Why this pattern raises ACL injury risk...

Dan Pfaff analyzes how a wide foot landing and hip rotation create knee strain, increasing the risk of ACL injuries.

ACL injuries remain a major concern in sport ⚠️ and clips like this help explain why. As the athlete cuts to avoid the camera, the left foot lands wide, the trunk leans back, and the femur spins outward quickly. That chain of positions creates a strong bowing response at the knee, which raises the strain on the ACL. Dan highlights this pattern because the knee isn’t the starting point. The pattern begins at the hip. When rotation spikes and the body moves away from the line of force, the knee ends up absorbing the load. These are the moments that increase an athlete’s risk profile during cutting or evasive movements. They also happen fast. Without a trained coaching eye 👀 these details slip by. With a clearer lens, you start to recognise the situations that place joints under pressure, understand why the pattern shows up, and decide what needs attention in training. If you want to build that clarity, the Coaching Eye Program with Dan Pfaff walks you through how to study movement and identify the patterns that matter for both performance and injury risk. The next cohort begins January 2026. 📥 To start developing this skill, we created a free introductory guide: Coaching Eye 101. It includes an ebook and a full webinar with Dan on how to watch movement with structure and intent. 🔗 Grab the guide here: loom.ly/uXtc61A