Speed Is Trainable
Proper sprint mechanics training and progressive speed development can improve 10–40 metre times by 5–15% in untrained athletes. For team sport athletes, this is often the difference between winning and losing 50/50 races to the ball.
Components of Sport Speed
- Acceleration (0–10m) — reach high velocity quickly
- Maximum velocity (30m+) — less relevant in most team sports
- Agility / Change of Direction — decelerate, redirect, re-accelerate
- Reactive agility — respond to a stimulus (most sport-relevant)
For most team sport athletes, acceleration and COD are higher priorities than maximum velocity.
Sprint Mechanics: The Foundation
Key acceleration mechanics:
- Forward lean from the ankles (not the waist) in the drive phase
- Powerful triple extension at push-off (ankle, knee, hip)
- High elbow drive backward (opposite to leg drive)
- Head neutral — eyes forward
Drill progressions: wall drives → falling starts → push-up starts → wicket runs
Speed Training Principles
Always sprint when fresh. Speed work must be done at maximum or near-maximum effort. Full recovery between reps: 60–90 seconds minimum.
Progressive distance and complexity: 10m efforts first → 20m → 30m with direction change → full reactive agility in game contexts.
Less is more. 8–12 reps for short sprints; 6–8 reps for medium sprints. Quality beats volume every time.
Change of Direction: A Separate Quality
COD requires separate training. The critical addition: deceleration ability. Most COD injuries happen because athletes cannot decelerate before changing direction.
Train deceleration explicitly: stick landing drills, progressive COD drills (walking speed to full speed), 5-10-5 shuttle.
Simple Speed Block (Twice Weekly Pre-Season)
Speed warm-up (10 min): dynamic warm-up → sprint drills → build-ups × 3
Speed work (15 min): 6–8 × 20m acceleration reps, full rest
COD (10 min): 4–6 reps of programmed COD pattern, submaximal then full speed
Measurable speed improvements within 6–8 weeks.