About this episode

This episode features Tom Dos Santos discussing the technical principles and training frameworks for mastering change of direction in sports.

Mastering Change of Direction: Technical Principles, Assessment and Training Frameworks — with Tom Dos Santos In this strategy episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Tom Dos Santos — a researcher and practitioner who has dedicated a significant amount of his work to understanding one of the most technically demanding qualities in sport: change of direction. This is a detailed, practical conversation that goes well beyond the surface level. Tom walks us through the core biomechanical principles that underpin effective change of direction, including the angle-velocity trade-off and the stress placed on the ACL during cutting manoeuvres — and why coaches need to understand this before they design a single drill. We get into how to approach needs analysis when entering a new sport, how to assess change of direction across multiple angles and actions rather than relying on a single test, and the role game analysis should play in shaping what we do in training. Tom also discusses how to build effective progressions and regressions, how technology is changing the way we evaluate these qualities, and why developing perceptual cues for anticipation is just as…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Howells

Guest: Tom Dos Santos

Topics covered

• change of direction
• biomechanics
• athlete training
• needs analysis
• game analysis
• progressions and regressions

Keywords

• change of direction
• biomechanical principles
• ACL stress
• needs analysis
• training frameworks
• perceptual cues
• athlete performance

Sponsors

1080 Motion

More episodes of Performance Strategies & Stumbles

• Ep47 - Jesse Green Strategy - Profiling, Injury Prevention and the Closed Loop Processes · May 31, 2026 · 40 min
• Ep46 - Tom Dos Santos Stumbles - "I hate admitting mistakes, but I know its where I grow!" · May 17, 2026 · 32 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Performance Strategies & Stumbles podcast page.