| Speed training are used to break down certain | | | | straight line with the hips, spine and head. |
| aspects or parts of the whole body of sprinting and | | | | The athlete's partner will be resisting slightly, keeping |
| give us an opportunity to teach cues. Athlete's need a | | | | the working athlete at the desired 45 degree angle. |
| frame of reference to use when they need to make | | | | The athlete is going to be marching for 10 steps, |
| adjustments to their form while sprinting. This will help | | | | forcefully driving the front-side leg down and back. The |
| the athletes carry over the theory of what needs to | | | | forward movement will be short in distance with the |
| be done so they can apply it when performing high | | | | focus on the driving motion. You want your athlete to |
| speed sprinting. | | | | be able to feel their feet behind them during these drills |
| Every time you sprint you should be working on | | | | so it seems natural when it comes time to accelerate |
| technique. You want your athletes to have proper | | | | during games. |
| running technique ingrained in their heads so when it is | | | | Face and Chase |
| time to sprint, they can feel when everything is | | | | This drill is pretty much an extension of the Partner |
| happening smoothly. | | | | Assisted March drill. This time the 'marcher' is running |
| Speed training drills are needed to reinforce running | | | | instead of marching, and the partner is providing more |
| mechanics and help technique while also helping your | | | | resistance. The focus is still on providing force |
| athletes become faster, moer powerful and even | | | | application into the ground. |
| stronger. | | | | While slowly moving backwards for about 5 meters, |
| Acceleration Training Speed Drills | | | | your partner is resisting the movement forward. At this |
| Short Hill Work | | | | point the partner lets go and releases. The partner that |
| This is a great speed drill when you have large groups | | | | was resisting and now released, will turn and run and |
| and you do not need any expensive equipment. Hills | | | | try to beat the person they were resisting to a cone |
| can naturally help athletes with their stride frequency | | | | at 15 meters. |
| and also help promote quick arm action. Also, athletes | | | | We have extended these distances out and also |
| that tend to rotate a lot at the hips and cross over | | | | turned them into a tag game (Face, Chase and Race). |
| with a side-to-side running action will have to quickly | | | | Various Starting Positions |
| re-evaluate their flawed running mechanics when doing | | | | Instead of bringing the ground up to the athlete to |
| hill work. If they are running side-to-side, they will not be | | | | create the 45 degree angle as we did with the hill |
| going anywhere, and will have trouble getting up the hill. | | | | work, we are now going to bring the athlete down to |
| Therefore, this short hill work will help improve their | | | | the ground. In bringing the athlete to the ground, we |
| straight ahead running. | | | | have them start in different positions on the ground. |
| Hill work is perfect for acceleration development as it | | | | Naturally, your body tries to move as quickly as |
| puts the athlete in proper acceleration mechanics | | | | possible, wanting to get up fast. The best way to do |
| naturally without any tools or cues. You are bringing | | | | that is to drive out in proper acceleration mechanics |
| the ground up to them as they will be driving out and | | | | without having the athlete think too much about it. |
| running in the 45 degree angle to the ground. | | | | Weaker athletes have an extremely tough time |
| Sample Hill Workout | | | | accelerating from a standing or 2 point position but are |
| 8 x 20 meter hills at 15 degree gradient. Walk back | | | | successful creating the acceleration form from a |
| down with a 2 minute rest between each repetition. | | | | ground based position. Essentially, we work from the |
| Stadiums | | | | ground up. As our athletes get stronger and better |
| If you have a nice set of bleachers or stadium stairs in | | | | mechanically, we use the more vertical stances for our |
| your area, I suggest you take advantage of them. | | | | acceleration work. You would still use the distance |
| When performing stadiums for acceleration work, | | | | parameters of 10-30 meters per run for your sprint |
| make sure that your athletes are skipping a step so | | | | workouts when you perform this drill. |
| they are running every other step. Running every other | | | | Here are some examples of the various starting |
| step on the bleachers mimics acceleration mechanics | | | | positions you can use: |
| similar to short hill work. It is putting the athletes at that | | | | - Laying on back |
| 45 degree body angle while they are running the stairs. | | | | - Push-up 'Up' position |
| If you run up every step and do not skip one in | | | | - Push-up 'Down' position |
| between, your body will be up taller in more of an | | | | - On 1 knee (always switch) |
| upright maximum velocity position. Skipping steps is | | | | - Seated (facing forward) |
| important because maximum velocity work is not the | | | | - Seated (facing Backwards) |
| goal of this drill. | | | | - 3 point position |
| Wall Drill | | | | - 4 point position |
| The Wall Drill was covered in detail in last month's | | | | - Falling start |
| Speed Training Report but here is an overview. | | | | - Position specific |
| Standing parallel to the wall, have the athlete lean | | | | Med Ball Starts |
| forward so they are now at a 45 degree and angle | | | | The athlete starts with both feet shoulder width apart, |
| with their hands now supporting them by holding onto | | | | holding a medicine ball at their chest. Have your athlete |
| the wall (arms now parallel to the ground). The feet | | | | provide an explosive chest pass, trying to propel the |
| should be behind the hips and the athlete should be at, | | | | medicine ball as far as possible. This will cause the |
| approximately, a 45 degree angle to the ground. The | | | | athlete to use their legs and drive out. The instant the |
| torso should be erect, hips forward, stomach and | | | | ball is released have your athlete keep that |
| lower back tight so that one could draw a straight (45 | | | | momentum going by sprinting out to 15 yards. This is a |
| degree) line from the head, through the hips to the | | | | good exercise for athletes that don't seem to be going |
| ankles. | | | | any where their first couple of steps of acceleration |
| From this position we implement a marching action. | | | | and need to become more explosive. |
| Have the athlete raise the right leg so that the ankle is | | | | Ball Drop |
| beneath the hips, toe dorsiflexed. On your command, | | | | You can start this drill having the athletes use the |
| the athlete will march, alternating legs, for a given | | | | various starting positions as described above. The |
| number of repetitions. They will finish with their leg in | | | | coach stands 10 feet away (this distance can be |
| the original starting position. | | | | moved up or back depending on the level of athlete) |
| Partner Assisted - March | | | | with a tennis ball in his or her hand. The coach's arm is |
| Exactly like the Wall Drill except a partner is in the | | | | at shoulder level held out to the side. The coach then |
| place of the wall. | | | | drops the ball and once the athlete sees the ball |
| Have the two partners face each other. The first | | | | released, he/she must catch the ball before it bounces |
| person leans in the proper acceleration position (45 | | | | twice. |
| degree angle), while their partner is holding them in this | | | | This is a great drill to work on not only acceleration |
| position at the shoulders. Have your first athlete bring | | | | mechanics but also reaction time: an extremely |
| their right knee up, keeping the ankle behind the knee | | | | important characteristic in all sports. |
| and the toe up towards the shin. This is triple flexion on | | | | Use the speed drills provided for acceleration and |
| the front side: the position your athlete would be in | | | | make sure that your athletes are getting the most out |
| during acceleration. On the support leg (left leg), have | | | | of them by not sacrificing form in any of the drills. |
| your athlete in triple extension. The left leg will be in a | | | | |
