Increasing speed and change of direction with one technique.

Speed is an important facet of every sport. Announcers often mention an athlete's ability to accelerate and change direction faster than all the other competitors. Million-dollar contracts are predicated partly on an athlete's ability to run a fast 40-yard dash.

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Players with speed have even been the featured in major magazines. Who has ever met an athlete who was "too" fast?

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty is there is a basic technique that the athletes can use to shift into third gear?

I'm no talking about gimmicks. It is purely biomechanics and physics. Proven laws of the universe. Let's go back to high school physics.

Sir Isaac Newton came up with three laws. The law relevant to speed training is the Law of Reaction. It states that when one body exerts a force on another, the second body exerts a reaction force that is equal in magnitude and opposite in the direction on the first body.

By positioning the body properly, Newton's Law will produce great results. This angle is important because a poor angle will produce poor acceleration.

A poor shin angle is vertical in direction and will create a force that produces a reaction force that is also vertical. Since sprinting and acceleration is largely horizontal, this vertical is not the desired result. When accelerating, the athlete wants to create an angle of approximately 45-degrees for the first two or three steps. At this point, the athlete will naturally move to a more upright posture. The nature of the game will make the athlete change direction angularly or laterally, or the athlete will reach near maximal speed.

There are three types of situations that proper angles should be practiced: (1) linear, (2) directional (angular), and (3) lateral change of direction.

LINEAR ANGLES FOR SPEED

This is the most basic and easiest technique to practice. Properly performing the first two or three steps of a sprint will improve the athlete's acceleration.

This is done by teaching the athlete to lean from the ankle to create the proper angle. At a certain point during the lean, the athlete must use the other leg to stop the body from falling. Athletes often want to bend the hips due to the fear of falling slowly. It is best to reinforce the feeling that they will be okay and to keep their back as straight as possible.

Once the lean creates the desired body angle, the first step is very important. It must be of proper length. Too far of a step will cause over- reaching (also called over-striding) and results in a vertical shin angle, which slows the athlete down.

The correct placement of the first step should be under the hips. Each athlete's ideal first step will vary, based on height, flexibility, and strength level.

A good reference is to have the athlete sit on the ground with their backside right on a line. The target foot position will be where the knees are. This is only a reference and not the rule.

(Photo 1) Young athletes lean from the ankles and create a good body position for acceleration. The hoop circle on the ground is used as a target for the first step.

The body lean comes from the ankle, not the hips (Photo 2). Notice the first step shin angle. It is in good position for acceleration. Again, the hoop is used as a target for the first step placement under the hips.

DIRECTIONAL (ANGULAR) SPEED

Directional speed occurs when an athlete moves linearly (forward and backward), slows down enough to change direction at an angle, and accelerates linearly again.

This type of cut is used mostly by offensive players in team sports, such as a basketball player crossing over or a soccer player side-stepping around a defender.

Football defensive backs commonly use a backpedal before moving in another direction. A hard, aggressive foot plant with the knee inside the ankle will help the athlete become faster out of the cut.

To achieve this position, the plant leg (opposite the desired direction) should be forced into the ground while the shoulders stay in the same position.

If the shoulders sway toward the plant leg, this will increase the time needed to change direction, and produce a slower athlete.

By extending the leg so that the knee is inside the ankle, the athlete can change direction properly (Photo 3).

LATERAL ANGLES FOR CHANGE OF DIRECTION

Lateral change of direction technique is no different. It's all about creating a leg angle for optimal acceleration. Lateral change of direction involves a sprint, often followed by a shuffle for sports such as basketball, football, and tennis. Baseball players can also use this technique to improve their speed on the base paths and infield.

To slow down, the athlete must use chop steps, or short and quick steps, to decelerate the body. Once the athlete feels under control, his body will then be able to change direction. A "jump stop" with a proper leg angle will speed up this change of direction.

Once in the jump stop, the athlete's knees and hips should be bent with the shoulders aligned over the knees and toes.

Creating a good leg angle will put the athlete in proper position to move laterally (Photo 4).

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PROPER PRACTICE

The technique described is easy to practice by simply moving in and out of these situations with proper angles. The proper progression is to perform the movements at half speed. Once the technique looks and feels good, the movements should be increased to game speed.

The drills should be controlled in the early practice stages. This can be done by telling the athlete to go right or left beforehand. The next progression is to add randomness by having the coach use directional arm signals. This will help the athlete react during game situations.

By Roger White, BS, CSCS, SSC 

Roger White BS, CSCS, SSC is president and owner of Sport X Training, specialists in speed, agility and quickness training in the Detroit area. Questions and comments are welcome at www.SportXTraining.com.