Speed in field and court sports is rarely linear. Athletes constantly accelerate, shuffle, rotate, and decelerate while reacting to the game around them.
Because of that, developing lateral movement mechanics and deceleration ability is just as important as improving straight-line sprint speed.
In this demonstration, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Arizona Cardinals Kyle Sammons shows how motorized resistance can be used to slow movement down, improve coaching feedback, and help athletes learn how to apply force more effectively during lateral movement.
Using Lateral Shuffles as a Movement Assessment
A simple lateral shuffle can reveal a lot about how an athlete moves.
When athletes begin shuffling under resistance, coaches can quickly observe common movement issues such as excessive vertical oscillation, poor hip engagement, or inefficient force application. By using load to slow down the movement, the coach has more time to identify these problems and provide feedback.
In this example, the athlete initially shows excessive up-and-down movement rather than pushing laterally. After a simple cue to push harder and longer through the ground, the athlete begins to engage the glutes, quads, and hips more effectively.
This type of drill becomes both a training exercise and a movement assessment, helping coaches identify how athletes produce force during lateral movement.
Teaching Athletes to Use the Hip
One of the most common issues in change-of-direction training is athletes relying too heavily on the knee and ankle rather than the hip.
To address this, Kyle Sammons focuses on getting athletes into what he calls their “hip pocket”, encouraging stronger hip extension and glute involvement during lateral pushes.
When athletes shift from knee-dominant movement to hip-driven movement, several things improve:
-More powerful lateral pushes
-Better force transfer through the ground
-Improved control of the pelvis and torso
-Reduced strain on the knee joint
Slowing Down Deceleration to Improve Coaching
One of the most valuable aspects of motorized resistance is the ability to slow movements down.
In fast change-of-direction actions, athletes may complete the movement before a coach has time to provide meaningful feedback. By adding resistance, coaches can extend the time available to observe posture, foot placement, and joint positioning.
For example, resisted walking drills allow coaches to emphasize:
-Full foot contact with the ground
-Heel-to-toe mechanics
-Knee tracking over the toe
-Proper hip extension
Because the movement is slowed down, athletes can also feel the correct positions more clearly.
Preparing Athletes for Deceleration Demands
Deceleration is one of the most demanding physical tasks in sport.
Athletes must be able to absorb large forces while maintaining posture, joint control, and stability. Many athletes struggle with this because they remain too upright or stay on their toes when trying to slow down.
Resisted lateral movement drills provide an opportunity to train these mechanics in a controlled environment. The resistance forces athletes to lower their center of mass, improve posture, and apply force through the ground in a way that more closely resembles real deceleration.
Over time, these positions become more natural when athletes perform high-speed movements during competition.
Conclusion
Developing lateral speed and deceleration ability requires more than just faster drills.
Athletes must learn how to apply force through the ground, coordinate cross-body movement, and control their posture while moving in multiple directions.
Motorized resistance provides a way to slow movements down, expose movement limitations, and give athletes immediate feedback about how they are producing force.
When used effectively, these drills become more than just conditioning exercises. They become powerful tools for movement assessment, coaching, and long-term athletic development.
Published: March 26, 2026