What is Valgus Collapse in Jumping and Landing?
Valgus collapse is a movement fault where the knee(s) cave inward—toward the midline of the body—during high-load actions like jumping, landing, cutting, or squatting. It’s most commonly observed in the frontal plane and often involves a combination of:

  • Hip internal rotation

  • Femoral adduction

  • Knee abduction

  • Foot pronation

Essentially, the lower limb loses alignment and control, putting excessive stress on the knee joint, especially the ACL.

Why is Valgus Collapse Bad?

  1. Major Injury Risk (especially ACL):
    Valgus collapse is a top risk factor for non-contact ACL tears, particularly in female athletes. The inward collapse creates torque across the knee joint at a time when stability is critical (e.g., during landing or deceleration).

  2. Poor Force Transfer:
    When alignment breaks down, force is absorbed inefficiently, reducing jump height, quickness, and overall performance.

  3. Muscle Imbalance & Fatigue:
    Valgus often stems from weak glutes, poor core stability, or motor control deficits—leaving the athlete vulnerable to overuse and compensation injuries.

  4. Inconsistent Movement Patterns:
    Over time, the body adapts to these faulty mechanics, making them habitual and harder to fix with just verbal coaching or video review.

How Can the KAT Fix It?

The KAT (Kinesthetic Awareness Training) system provides real-time haptic feedback—buzzes and beeps that guide the athlete to maintain proper joint alignment through feel, not guesswork. Here's how it targets valgus collapse:

  1. Live Movement Alerts:
    KAT sensors placed on the thigh and/or shin can detect the angle of the knee. If the knee drifts inward past a safe threshold during  takeoff or landing, the device beeps and buzzes immediately, signaling a collapse.

  2. Neuromuscular Re-education:
    The KAT helps athletes feel when they’re in proper alignment—glutes engaged, knees tracking over toes. This reinforces correct joint positioning through sensory-based motor learning, which is more durable than cue-based instruction alone.

  3. Repetition with Precision:
    KAT enables high-volume, high-quality reps with consistent feedback. Athletes learn what proper jumping and landing should feel like, building better motor maps.

  4. Progressive Challenge:
    Coaches can scale difficulty (box jumps, single-leg landings, sport-specific movements) and adjust KAT’s feedback thresholds to challenge alignment under fatigue, speed, and complexity—where valgus tends to sneak in.

Bottom Line:
If valgus collapse isn't  a strength problem— then it’s a sensation and awareness problem. The KAT fixes it by training the athlete’s body to recognize and self-correct misalignment in real time—long before a painful injury forces them to.

TIP FOR USE – IMPORTANT!
KAT is not for all-day wear. It’s designed for short, focused use during specific drills to sharpen motor control. By layering real-time feedback over natural sensations—like joint angles, muscle stretch, and air on the skin—KAT helps athletes tune into how their body moves. Use it intermittently, a few minutes at a time, woven into regular practice for high-quality reps that build lasting body awareness.