SPEED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
SPEED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
I. Speed can be taught.
II. Mechanics of speed development applied properly will improve speed.
III. Speed is developed while changing body movements on the run.
IV. Speed development is not form running.
V. Speed development is the utilization of a one-work speed vocabulary with reference to body parts.
VI. Speed vocabulary:
There are a number of key words that reinforce the training techniques and will help you with on-the-field speed development. Select specific upper or lower body techniques to work on for each day. Select no more than two techniques per day. When used on the field they can trigger a physical adjustment in your running movement.
A. UPPER BODY
1. PINCH -Serves as a way to control rotational force of arm action that hinders straight ahead speed. The actions of the right hand affect the left foot. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Run with the palm toward the belly button and control the hand by placing the thumb against the forefinger and closing the hand.
2. FOCUS - Keep eyes on the horizontal plane as if conversing with someone your own height. Avoid head tilt up or down. A downward head tilt causes body lean due to the weight of the head.
3. FIX - Maintain elbow angle at 90?.
4. ROTATE - Swing arm at the shoulder. Remember to keep the angle at the elbow fixed at 90?.
5. LOW - Position of the hands and not a forward body tilt. The hands must go through the pocket below the hip and past the butt.
6. PULL - The hard downward and backward action of the arm from chest height through the pocket below the hip and past the butt. The further the arm is pulled past the butt the longer the stride.
7. LOCKOUT - The freeze position of the arm with the shoulder down and the hand past the butt. The bone of the arm (humerus) will ricochet off of the shoulder girdle moving the arm forward to the choke position.
8. CHOKE - Forward swing of the hands stopping at sternum level.
9. CRACKDOWN- Just like the toes of the foot pointing to the ground in a downward action as the leg goes back while running, we want the hand and knuckles to “crackdown” at the wrist joint ? as if you are cracking a whip ? to put as much force down into the ground as possible. When the hand cracks down to the ground you are putting force down into the ground, and force in turn comes back up through your body to help maximize the forward momentum to the finish line.
10. HAMMER - Aggressive speed downward. Point your knuckles to the ground and extend your wrist. Imagine your back to a wall with a nail sticking out and violently smack the nail in with one stroke.
11. SQUEEZE - Keep your arms close to the torso. Avoid creating space between your arms and upper body.
12. ARCH - Upper: Pinch your shoulder blades together ? your shoulders should move back slightly. Lower: Move your hips forward and curve in your lower back slightly. This arch flattens the spine and places the glutes in a position to maximize leg drive.
B. LOWER BODY
1. HANG - Create and maintain a 90? angle at the knee in the recovery phase. Your leg should be inactive from the knee down. Lead with your knee. Keep your foot and leg down and under your knee. When the 90? angle at the knee is lost (reaching), the leg slows.
2. PUNCH - Drive your knee out and forward, not up, on your initial movement from the ground. A forward and upward knee action rotates the hips to cover more ground.
3. SNAP - Pull your foot down and back under the hip in the recovery phase. Anytime the foot hits ahead of the hip, forward momentum is broken.
4. LIFT - Run tall as if someone were measuring your height. Lift occurs after the first 10 yards of a 40-yard sprint.
VII. Speed training techniques are taught at progressive speeds.
A. ? Speed
B. ? Speed
C. ? Speed
D. Full Speed
VIII. Utilize the set principle
A. Initial States ? 2 sets ? 5 reps ? 40 yards.
B. Increase to 3 sets when the first two sets are run without a drop off in quality of technique or time.
C. Maximum goal is 5 reps per set, 3 sets per session, running 40 yards at full speed. Full recovery between sets is necessary.
IX. Train with people of comparable speed.
X. Quality is more important than quantity.
XI. Train in speed distances that apply to game situations: 20-50 yards.
XII. Always run fresh when applying speed principles.
XIII. Select one or two techniques at a time.
I. Speed can be taught.
II. Mechanics of speed development applied properly will improve speed.
III. Speed is developed while changing body movements on the run.
IV. Speed development is not form running.
V. Speed development is the utilization of a one-work speed vocabulary with reference to body parts.
VI. Speed vocabulary:
There are a number of key words that reinforce the training techniques and will help you with on-the-field speed development. Select specific upper or lower body techniques to work on for each day. Select no more than two techniques per day. When used on the field they can trigger a physical adjustment in your running movement.
A. UPPER BODY
1. PINCH -Serves as a way to control rotational force of arm action that hinders straight ahead speed. The actions of the right hand affect the left foot. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Run with the palm toward the belly button and control the hand by placing the thumb against the forefinger and closing the hand.
2. FOCUS - Keep eyes on the horizontal plane as if conversing with someone your own height. Avoid head tilt up or down. A downward head tilt causes body lean due to the weight of the head.
3. FIX - Maintain elbow angle at 90?.
4. ROTATE - Swing arm at the shoulder. Remember to keep the angle at the elbow fixed at 90?.
5. LOW - Position of the hands and not a forward body tilt. The hands must go through the pocket below the hip and past the butt.
6. PULL - The hard downward and backward action of the arm from chest height through the pocket below the hip and past the butt. The further the arm is pulled past the butt the longer the stride.
7. LOCKOUT - The freeze position of the arm with the shoulder down and the hand past the butt. The bone of the arm (humerus) will ricochet off of the shoulder girdle moving the arm forward to the choke position.
8. CHOKE - Forward swing of the hands stopping at sternum level.
9. CRACKDOWN- Just like the toes of the foot pointing to the ground in a downward action as the leg goes back while running, we want the hand and knuckles to “crackdown” at the wrist joint ? as if you are cracking a whip ? to put as much force down into the ground as possible. When the hand cracks down to the ground you are putting force down into the ground, and force in turn comes back up through your body to help maximize the forward momentum to the finish line.
10. HAMMER - Aggressive speed downward. Point your knuckles to the ground and extend your wrist. Imagine your back to a wall with a nail sticking out and violently smack the nail in with one stroke.
11. SQUEEZE - Keep your arms close to the torso. Avoid creating space between your arms and upper body.
12. ARCH - Upper: Pinch your shoulder blades together ? your shoulders should move back slightly. Lower: Move your hips forward and curve in your lower back slightly. This arch flattens the spine and places the glutes in a position to maximize leg drive.
B. LOWER BODY
1. HANG - Create and maintain a 90? angle at the knee in the recovery phase. Your leg should be inactive from the knee down. Lead with your knee. Keep your foot and leg down and under your knee. When the 90? angle at the knee is lost (reaching), the leg slows.
2. PUNCH - Drive your knee out and forward, not up, on your initial movement from the ground. A forward and upward knee action rotates the hips to cover more ground.
3. SNAP - Pull your foot down and back under the hip in the recovery phase. Anytime the foot hits ahead of the hip, forward momentum is broken.
4. LIFT - Run tall as if someone were measuring your height. Lift occurs after the first 10 yards of a 40-yard sprint.
VII. Speed training techniques are taught at progressive speeds.
A. ? Speed
B. ? Speed
C. ? Speed
D. Full Speed
VIII. Utilize the set principle
A. Initial States ? 2 sets ? 5 reps ? 40 yards.
B. Increase to 3 sets when the first two sets are run without a drop off in quality of technique or time.
C. Maximum goal is 5 reps per set, 3 sets per session, running 40 yards at full speed. Full recovery between sets is necessary.
IX. Train with people of comparable speed.
X. Quality is more important than quantity.
XI. Train in speed distances that apply to game situations: 20-50 yards.
XII. Always run fresh when applying speed principles.
XIII. Select one or two techniques at a time.