What Every Speed Program Should Have

One of the most sought after athletic attributes is speed, unfortunately it is also one of the most difficult areas to improve. One of the biggest mistakes made when training for speed is focusing mainly on running mechanics and speed and agility drills. Minor improvements in speed may be seen by improving running mechanics, however real speed is not attainable without good core strength, leg strength, and efficient movement. Here are a few areas that athletes need to address when improving their performance in any sport.

1. Core stability. For an athlete to reach his or her full strength and power potential there must be a specific focus on core stability and strength. Any speed program should originate from or through the core. A well-developed core allows for improved force output, increased neuromuscular efficiency and decreased chance of injury. Core strength training provides the athlete with a solid base around which all athletic movement occurs. The center of all power and strength in the human body used to make explosive athletic movements originate in the core of the body. The core is the center that coordinates all human movements. The more quality training performed with the core, the more potential the athlete has to transfer the training to their specific sport and enhance performance.

2. Agility. Athletic movements are often quick, ballistic and powerful. Athletes are required to start, stop and change directions in an instant. Agility is the ability to change directions quickly and explosively on command or in reaction to a stimulus. Agility is the process of accelerating then decelerating to a quick stop and then accelerating to top speed. Agility drills are an effective way to increase and athlete’s quickness and reaction time.

3. Flexibility. Flexibility training is perhaps the most undervalued component of speed training. While recent and ongoing debates question its role in injury prevention, athletes can still gain much from a stretching regime. Flexibility may reduce injury and increase range of motion ROM. A more flexible athlete equals a more mobile athlete. A good flexibility regiment enhances movement on the court and field and causes athletes to have a greater ease of movement as well as increases the body’s awareness and promotes relaxation.

4. Balance and coordination. Balance and the ability to react to auditory and visual cues are all important elements of coordination. Balance training helps the athlete develop good coordination through a series of balance exercises that progress from simple static poses to more dynamic drills. With more advanced exercises the athlete is challenged to maintain balance at increased speeds and in constantly changing environments. Training the athletes to have control of their bodies in space is the main focal point.

5. Strength training. The stronger the athlete is, the faster they will be able to run. Performance enhanced strength training, especially in the off-season, is the initial basis for improved performance in the next season. By getting stronger, athletes are able to work longer and harder in developing our skills in practice. It can help to create more power in each of their sprint / running strokes and therefore increase their speed output.

Regardless of the sport the athlete competes in, these 5 main components are the focal points that should be address when training to improve the playing speed of an athlete in their sport.


Speed and Strength Coach in Charlotte NC

The Need For Quickness Training

As a speed coach, I get asked by parents and coaches if speed and quickness are different, or the same, or if one is more important than the other. Every coach and parent wants the same result, for their athlete(s) to be faster and quicker. I always say that usually athletes need to be quicker to get to one point before their opponent does and then speed to finish off the play. In most sports the average time of a play is a couple of seconds. For example, in football the average play takes about 3-5 seconds. In addition, athletes are required to cover a small amount of distance in a short amount of time. You seldom see athletes that are required to run for a long distance or for a long period of time.

So to answer the question they both speed and quickness are important in order for the athlete to be successful in whatever sport they are participating in.

Quickness training is one of the most overlooked areas in speed training - and sometimes seldom addressed or forgotten.

Just as the myth that some think that athletes are born with speed, the same applies with the concept of quickness. Quickness too can be taught and learned over a period of time if taught properly.

Quickness is how fast someone responds to a stimulus; whereas, reaction time is a part of someone's quickness and can be trained. Quickness training drills can be implemented in an athlete's agility training so that they can also train for speed and quickness during the same session.

Here are some training drills you can use for quickness development:

-Ball Drop
Your partner holds a tennis ball out in one hand. You start in an athletic stance and when the tennis ball is released/dropped, you sprint to the ball and snatch it before it bounces more than once. This is a great drill for first step quickness training.

You can change the distance that you partner stands away from you.

-Partner Mirror Drill
This is like the shadow game that you use to play as kids. This drill is performed between partners. One partner starts moving and the other partner follows and doesn't allowed to be juked. You need to try and mirror the movement and match each reaction.

-Fox and Hound
One person will be designated as the fox (leader). The other will be designated as the hound (chaser). The leader’s/ fox job is to try to elude the chaser/ hound as much as possible without the hound touching him/her. Place four cones in a square and designate the distance between the four cones, with a fifth one in the middle. The fox can run around the cones in any order or direction trying not to get touched. Remember the hound has to follow the same pattern as the fox. Note: have the fox run out about five yards or 5-6 seconds before releasing the hound to make the drill harder for the hound if the goal is to work on reaction for the defensive player. For offensive player, have the hound released earlier to have the fox work harder to elude and cut harder.

Variation(s): Have a third person (coach) with a watch or a whistle to time the two for a designate amount of time during the drill. At the beginning, the coach yells “Go!” and the drills begin for the amount of 20 -30 seconds. Then the coach yells “Stops!” The roles are switch. Points are awarded to each player. If the hound is able to catch and touch the person he/she is awarded one (1) point. If the fox is unable to get caught, he/she is able are awarded two (2) points. Penalties: (1) one point is taken away from the fox if he/she runs outside the designate boundaries. Also if the hound dives, then one (1) point is taken away. Have the loser perform a designated amount of push ups or some other form of punishment in order to make the game or drill better. For a more reaction and situational setting have the coach blow the whistle at unexpected times to change the role from the fox to hound and vice versa.

These quickness training drills with help your athletes become faster and should be added to every sports speed training program.

Speed and Performance Coach in Charlotte, NC