Ever wondered how you can increase your speed, or do you think that you'll just have to make do with the pace that you were born with?
The good news is that every single player can become faster than they currently are (with the correct training). So if you've got a teammate who's naturally quick, but not coupling this gift with extra training, you could soon find yourself beating them to the ball and overtaking them thanks to the work you're doing behind the scenes.
There are 3 tiers of speed training which all overlap to transform you into a faster player, below we will outline the key elements of each tier.
primary
- Learn sound technique and correct motion mechanics
- Low technology limits speed and increases the risk of injury due to proper loading of certain muscles
- This technique must be developed at an undetermined speed first, and then the speed can be increased gradually once the technique is mastered.
Footballers need to reach a top speed of fewer than 30 meters, so the running style of a track athlete is inappropriate for usefully explained in the Speed Training Guide.
Secondary
- Resisted and assisted sprint training (using hill sprints, parachutes, recoil belts)
- Improves the explosiveness of your muscles
- Converts muscle fiber type
- Should not be performed more than 2 days per week and not on consecutive days
Tertiary
- Speed requires support from other components of fitness to optimize performance (strength, endurance, flexibility for example)
- Research shows that speed is determined by the forces which are produced at the hips, knees, and ankles - the stronger these structures are the more force they can generate
- Increasing flexibility and range of movement around these joints also increases force production
- By increasing the flexibility of the hip flexors/extensors, quads and hamstrings and the calf muscles speed production will be optimized
