By Cameron Sinclair ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Improving the capacity to explosively open and close the hip joint improves running speed, tackle effectiveness, and performance in lineout’s, scrums and second phase play, as well as overall strength, balance, and power.

Jumping on and off a picnic table is the perfect place to experiment with explosive hip movements, though stairs, bleachers, low walls, and stacks of tires or boxes are all effective.

Use the arms to both generate energy and maintain balance and rhythm through the movement. After landing in a crouch (closed hip joint) to complete the ascending phase, either step, stand or jump up to open the hip joint to a natural (straight) spinal position before landing the descent.

Land as quietly as possible through both the ascent and descent phases. This is a more effective queue than ‘land softly’ and provides the jumper with more awareness of the complete movement, instead of component parts.

Experiment with different heights, surfaces (soft rubber tires and stacks of gym mats are an alternative to solid surfaces), single leg bounds, bounds changing direction, and the use of additional weights, such as medicine balls, weight vests, or sandbags.

Bound both to improve height capacity and the number of reps completed in set time.