Every sprint, cut, and jump in football happens one leg at a time — but most jump training is two-footed. This routine is single-leg power with one strict rule: every landing is stuck still. Hop far, land quiet, hold it for a slow two-count before the next one. The stick is the exercise — a big hop with a wobbly landing counts for nothing.
This is jump training, so the jump rules apply: grass or a forgiving surface, fresh legs, never two jump days in a row (morning power and strength & control count as jump days too). It’s short on purpose — quality dies long before time runs out.
Warm up first — movement prep.
What each part is:
- hop & stick, forward — hop for distance off one foot, land on the same foot, stick it: knee steady over the toes, hips level, arms out if you need them.
- side hops — hop sideways over a line or a sock, stick each landing. both directions.
- hop & turn — hop forward with a quarter-turn in the air, stick facing the new way. both turn directions.
- three in a row — three connected hops, stick only the last one. the middle landings stay quiet and springy.
If a landing gets loud, shaky, or your knee dives inward — rest longer, or stop for the day. Your monthly benchmarks hop test is this exact move; this is where that number comes from.
progression. add distance only while the landings stay silent. then hop up or down a small step (curb height). during a growth spurt, ease off and watch the benchmark — it comes back.
background: how much training is too much?