Be Nervous…IT’s OK

fitness

24 Jul

Masters players face declines in reaction time, proprioception, and fast-twitch activation, which undermine performance and increase injury risk. Drawing on Quintin Torres’ excellent manual and recent empirical studies we look at the four foundational pillars of nervous system training—Balance & Proprioception; Elasticity & Reflex Activation; Strength & Stability; and Speed & Explosiveness. For each pillar I will share mechanistic insights, helpful protocols, and field-hockey–relevant exercises.

Balance & Proprioception

Balance and proprioception underpin both injury prevention and high-precision skills. Proprioceptive training—defined as targeted exercises to improve joint position sense and kinesthesia—yields substantial gains in both sensory and motor performance; Yilmaz et al., 2024.

Mechanisms

Enhanced joint position sense (JPS) and force sense via repeated challenge on unstable surfaces (e.g., wobble boards, foam pads) improve spinal and peripheral feedback loops (Winter et al., 2022). A standardised balance assessment by an accredited physical therapist should be done prior to embarking on a balance improvement program.
Dual-task and perturbation drills reinforce integration of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory inputs, translating to better on-field stability and decision-making. For example holding a defensive player with a resistance band and applying force orthogonally to their preferred path of interception and tackle or jerking back at the point of successful ball contact.

Perturbation or disturbance drills introduce unexpected forces or unstable conditions to challenge your balance, proprioception, and reactive control. By disrupting the body’s equilibrium during hockey-specific tasks, these drills train your neuromuscular system to stabilize more efficiently under real-game stress.

Key Benefits
Improved joint stability and injury resilience
Faster reaction to sudden changes in direction or contact
Enhanced proprioceptive awareness for stick-and-ball control
Greater confidence in dynamic, unpredictable match situations

A systematic review of 19 trials (adult and youth athletes) demonstrated 58% mean relative improvements in JPS and 48% in motor performance after 6–12 weeks of proprioceptive training, 3–5 sessions per week; Yilmaz et al., 2024.

Somatosensory stimulation protocols (vibration, light touch) yielded the largest effects in clinical populations, suggesting additive benefits for masters athletes with subtle sensorimotor deficits; Winter et al., 2022.

Putting the Science to Use

Partner Push-and-Dribble

While you dribble a 10-m straight line, a teammate applies random light shoulder pushes. Aim to maintain stick-ball contact and body alignment under lateral force.

Wobble-Board Passing

Stand on a balance board or pad and pass the ball back and forth with a partner. A simple progression to apply here may be to increase pass speed or vary angles to force constant micro-adjustments.

Rebounder Reaction Drill

Use a rebound net at varying angles. Receive the ball, react to its unpredictable return, and redirect it to target cones. Vary post-receive action from passing to a receiver to shooting or throwing an overhead off the back foot.

Single-Leg Stick Work

Balance on one leg while performing figure-8 dribbling around two cones. Switch legs mid-set.

This helps build ankle/knee stability and core engagement during stick dexterity.

Dynamic Obstacle Weave

Set up portable poles on springs or hinged bases.Dribble in and out; poles sway when contacted, forcing you to adjust trajectory and speed constantly.

Single-leg stick-handling on a BOSU ball: 3×30 s per leg, 2 × week for 8 weeks, improves dynamic postural control.

Elasticity & Reflex Activation

The stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) exploits pre-stretch (eccentric) to augment concentric force, blending elastic recoil and neuromuscular potentiation.

Mechanisms

Pre-activation: Eccentric phase readies cross-bridges, so concentric force begins at a higher baseline (Komi, 2000).
Cross-bridge kinetics: Active stretch elongates attached cross-bridges, storing elastic energy that enhances subsequent power output (Fukutani et al., 2021).
Residual force enhancement (RFE): Following stretch, titin-based structural changes sustain elevated force beyond what tendons or reflexes alone explain (Fukutani, Isaka, & Herzog, 2021).

SSC protocols produced up to 40% greater work output than pure shortening, implicating contractile protein mechanisms; Fukutani et al., 2021.
Long-term SSC training increases impulse by 14%, reduces ground contact time by 15%, and boosts reactive strength index—critical for quick, powerful movements in sport, Hirayama et al., 2017.

Putting the Science to Use

Medicine ball rebound throws against a pad: 3×10 reps, fast eccentric-slow concentric, to reinforce upper-body SSC. Drop jumps (20–30 cm) with short amortization (< 0.25 s): 4×5 reps, 2× week to optimize lower-limb SSC.

Strength & Stability

Core strength and stability training optimizes force transfer through the lumbopelvic complex, ensuring both power delivery and spinal protection.Why is this crucial?

Performance Underpinning

Core strength and lumbopelvic stability ensure seamless force transfer from the lower limbs through the trunk to the stick, maximizing shot power, pass velocity, and sprint acceleration. When the trunk muscles stiffen the spine and pelvis, energy generated by the hips and legs is delivered efficiently to the upper body, reducing energy leaks and enhancing performance in shooting, drag‐flicks, and rapid direction changes.

Age‐related declines in muscle mass, coordination, and proprioception heighten the risk of falls and chronic back discomfort. For players aged 55–69, preserving core function counters sarcopenia, sustains balance in low stances, and maintains explosive power—key to staying competitive and injury‐free on the field.

Practical Benefits for Masters Hockey Players

Enhanced shot and pass power via efficient force coupling between hips, trunk, and shoulders
Reduced incidence of lower back pain and overuse injuries through improved spinal alignment and neuromuscular control
Better balance and agility in low stances, aiding in quick pivots, tackles, and sustained play intensity

Importance of Core Strength and Stability Training for Older Field Hockey Players

Lumbopelvic stability also protects the lumbar spine by maintaining optimal alignment and distributing loads evenly across vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Deficits in deep core activation (transversus abdominis, multifidus) correlate with low back pain and injury; targeted stability training strengthens these muscles, lowers injury risk, and supports long‐term spinal health during the demands of masters hockey play.

Practical Benefits for Masters Hockey Players

Enhanced shot and pass power via efficient force coupling between hips, trunk, and shoulders
Reduced incidence of lower back pain and overuse injuries through improved spinal alignment and neuromuscular control
Better balance and agility in low stances, aiding in quick pivots, tackles, and sustained play intensity
Greater endurance and reduced fatigue thanks to sustained trunk support during prolonged matches and training sessions

Injury Prevention

Mechanisms

Global vs. local musculature: External obliques and rectus abdominis channel force; transversus abdominis and multifidi stabilize vertebral segments (Bergmark, 1989).
Instability challenges: Training on unstable surfaces heightens neuromuscular demand, improving anticipatory postural adjustments (Behm et al., 2010).
Six-week core regimes on stable vs. unstable surfaces produced equivalent gains in trunk muscle strength, but unstable training yielded greater mobility and balance improvements, Granacher et al., 2014.
Elite practitioners now favor functional loaded lifts (e.g., squats, farmer’s walks) over isolated planks; 84% of surveyed coaches endorsed compound movements for core development; Clark, Lambert, & Hunter, 2018.

Putting the Science to Use

Single-arm Pallof press at 70% 1RM: 3×8 each side, supine on a stability disc to challenge anti-rotation stability under load.
Dead-bug progressions on a foam pad, integrated with stick-handling to link core stability with fine-motor control.

Speed & Explosiveness

Speed and explosiveness training refine the rate of force development (RFD) and high-threshold motor-unit recruitment—key for sprints, rapid changes of direction, and strikes;the underpinnings of modern hockey.

Mechanisms

Neural adaptations: Increased motor-unit firing rates and synchronization through high-velocity drills; Markovic & Mikulic, 2010.
Elastic energy utilization: Plyometric drills reinforce tendon stiffness and rapid elastic recoil, shortening ground contact times; Bosco & Komi, 1982.

Eight weeks of plyometrics in elite basketball players improved 20 m sprint by 6% and countermovement jump height by 15%, with RFD slopes steepening significantly (Huang, Huang, & Wu, 2023).
High-intensity interval sprints (10–40 m) combined with resistance-sled work yield larger speed gains than traditional resistance training alone (TrainHeroic, 2023).

Putting the Science to Use

Reactive cone sprints with visual or auditory cues: 6×20 m, randomized start signals to mimic in-game unpredictability.
Split-stance lateral bounds over low hurdles: 4×10 reps per side, emphasizing minimal ground contact.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Behm, D. G., Drinkwater, E. J., Willardson, J. M., & Cowley, P. M. (2010). The use of instability to train the core musculature. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 35(1), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1139/H09-127

Bergmark, A. (1989). Stability of the lumbar spine. A study in mechanical engineering. Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica. Supplementum, 230, 1–54.

Bosco, C., & Komi, P. V. (1982). Stretch‐shortening cycle in human motion. In Biomechanics IVB (pp. 515–542). University Park Press.

Clark, D. R., Lambert, M. I., & Hunter, A. M. (2018). Contemporary perspectives of core stability training for dynamic athletic performance: A survey of athletes, coaches, sports science and sports medicine practitioners. Sports Medicine ‑ Open, 4, 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0150-3

Fukutani, A., Isaka, T., & Herzog, W. (2021). Evidence for muscle cell-based mechanisms of enhanced performance in stretch-shortening cycle in skeletal muscle. Frontiers in Physiology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.609553

Granacher, U., Schellbach, J., Klein, K., Prieske, O., Baeyens, J. P., & Muehlbauer, T. (2014). Effects of core strength training using stable versus unstable surfaces on physical fitness in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 6, 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/2052-1847-6-40

Hirayama, K., Suzuki, Y., Suzuki, S., & Kanehisa, H. (2017). Effect of plyometric training on the stretch shortening cycle during drop‐jump exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(10), 2123–2131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3694-6

Huang, H., Huang, W.-Y., & Wu, C.-E. (2023). The effect of plyometric training on the speed, agility, and explosive strength performance in elite athletes. Applied Sciences, 13(6), 3605. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13063605

Komi, P. V. (2000). Stretch-shortening cycle: A powerful model to study normal and fatigued muscle. Journal of Biomechanics, 33(10), 1197–1206. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9290(00)00160-5

Marković, G., & Mikulić, P. (2010). Neuro-muscular and performance adaptations to plyometric training. Sports Medicine, 40(10), 859–895. https://doi.org/10.2165/11536910-000000000-00000

TrainHeroic. (2023). 4 scientifically proven ways to develop explosive power (and how to program each). Retrieved from https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/4-scientifically-proven-ways-to-develop-explosive-power-and-how-to-program-each/

Winter, L., Huang, Q., Konczak, J., & Sertic, J. V. L. (2022). The effectiveness of proprioceptive training for improving motor performance and motor dysfunction: A systematic review. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3, Article 830166. https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2022.830166

Yilmaz, O., Soylu, Y., Erkmen, N., Kaplan, T., & Batalik, L. (2024). Effects of proprioceptive training on sports performance: A systematic review. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 16, 149. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-00936-z

Physio-Pedia. Lumbo Pelvic Stability. https://www.physio-pedia.com/Lumbo_Pelvic_Stability