to physics class….energy is not destroyed, it has to be absorbed somewhere….ideally by your muscles, not your ligaments.
What Proper Landing Should (and Shouldn’t) Look Like
Actually first let’s talk about what it shouldn’t look like! For landing from a jump, your knee should bend and track over your toes, not buckle inward. Think landing in a ready athletic position. Basically your jump should start and end in the same position.
Which also means you should be taking off and landing on two feet! This means that that 750lb of force you are absorbing that we talked about before is being distributed between both legs….otherwise it is now on just one leg and that is A LOT of force for one leg to handle!
Also when landing in this ready position it reduces the torsion or twisting of your upper leg on the lower leg. Resisting this twisting is one of the main jobs of the ACL ligament and when the forces are too great it tears
Again there should be bending of the knees, not stiff legs. It is the bending that the forces are absorbed by the hamstrings, glutes, calves and quads. Your hamstrings are your brakes, they slow you down so you want them engaged in your landing.
Why Lower Body Training is VITAL for Volleyball Injury Prevention
This is why training your entire lower body is extremely important to prevent everything from knee/ankle ligament injuries or muscle strains during volleyball or any other athletic activity.
The best way to prevent these injuries is through specifically designed drills focusing on the eccentric contractions and absorbing motions for these movements.
Balance and Neuromuscular Control: The Missing Piece
Also this builds neuromuscular control and balance! These two things are essential! The more balanced you are, the more athletic you can be. The amount of time spent on training balance is again one of the details that the athletes I work with focus on. Balance isn’t just standing on one leg for extended periods of time….it is a VERY complex system that involves your vision and vestibular systems as well!
So doing eye exercises and visual training is also a component to athletic injury prevention as well!
Your Next Step in Volleyball Injury Prevention
If you are a volleyball player, or a parent of one, looking to reduce injury risk and keep them performing at their best, start incorporating deceleration and balance training into practices. If you would like help with implementing this click below to set up a free call so we can discuss how I can help you and/or your athlete!
Next on your Reading List
1. A Day in the Life of a National Team Athletic Trainer