Reactive Lateral Start
How to Do It
From an athletic ready stance, react to a cue (call, signal, or partner) and explode laterally in the indicated direction using a crossover or drop step, accelerating hard for a few metres. Decelerate under control, reset, and react again on a fresh cue, mixing directions. Emphasize reacting fast and a powerful, low first lateral push.
Why It Works
Combines reaction time with lateral change-of-direction acceleration; reacting to an external cue trains the perception-action coupling and the explosive first lateral push (crossover or drop-step) that pre-planned starts can’t, developing reactive lateral quickness.
Hockey Transfer
Mirrors reacting to the play and exploding sideways on the ice — jumping laterally to a puck, matching an opponent’s cut, or starting a crossover in response to a read; trains reaction plus the powerful first lateral stride.
Coaching Cues
- "Stay ready, react first"
- "open and cross over, low and powerful"
- "explode out of the stance"
Common Mistakes
Anticipating the cue; false-stepping; standing too upright; a weak first lateral push
Progression / Regression
less predictable cues or more directions
self-initiated lateral start or fewer directions
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Alactic/ATP-PC
Put it to work
on the ice.
This exercise is part of a fully periodized 12-week off-ice program — built by a sport scientist who coaches at the national level.
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