Lead author:
Christopher M. Puleston, Plymouth Marjon University
Co-authors:
Dr. Matthew Ellis Dr. Lee A. Bridgeman, Dr. Matthew J. Handford, Dr. John Harry, Dr. Jonathan D. Hughes, Dr. Thomas E. Bright
Plymouth Marjon University, Southampton Solent University, Texas Tech University, U7Performance, Cardiff Met University
Landing performance is central to many sporting actions, whether preparing for a subsequent movement or rapidly decelerating to a stop (Harry et al., 2024). Verbal cueing may alter landing mechanics, with prior work suggesting that simple cues can reduce landing forces and change joint kinematics (McNair et al., 2000; Milner et al., 2012; Khuu et al., 2015). However, whether the cue influences the resulting landing height, position, depth and relative peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) is less clear. Separately, landing force-time reliability has been questioned (Anicic et al., 2023), yet whether the cue itself affects this is largely unknown - this exploratory study examined both.
Dr Matt Handford is a strength and conditioning coach at U7 Performance & Youth and is a researcher at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
John Harry is an Associate Professor of Biomechanics and Director of the Sport and Occupational Neuromechanics Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management. John’s research interests include the effects of resistance exercise on anxiety-related symptoms, jumping and landing abilities in athletes, load management in resistance exercise and baseball pitching biomechanics.
Dr Jonathan Hughes is a Senior Lecturer in Strength and Conditioning at Cardiff Metropolitan University and the 2024 UKSCA Coach of the Year (Education & Research). His work focuses on eccentric training, neuromuscular function and the translation of mechanistic research into applied strategies for performance, rehabilitation and athlete development.
Dr Thomas Bright is a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at Plymouth Marjon University, as well as a Strength and Conditioning Consultant for Tournament Golf College. His research focuses on the biomechanics of jumping and athletic performance, including eccentric resistance training and youth athlete development.
