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In sport, athletes rarely receive force passively. They manage it, redirect it, and convert it into their next action, all in milliseconds. That’s why one of the most misunderstood concepts in training is the idea of “absorbing” force.
Absorption implies that force simply disappears into the athlete’s body like a sponge. But in reality, high-level movers don’t soak up force, they accept it, organize it, and use it. Force acceptance is an active, coordinated strategy, not a passive one. And when coaches train it correctly, it becomes a powerful gateway to speed, change of direction, jumping, and injury resilience. What Force Acceptance Really Means Force acceptance is the athlete’s ability to receive incoming force, maintain structural integrity, and actively prepare for the next movement solution. It’s not about bracing as hard as possible. It’s not about collapsing and absorbing load. It’s about finding a middle ground where the athlete yields, organizes, and responds. High performers do this instinctively:
These moments require more than “strength.” They require the coordination to manage force smoothly and rhythmically. Why “Absorption” Misses the Point Traditional training often teaches force absorption as:
While these patterns may look clean on paper, they don’t show up in sport. Over-bracing actually limits:
Athletes need to flow into the next action, not freeze, drop, or stall in the name of “control.” Absorbing force is passive. Accepting force is active, dynamic, and sport relevant. Force Acceptance Is a Skill Just like sprinting or cutting, force acceptance must be taught and progressively developed. Athletes need exposure to controlled chaos: angles, rhythms, perturbations, unexpected bounces, and variable speeds. When we train force acceptance, we aim to improve: 1. Yielding Capacity The ability to eccentrically load without collapsing. Soft enough to accept load, stiff enough to retain shape. 2. Rhythmic Coordination Managing force across multiple joints in sequence, ankle, knee, hip, trunk, like a well-timed braking & re-accelerating system. 3. Movement Capability under Load Every landing or deceleration sets up the next action. Force acceptance improves readiness & movement “options.” 4. Energy Redirection The hallmark of elite movers: smooth transition between storing & releasing energy. How We Train Force Acceptance We integrate force acceptance strategies across warmups, plyometrics, and field work. A few examples: Yielding Isometrics
Rhythmic Decels & Landings
Perturbation-Based Activities
High-Velocity Strategies
What Effective Force Acceptance Produces When athletes improve force acceptance, we see measurable changes:
The Bottom Line Force absorption is outdated. It traps athletes in rigid patterns that don’t translate to sport. Force acceptance is the future: A dynamic, coordinated, and proactive strategy that bridges strength qualities with motor skill. When we train the athlete, not just the muscles, we prepare them to thrive in the fast, unpredictable, high force world of sport.
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AuthorJamie Smith is a proud husband and father, passionate about all things relating to athletic development and a life long learner, who is open to unorthodox ideas as long they are beneficial to his athletes. Categories
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*By accessing this website and/or purchasing or utilizing the articles, emails, programs, images, videos, services and/or products, you are agreeing to this disclaimer in its entirety. The content on this website and the educational products sold within are the intellectual property of The U of Strength, LLC and may not be replicated, reproduced, or sold without prior written consent from The U of Strength, LLC. Website, social media and product content provided is for informational purposes and meant to be utilized by athletes, sport coaches, and fitness professionals at their own discretion. It is not meant to substitute advice or guidance from qualified medical experts, and misuse of the information can result in serious injury. Any fitness program should be administered under the discretion of qualified professionals who take into account individual differences in health and ability. While our programs have found success with the athletes who train at our facility, individual results vary and we do not guarantee any specific results. The U of Strength, LLC assumes no liability from the misuse of the content provided or products purchased. Users assume all risk when implementing our ideas in theirs or their clients’ real life training experiences.
Email: [email protected]
*By accessing this website and/or purchasing or utilizing the articles, emails, programs, images, videos, services and/or products, you are agreeing to this disclaimer in its entirety. The content on this website and the educational products sold within are the intellectual property of The U of Strength, LLC and may not be replicated, reproduced, or sold without prior written consent from The U of Strength, LLC. Website, social media and product content provided is for informational purposes and meant to be utilized by athletes, sport coaches, and fitness professionals at their own discretion. It is not meant to substitute advice or guidance from qualified medical experts, and misuse of the information can result in serious injury. Any fitness program should be administered under the discretion of qualified professionals who take into account individual differences in health and ability. While our programs have found success with the athletes who train at our facility, individual results vary and we do not guarantee any specific results. The U of Strength, LLC assumes no liability from the misuse of the content provided or products purchased. Users assume all risk when implementing our ideas in theirs or their clients’ real life training experiences.