Plyometric power for kickers

Setup

1. Two lanes on a sprung or well-padded mat, never on a hard floor. Three cones per lane in a zigzag, with a pad holder at the far end.
2. Students start fresh and fully warmed up; plyometrics go early in the session, not after hard sparring or heavy leg work.
3. Check landings first: everyone can land quietly from a small jump with knees tracking over the toes before moving on.

How it runs

1. Pogo hops on the spot: small, quick, stiff-ankled hops, a short set of quality contacts, then rest.
2. Split-jump switches: from a fighting stance, jump and swap feet, landing soft and balanced in the new stance. A short set, then rest.
3. Lane run: the student bounds sideways from cone to cone, sticks each landing for a moment, then sprints two steps and kicks a fast roundhouse on the holder's paddle.
4. Walk back down the side of the lane as rest; the next student goes only when the lane is clear. Allow full recovery between turns.
5. Keep the total number of jumps low: stop each set as soon as jumps get lower or landings get louder. Anyone with pain in the knees, shins, ankles or back stops straight away.

Coaching points

• Quality over quantity: every contact should be as fast and high as the first.
• Land soft on the balls of the feet, knees bent and in line with the toes.
• Spend as little time on the ground as possible between hop and kick.
• Arms drive up on the jump, then come back to guard for the kick.
• Holders keep paddles out from the body with a firm wrist and nod when ready.

Common mistakes

• Knees falling inwards on the landing.
• Adding more reps to make it harder; that turns power work into tired, sloppy jumping.
• Short rest, so the next set is slower than the last.
• Doing plyometrics on a hard floor or when sore from the previous session.