10/06/2026
Control it before you add to it. 🧠⚡️
Athleticism isn’t built by randomly stacking “advanced” drills together. Progression matters.
Before I ask an athlete to produce force, redirect force, or accelerate out of a landing, I want to know they can absorb force and own the position first.
Here’s the depth-drop progression Andrew Pagan and I worked through:
1️⃣ Depth Drop → Single-Leg Stick
Start with the foundation: force absorption, balance, and single-leg stability. Can you land, control your center of mass, and own the position without collapsing or losing balance?
2️⃣ Depth Drop → Single-Leg Jump → Bilateral Landing
Once we can absorb force, we add rapid force production. Land on one leg, stabilize and transition into an explosive vertical jump, then finish with a controlled two-leg landing.
3️⃣ Depth Drop → Single-Leg Stick → Speed Skater
Now we introduce lateral force production and redirection. Control the initial landing, then drive aggressively in the frontal plane—qualities that transfer to cutting, changing direction, and creating separation.
4️⃣ Depth Drop → Staggered-Stance Landing → Sprint
Finally, we connect landing mechanics to acceleration. Absorb the drop in an athletic staggered position, organize the body, then project force horizontally into the sprint.
The principle stays the same:
ABSORB → STABILIZE → PRODUCE → REDIRECT → ACCELERATE.
Don’t rush complexity just because a drill looks good on social media. Earn the next progression. If an athlete can’t consistently stick and control the landing, I’m not interested in adding more movement on top of it.
Save this progression, try it with your athletes, and let me know how they do. 👇🏾
Want more breakdowns like this where I explain the “why” behind the drill? Let me know. 🧠⚡️
