Single-Leg Hops

Single-leg hops are repeated plyometric hops performed on one leg (the same leg landing and taking off), for vertical height, horizontal distance, or in patterns (forward, lateral, diagonal, over lines/hurdles, or in a hexagon). Because all the force passes through one limb, they are high-intensity and demand single-leg strength, ankle/knee stability, and good reactive mechanics — making them a late-stage progression after double-leg drills are mastered.

Technique: balance on one leg in a slight squat, hop using a quick ankle/knee/hip action with a short, reactive ground contact, keep the knee tracking over the toes (no valgus), and control the landing with the hip and gluteus medius before the next hop. Use the arms for rhythm and the free leg for balance.

Single-leg hops are valuable for sports with single-leg propulsion (running, jumping off one foot, cutting) and are used in return-to-sport testing (e.g., single-leg hop-for-distance, triple hop, crossover hop) to assess limb symmetry. They require the strength/readiness prerequisites and should be programmed at low volume with full recovery.

• Repeated hops on one leg for height/distance/pattern; high-intensity (full load on one limb).
• Build single-leg reactive strength, ankle/knee stability, and limb symmetry.
• Keep knee over toe (no valgus); short reactive contacts; hip/glute-med control landings.
• Late progression — master double-leg drills and meet strength prerequisites first.
• Used in return-to-sport hop testing.

• plyometrics-definition — a high-intensity single-leg plyometric.
• bounding — single-leg bounding is a traveling relative.
• reactive-strength — develops single-leg SSC efficiency.
• plyometric-prerequisites — readiness gates single-leg work.
• gluteus-medius — key frontal-plane landing stabilizer.