5 weeks · 3x / week · High School
Change of Direction
Five weeks of cutting, planting and re-accelerating for field sport athletes who live between the cones.
How to run it
- A cut is a braking problem. Athletes who cannot absorb force take an extra step to change direction.
- Train both directions equally, even though every athlete has a preferred plant leg.
- Stop the session when plant quality drops. Sloppy cuts under fatigue are how ankles get rolled.
Springbak® note
Cutting loads the foot sideways against the shoe. A thin, resilient platform under the insole supports the plant without raising you off the surface or changing your shoe volume.
Shop SpringsolesThe goal
Cut harder and re-accelerate sooner — a faster pro-agility and a cleaner plant under fatigue.
How it progresses
Phase 1 · Weeks 1-2
Plant mechanics at controlled speed. Angles before intensity.
Phase 2 · Weeks 3-4
Full-speed cuts, then reactive cuts on a cue.
Phase 3 · Week 5
Cuts under fatigue, then retest.
What you test
- Pro agility (5-10-5)
- Best of two per starting direction.
- L-drill
- One attempt each direction, full recovery.
- Single-leg lateral hop and stick
- Three per side, hold three seconds.
What you need
- Cones
- Turf or court
- Band
- Stopwatch
The week
Day 1
Plant mechanics
45-degree cut walkthrough
6 per side
Lateral bound to stick
4 x 5 per side
Split squat
3 x 6 per leg
Ankle inversion band work
3 x 15 per side
Day 2
Full speed cuts
L-drill
6 reps, alternating
Zig-zag sprint
6 x 20 yd
Crossover start
8 x 8 yd
Hip thrust
3 x 8
Day 3
Reactive and fatigue
Reactive mirror cuts
6 x 10s
Shuttle to ball chase
6 reps
Repeat 5-10-5
4 reps on 60s
Copenhagen plank
3 x 20s per side
Questions about this block
Cones or reactive drills?
Both, in order. Cones teach the plant angle; reactive drills teach when to use it. Skipping cones produces fast athletes with bad angles.
How does this fit with team practice?
Do it before practice, not after. Change of direction is a quality skill and it degrades badly on tired legs.
Run this next
Build your next block
Tell us your sport, the number you want to move next, and the date of your first competition. We re-rank the program library against those answers and show you why each block placed where it did.
Off-season · Nothing to protect on the weekend, so this is where the heavy, high-volume blocks belong.
Best match · 6 weeks · 3x / week
Baseball First Step & Base Speed
Cut 0.15s off home-to-first and improve first-step reaction on a coach's break signal.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Soccer and speed work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Soccer
- Fits off-season
Option 2 · 6 weeks · 3x / week
Speed & Acceleration
Cut 0.10-0.15s off a 40-yard dash by improving push-off angle and ground contact quality.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Soccer and speed work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Soccer
- Fits off-season
Option 3 · 4 weeks · 3x / week
First-Step Quickness
Beat your defender off the first two steps — measured by a faster 5-yard and 5-10-5 shuttle.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Soccer.
- Written for Soccer