Performance Led Development (PLD) Skill strength is a system that seeks to use the most efficient maneuver or chain of maneuvers to gain an advantage in a sporting contest. It harness’s the athletes ability to move plyometrically (when appropriate) and to use correct breathing, isometric contractions in combination with trained self-awareness. This increased self-awareness of ones position relative to others and ones immediate environment is the foundation skill upon which this system rests.
The system reviews athlete performance and so its development is continuous. It takes into account the likely tactics of opposition players and therefore does not always simply advocate the most efficient maneuver, rather the one that is best for that specific sports situation. It draws upon a much older concept than the Japanese and Russian identification of what is now known as plyometrics. Plyo from the Greek to improve or build and metrics, to measure. PLD Skill-strength is something that goes beyond just enhancing an individual’s explosive power by harnessing the body’s conscious and unconscious neuromuscular and mechanical elastic reflexes.
PLD Skill-strength is more than plyometrics, one can not simply apply biomechanics to describe it because what is the most mechanically efficient may not be what is required, due to the need to take into account the likely reactions and counter tactics of opposition (particularly in the context of contact and combat sports). One of the defining features of training in Skill-strength is the use of Skill Transfer Exercise (STE), which are designed to enhance the transfer of an athletes training gains to the achievement of desired functional goal(s), see article: Skill Transfer Exercises and Skill-strength, NSCA TSAC Report. Issue 25 November 2012. www.nsca.com/Publications/reports-and-journals/
So PLD Skill-strength is something more than using plyometrics. The best of the martial arts has made good use of skill strength since time immemorial. The ability to defeat a stronger opponent is arguably one of the measures of skill strength application. The Mauy Thai fighter who uses a well-placed shin kick or elbow to knock down an adversary, a wrestler who uses balance, explosive power and the application of Isometric tension to take their opponents down for a pin, the Jiu jitsu practitioner utilising positioning and leverage in order to dominate their appointment, or who postures up before dropping quickly down to make use of their bodies Kinetic energy to pass Z guard, all show the application of various facets of skill-strength.
The common elements in all these examples are balance and self-awareness in terms of positioning of the one individual relative to their opponent combined with delivery of the required power, transmitted effectively. Breathing and Isometric strength play their part in terms of stability and effective transfer of power used in many sporting maneuvers.
Performance Led Development Skill-strength trains athletes to move Plyometrically particularly when performing appropriate ballistic and fast movements. However the ability to create tension and stabilise other parts of the body to help maximising the delivery of the force is with correct breathing a vital part of PLD Skill-strength. I have been working on PLD Skill-strength since before the Beijing Olympiad 2008 and I believe it has practical positive applications to many contact sports such as Rugby, Australian rules football, Brazilian and No-Gi Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Judo, Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts to name but a few. Skill-strength and Skill Transfer Exercises can also be used to add value to existing training programs for Tactical athletes and in non-contact sports, an example would be in the training of a players’ golf swing, or putting.