What Happens When You Incorporate Landing Practice Into Your Weekly Programming

If you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m a big fan of the basics and specific landing practice is as basic as it comes for a netballer, but what are the benefits and why should you be making landing practice your bread-and-butter session? 

Firstly, specific landing practice is the No.1 injury prevention training for the game. During a 60-minute game of netball you can be expected to land on the ground a minimum of 1000 times and that’s a lot of pressure on your muscle and joints. Therefore it’s important to strengthen the muscles around your knees, ankles and even your core in order to protect your body in a game. 

Secondly, specific landing practice will improve your performance. By practicing receiving the ball of balance, on one leg, in the air etc. you will improve your ability to stay upright to see the players and court. This will in-turn allow you to release the ball faster and will also set the base for your change of direction into your next move down the court. 

So you’re sold…but when should you be completing this type of training? Landing practice should be regular and slowly progressed as you become more competent at the skill. Try fitting in 2-3 landing specific sessions per week to really benefit on court. They do not have to be long, 10-15 minutes before other court/off court training is perfect. 

As well as spending time off the court incorporating landing into your ball and agility work, you should also complete landing exercises prior to every training session or game (after activation exercises) to make sure your body is fully prepared for the demands of the work you are about to put it through. 

So how do you get started? Give this basic landing session a go twice this week. Remember to hold (or ‘stick’) each landing for 3 seconds before repeating the movement. 

Basic Landing Session

Complete each exercise for 1 minute. 
Complete 3 rounds. 
Rest between full rounds as needed. 

1. Forward Bound to stick
2. Lateral Bound – Left Leg land and stick
3. Lateral Bound – Right Leg land and stick 
4. Forward Bound – Left Leg Hop and Stick
5. Forward Bound – Right Leg Hop and Stick