ACL injuries are a major concern in female athletes, occurring at 2 to 8 times the rate of their male counterparts.
A significant contributor? Poor landing mechanics, including high vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and excessive knee valgus.
This study explores whether augmented feedback (real-time visual and verbal cues) can improve landing mechanics and whether these improvements transfer to game-specific movements.
If effective, this could provide coaches with a simple and immediate intervention to reduce ACL injury risk in female athletes.
Does real-time feedback during drop landings improve landing mechanics??
Study: Transfer of post-trial feedback on impacts during drop landings in female athletes
What did the researchers do?
Intervention
- 31 healthy female D3 collegiate basketball and volleyball players performed 30 drop landings from a 50 cm platform onto force plates.
- Trials were divided into baseline, feedback, and post-feedback conditions.
- Feedback included real-time force plate data (vGRF), video of knee alignment, and verbal coaching cues.
- Athletes also performed game-specific drills (volleyball blocks or basketball rebounds) before and after the feedback sessions.
Measurements
- Vertical Ground Reaction Force (vGRF) – Measured impact forces during landing.
- Knee-to-Ankle (K:A) Ratio – Used as a proxy for knee valgus (higher ratio = better alignment).
- Accelerometer Data – Captured deceleration forces during the game-specific drills.
What were the results?
vGRF (Landing Impact Forces)
- Decreased by 25% during feedback trials.
- Maintained a 23% reduction post-feedback.
Knee Valgus (K:A Ratio Improvement)
- Improved by 12.5% during feedback trials.
- Maintained a 17% improvement post-feedback.
Game-Specific Transfer (Deceleration Forces)
- Reduced by 11.5%, indicating improved landing control in real-game scenarios.
Dual-Task Conditions (Catching a Ball Mid-Air)
- Did not significantly impact the improvements, meaning the feedback still worked under more game-like constraints.
What does this mean?
- Immediate feedback is effective in reducing landing forces and improving knee positioning.
- These changes carry over to game-specific movements, meaning the improvements are not just limited to controlled lab settings.
- Using simple technology (force plates, video, and accelerometers) can provide real-time coaching cues to modify movement patterns quickly.
Limitations
- This study only tested a single session of feedback so the long-term retention is unknown.
- Improvements in knee valgus were measured only in drop landings, not in the game-specific drills.
Coach's Takeaway
Feedback Works
- Immediate feedback works → Video + force plate data + coaching cues = better landings.
- These changes transfer to sport movements → Meaning, it’s not just a lab-based gimmick.
Practical Application
- Have athletes watch their landings on video immediately after execution.
- Use verbal cues like "soft landings" and "knees over ankles" to improve technique.
I hope this was helpful.
Ramsey
