Change of direction is one of the most important movement qualities in sport. Athletes rarely move in perfectly straight lines for long. They accelerate, slow down, reposition, redirect, and accelerate again—often in a matter of seconds.
Whether it is a soccer player cutting away from a defender, a basketball player changing direction off the dribble, a football player planting to create separation, or a lacrosse athlete reacting to space, effective change of direction depends on much more than simply being “quick.”
Athletes must be able to control their momentum, absorb force, organize their body into an effective position, and then apply force in a new direction.
That is why we often teach change of direction as a progression rather than simply putting athletes through cone drills.
We commonly use three cuts to help athletes understand and progress through different change-of-direction demands:
- The crossover cut
- The 90-degree cut
- The 135-degree cut
Each cut presents a slightly different challenge in terms of deceleration, body position, force absorption, and reacceleration.
We also use the VertiMax Raptor in a unique way during these progressions. Rather than only using resistance to make the drill harder, we use both assistance and resistance to manipulate different portions of the movement.
This allows us to isolate and emphasize two critical components of change of direction:
Deceleration into the cut and acceleration out of the cut.
Change of Direction Starts With Deceleration
Most athletes think about changing direction as an acceleration skill.
They think about how quickly they can explode out of the cut.
But before an athlete can produce force in a new direction, they must first deal with the force created by their current momentum.
The faster an athlete is moving, the more difficult that becomes.
A simple way to think about the sequence is:
Accelerate → Decelerate → Stabilize → Redirect → Reaccelerate
Many athletes want to skip the middle.
They enter the cut too fast, take too many steps, allow their body to drift, or plant in a poor position. The result is often a slow transition out of the cut.
The best change-of-direction athletes do not simply accelerate well.
They decelerate efficiently.
Deceleration gives the athlete time and position to redirect force.
If the athlete cannot control their body entering the cut, it becomes very difficult to create an explosive exit.
Braking Is a Skill
Deceleration requires the athlete to absorb force through the lower body while maintaining control of the trunk and pelvis.
We want athletes to learn to lower their center of mass, organize their foot placement, and position their body so they can absorb momentum without collapsing.
This generally requires strong eccentric qualities through the hips, knees, ankles, and trunk.
But strength alone is not enough.
The athlete also needs timing.
They need to recognize when to begin slowing down, how much force needs to be absorbed, and how to place the foot relative to the intended direction change.
That is why change-of-direction training should not begin with maximum-speed cutting.
Athletes need to first learn the positions.
Then they need to learn to control the stop.
Then we can progressively increase velocity, angle, and complexity.
The Crossover Cut
The crossover cut is generally our first progression.
This is a less aggressive redirection than a sharp 90- or 135-degree cut and allows the athlete to continue carrying some momentum through the movement.
The athlete plants and redirects while using a crossover action to move into the new direction.
This type of movement is common when athletes are trying to cover space quickly without completely stopping their momentum.
Examples might include:
- A defensive back repositioning
- A soccer player adjusting to a developing play
- A basketball player moving from a lateral position into a sprint
- A field sport athlete transitioning from a shuffle into a run
The crossover cut helps athletes learn how to transition from lateral or angled movement into acceleration.
The key is to avoid excessive vertical movement.
We want the athlete to remain relatively level, control their hips, and direct force toward the new path of travel.
The 90-Degree Cut
The 90-degree cut increases the demand.
Now the athlete must redirect momentum much more aggressively.
Instead of simply continuing into a slightly different path, the athlete is creating a significant change in direction.
This requires more braking.
The athlete has to lower their center of mass earlier and begin positioning the body before reaching the plant step.
One common mistake is waiting until the final step to begin decelerating.
When that happens, athletes often slam into the plant foot.
Instead, deceleration should typically happen across multiple steps.
As the athlete approaches the cut, we want to see:
- Shorter steps
- Lower body position
- Better control of the trunk
- The foot contacting the ground in a useful position
- A smooth transition from braking into acceleration
The goal is not simply to touch the ground and turn.
The goal is to redirect force efficiently.
The 135-Degree Cut
The 135-degree cut creates an even greater braking demand.
Now the athlete is redirecting back toward the direction they came from.
Because of the sharper angle, momentum must be reduced much more aggressively.
This type of cut places significant emphasis on deceleration mechanics.
If the athlete approaches the cut with too much uncontrolled speed, they will often take unnecessary steps, lose balance, or allow the upper body to drift outside the base of support.
The sharper the cut, the greater the need for effective braking.
That is an important concept for athletes to understand:
Different angles require different strategies.
A crossover cut does not require the same degree of deceleration as a 135-degree cut.
Training every cut exactly the same misses an important part of athletic movement.
Using the VertiMax Raptor to Assist Into the Cut
One of the most effective ways we teach these movements is by using the VertiMax Raptor to manipulate the athlete’s momentum.
The first progression is to position the athlete so the Raptor assists them into the cut.
This assistance increases the demand entering the change of direction.
The athlete now has additional momentum pulling them toward the cut.
That places greater emphasis on deceleration.
Instead of asking the athlete to simply run faster, the Raptor creates an external force that the athlete must learn to control.
This gives the coach an opportunity to emphasize:
- Earlier braking
- Lowering the center of mass
- Proper foot placement
- Trunk control
- Eccentric strength
- Positioning before the plant
The athlete is essentially being challenged to “own” the entry into the cut.
The Raptor exposes poor deceleration quickly.
If the athlete cannot control the added momentum, the coach sees it immediately.
They may take extra steps.
They may become upright.
They may allow their knees or trunk to collapse.
They may plant too far outside their center of mass.
That feedback is extremely valuable.
Resisted Acceleration Out of the Cut
When we assist the athlete into the cut, the Raptor naturally becomes a resistance as the athlete accelerates away.
This creates a powerful training combination:
Assisted entry → resisted exit
The athlete first has to absorb momentum and create a strong position.
Then, immediately after the plant, they must produce force against resistance to accelerate in the new direction.
This teaches an important sport concept.
A successful cut is not just about stopping.
The athlete has to stop in a position that allows them to go again.
That transition from force absorption to force production is where high-level change of direction happens.
We want the athlete to feel the connection between the two.
A better entry position creates a better exit.
Reversing the Stimulus: Resisted Into the Cut
Our next progression reverses the setup.
Now the athlete is resisted into the cut.
The Raptor resistance slows the athlete as they approach the change of direction.
This can help the athlete become more comfortable with positioning and allow them to focus on the mechanics of the cut with slightly less uncontrolled momentum.
It also challenges the athlete to continue producing force while moving toward the cut.
The athlete has to work against resistance and maintain posture, rhythm, and appropriate body position.
Once they make the cut, the Raptor begins to assist them out.
Now the sequence becomes:
Resisted entry → assisted exit
This creates a very different stimulus.
Assisted Acceleration Out of the Cut
The assisted exit allows the athlete to experience faster reacceleration.
Once the athlete establishes good position at the plant, the Raptor helps pull them into the new direction.
This can help teach the athlete what an aggressive first step out of the cut should feel like.
We can emphasize:
- Quick repositioning
- Positive shin angles
- Aggressive force application
- Fast first steps
- Proper projection
- Efficient acceleration mechanics
The assistance should never pull the athlete so aggressively that mechanics deteriorate.
The goal is not to drag the athlete through the movement.
The goal is to create an environment where they experience a faster and more explosive exit while maintaining proper position.
Why We Use Both Variations
Using assistance and resistance in both directions allows us to train the same movement from different perspectives.
Assisted Into the Cut / Resisted Out
Primary emphasis:
Deceleration and force production
The athlete must manage greater momentum entering the cut and then overcome resistance to accelerate out.
This is excellent for emphasizing braking strength and powerful reacceleration.
Resisted Into the Cut / Assisted Out
Primary emphasis:
Positioning and speed of exit
The athlete works against resistance entering the cut and then experiences assistance as they accelerate away.
This can help reinforce proper mechanics while teaching the athlete to transition more rapidly out of the plant.
Neither variation is necessarily better.
They simply provide different training stimuli.
Coaching the Plant Step
The plant step receives a lot of attention during cutting, but it should not be viewed in isolation.
The steps before the plant matter. Athletes should begin preparing for the cut before they reach the final contact. Depending on the angle and velocity, this may involve lowering the center of mass over several steps. We want the athlete to arrive at the plant step already prepared to redirect.
Useful coaching concepts include:
Lower before the cut.
Do not wait until the final step to drop the hips.
Control your momentum.
The athlete should arrive at the plant under control.
Push the ground away.
After the plant, the athlete needs to apply force into the ground to create movement in the new direction.
Win the first two steps.
The first steps after the cut should create separation and speed.
Avoid Making Every Cut Look the Same
One of the mistakes we see in agility training is trying to coach every change of direction with identical mechanics.
Sport does not work that way.
The movement strategy should change depending on:
- The athlete's speed
- The angle of the cut
- The direction they need to travel
- The opponent
- The available space
- The next movement in the play
A shallow cut may allow the athlete to maintain momentum.
A 90-degree cut may require moderate braking.
A 135-degree cut may require significant deceleration.
That is why we use different cutting angles during training. We want athletes to develop a toolbox of movement solutions.
Change of Direction vs. Agility
It is also important to distinguish change of direction from true agility.
Change of direction is a planned movement.
The athlete knows where they are going. A crossover cut, 90-degree cut, or 135-degree cut performed around a cone is change-of-direction training. Agility adds perception and decision-making.
The athlete must react to:
- An opponent
- A teammate
- A ball
- A coach
- A visual stimulus
- A changing environment
The technical foundation still matters.
Before athletes can make good reactive decisions at speed, they need the physical tools to execute the movement. That is why we usually build the change-of-direction skill first and then add reaction.
A Simple Training Progression
A practical progression might look like this:
Phase 1: Learn the Position
Teach the cut slowly. Focus on foot placement, posture, lowering the center of mass, and body control.
Phase 2: Add Controlled Speed
Allow the athlete to enter the cut with progressively greater velocity. The goal is still movement quality.
Phase 3: Assisted Entry / Resisted Exit
Use the VertiMax Raptor to increase deceleration demands and challenge acceleration out of the cut.
Phase 4: Resisted Entry / Assisted Exit
Reverse the stimulus to challenge force production entering the cut and create faster reacceleration.
Phase 5: Increase Speed and Complexity
Progress from the crossover cut to the 90-degree cut and eventually the sharper 135-degree cut.
Phase 6: Add Reaction
Once the athlete owns the movement, remove the predetermined decision.
Have the athlete react to a coach, partner, ball, or visual cue.
Now change-of-direction training begins to become agility training.
Quality Before Fatigue
Change-of-direction training should be treated similarly to speed and power training.
The goal is not to make athletes tired.
The goal is to improve movement.
Once fatigue causes the athlete to lose posture, take unnecessary steps, or plant poorly, the quality of the training begins to decrease.
For that reason, we prioritize:
- High-quality repetitions
- Appropriate recovery
- Good mechanics
- Progressive intensity
- Intent on every repetition
Conditioning can be trained separately. When we are working on cutting mechanics, we want the athlete learning efficient movement.
The Bigger Picture
The ability to cut effectively is not simply about having quick feet.
It requires strength, power, coordination, eccentric control, body awareness, and technical skill.
Most importantly, it requires an athlete to understand how to manage momentum.
The crossover cut, 90-degree cut, and 135-degree cut give us a simple progression for exposing athletes to increasing levels of redirection. Using the VertiMax Raptor allows us to manipulate those movements even further.
We can assist the athlete into the cut to overload deceleration and then resist the acceleration out., or we can resist the athlete into the cut and assist the acceleration out. Each variation teaches something different. Ultimately, our goal is not simply to create athletes who can perform a drill.
We want athletes who can control speed, redirect force, and accelerate efficiently in any direction the game demands.
That is the foundation of effective change of direction—and eventually, true agility.
