|
|
|
| |
Speed is a skill! Not simply a
birth trait.
|
|
|
Explosive speed and agility are huge game breaking performance skills that must
be specifically trained. In a team game the level of success on attack may well
come down to the athletic ability of an attacker and the athletic ability of a
defender. Speed and agility will determine the attackers’ ability to evade or
beat the defender to find space. Conversely the defenders ability to react with
speed and agility will determine how effective they are in closing down
attacking space. In an individual court sport the level of success may be
primarily determined by your ability to get the ball quickly and with
balance. It is often assumed that those who possess great speed or
strength are born with a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibres and
that no amount of speed work will turn a pack horse into a race horse. However
regardless of genetics athletic ability will predominantly depend on two
factors:
|
1. Motor Learning Skills at
an early age.
2. Training stimulus that we are exposed to throughout our
lives.
|
Most coaches have adopted the “train the way we
play” philosophy for skill development in terms of intensity, specific sports
skills and technique. However the same philosophy is rarely applied when
considering speed and agility development. A common mistake is to implement
only conventional track and field straight line speed development techniques.
Unfortunately track and field as a sport has very little physical similarities
to the requirements of team and ball sports and as such a sole focus on track
sprinting techniques will limit the development of multidirectional movement
skills. Although straight line speed (linear speed) is a crucial skill,
training only for linear speed does not fit with the “train the way we play”
philosophy as for a number of reasons.
|
Team and Ball Sport vs. Track Sprinting Speed
|
Multidirectional vs. Linear Speed
|
Team and ball sports are very dynamic and
unpredictable. They require a combination of multidirectional movements to be
performed at rapid speeds under pressure. Players must not only move quickly in
different planes but have the ability to rapidly react and change direction to
get to a ball, lose a defender or closely mark an attacker attempting to find
space.
Multidirectional Speed can be broken up into 6 key components – all or which
can effectively be taught as a skill or trained using a variety of techniques.
These 6 components collectively will make for F.A.S.T.E.R movement
in all directions.
F – First Step Quickness
A – Agility and acceleration
S – Stopping and starting
T – Technique Efficiency
E – Explosive Power
R – Reaction Skills
|
The term speed can be
defined as time taken to get from point A to point B. In sport the quicker we
get from A to B is critical and determines the sportspersons impact on any
game; if you are not in a position to influence the game you are out of it. The
key question we need to ask ourselves when designing speed and agility training
sessions is where does A start and B finish? We know for track and field
sprinting A is the start line and B is 100m away at the finish line.
However during team and ball sports there will be numerous starting points (A)
and just as many varying finishing points (B). During the game a player may
need to react and move quickly for only 2 steps to the left to catch a ball,
defend their opposite or evade their opposition. Straight line speed is of
great importance however if only straight line running is emphasized during the
physical skills needed to sidestep, move laterally, run backwards, lunge to a
ball and react to the game situations are not effectively developed.
|
 |
Forward – Linear or straight line Acceleration and Maximal
Speed. |
|
|
Backwards - Back-pedaling |
|
|
Lateral – sideways speed |
|
|
Forwards to backwards change of
direction |
|
|
Forwards to lateral change of direction |
|
|
Backwards to lateral change of direction |
|
|
Lateral to lateral change – side to side change of
direction |
|
|
Lateral to forwards change of direction |
|
|
Lateral to backwards change of direction |
|
|
Forwards to diagonal (sidestep or swerve at speed) |
|
These specific movement patterns can be taught
that will allow players to have greater body control in any given situation and
enable first step quickness.
|
Distances Run
|
Athletics sprints are carried out over 100 and
200m. This sprint may be completed in 10-30 seconds. Team and ball
sports require sprints over shorter variable distances and usually have
elements of direction change.
|
Maximal Speed vs. Acceleration
|
It is widely accepted that maximal speed
maintenance is one of the training priorities for track sprinters. Track
sprinters train to accelerate to maximal speed as soon as possible and then
maintain that speed for as long as possible over the event. Limiting
deceleration is a major training goal as all sprinters decelerate in the later
part of 100m and 200m events. The most successful sprinters are those that can
maintain maximal speed for longer than their competitors.
It is also widely accepted that maximal speed maintenance and minimizing
deceleration over long distances (100m & 200m) is of lesser value to team
and ball sports. Maximal speed is reached after first going through an initial
sprint acceleration phase of 30-50m. Given that the majority of straight line
sprinting for team and balls sports is carried out over 5-20m the need to
target acceleration as opposed to maximal speed becomes clear.
An athlete that has excellent maximal speed but poor acceleration (time
that it takes to reach max speed) is far less dangerous than an athlete with
excellent acceleration but poor max speed. Reason being simply that max speed
is rarely reached during team and ball sports short explosive bursts of
acceleration are the dominant distances run.
Sport requires many bursts of explosive acceleration over short distances as
opposed to one acceleration phase followed by a maximal speed phase and lastly
deceleration phase to complete a one off sprint event. So in terms of training
application we should train for the shorter distances sprinted during
games.
When applying to a training session 10 short acceleration sprints of 10m will
be more effective to soccer performance than one sprint of 100m. 10 short
sprints achieves10 specific acceleration bursts as opposed to 100m where
acceleration is trained once. Also of prime consideration is the fact that
players very rarely sprint 100m in a straight line at maximal effort during a
game and therefore training time should be spent improving game specific
distances.
A point of note is that you often see sprinters power through the field
over the last 30-40 m of a race; it is not unusual to see the winner just pip
the field at the 100m finishing line. Many of the worlds most successful
sprinters are not the fastest men over 20 and 50m and do not lead the field
from start to finish, however because the sprint is a 100m event they have time
to reach maximal speed and overtake the opposition that may be have superior
acceleration but inferior maximal speed and speed maintenance over 100m. Of
course team and ball sport sprints are usually over within 5-20m leaving no
time for a player with superior maximal speed to use that skill on the field.
Acceleration is the dominate requirement and hugely important when considering
well rounded speed development.
It is essential to maximise training time by targeting distances most often run
during competition.
|
Energy Systems Utilised
|
Athletes complete a one off maximal sprint
lasting 10-30 seconds depending on the event, (100m -200m) age and running
level. They are fully rested when starting the race and fully recover after the
one off maximal effort. Athletes are able to complete training activities
whilst fully recovered as the have a singular focus, this allows for a far more
effective use of neural form based training.
Team and ball sports compete over varying time lines with intermittent rest
periods for stoppages. For example a game of rugby is played over 80 minutes
and a tennis match may last 2-3 hours. Players must access all energy systems
to deal with the demands of non track based sport. They are most often fatigued
when required to sprint at maximal effort as the game is continuous. Team and
ball sport players very rarely have the opportunity to carry out speed training
sessions while fully rested as they have many other fitness and game areas to
train, thus a focus on form based neural and plyometric training is impractical
and far less effective.
|
Individual vs. Group Training
|
Track and field athletes often have the luxury
of a coach close at hand to give individual or small group instruction. This
allows technical flaws to be assessed and rectified through close contact with
the coach who is a specialist in the dynamics of and techniques of linear
(straight line) speed mechanics.
Team and ball sport athletes often train as individuals, with a training
partner or with a team / squad. A team squad of 10-30 players will be
instructed by the coach or fitness trainer as a group and thus makes personal
tuition in terms of perfecting techniques drills etc impractical and less
effective.
Mechanical form drills are most effective if trained with perfect technique and
repetition is required to ingrain these patterns of movement. One coach or
trainer cannot instruct or analyse each player or correct technique. In
addition players do not have the training time to commit solely to perfecting
track form technique drills in order to gain great benefit.
Running at speed in a straight line is one of many game requirements and
training time must be spread across a wide spectrum of activities. There is not
the time for continuous rehearsal of technique when you only have 2 or 3 hours
of time each week and linear maximal speed is one piece of the sport speed and
quickness puzzle.
|
Footwear
|
Footwear can vary greatly from sport to sport.
For example soccer and rugby players train and play in boots with sprigs
in-season or thick soled running shoes through summer training. Court sports
play and train in court shoes with good gripping soles.
Track athletes run in light shoes with spikes. Many training activities well
suited to the track are unsuitable for players wearing boots and running shoes
with thick cushioned heels as ground contact, balance, centre of gravity and
mechanics are all affected.
|
Playing Surface
|
Team and balls sports are played on grass,
indoor floors, asphalt, artificial courts etc. If outdoors the grass may be
long, short, hard, soft, muddy, undulating etc. These varying surfaces do not
have the stability of an artificial sprinting track. This tends to lead to the
running patterns being shorter in stride length and more foot-speed dominant.
Players cannot achieve the same range of powerful hip extension or leg drive as
the grass surface is less stable. Therefore less emphasis should be placed on
the stride length and more emphasis on foot and leg speed for rapid
acceleration.
|
Sporting Equipment
|
Depending on the sport; players will very often
or always be required to sprint with bats, balls, sticks, gloves etc in their
hands. Carrying specific game equipment does affect balance and movement
mechanics. Many track based drills require the use of good arm mechanics to
balance the activity and maintain technique, thus not factoring in any
requirements of the arm, hand or torso to carry and move quickly with game
specific equipment.
Of course sportspeople in many codes will also be required to sprint without
the ball as in rugby for example only one player carries the ball at any given
time. Point being it is important that speed drills are completed with and
without the sporting equipment to balance the demands of the sport.
|
Body Position
|
Track sprinting places
emphasis on “tall hips” once the sprinters have come out of the blocks and
reached an upright body position. Sprinters run tall and upright with a
relatively high centre of gravity to maximise linear speed and stride
length.
Team and ball sports tend to play the game with a much lower centre of gravity
with a forward lean. This is due to multi-directional balance and stability
game demands. For example changing direction, passing a ball, lunging to a
tennis ball, hitting a hockey ball, defending your opposite. It is very
difficult to react with balance and stability with an upright body position and
“tall” hips.
|
Body Type
|
Track and field sprinters are generally “born”
sprinters and genetically well suited to the athletic event. They are
predominantly fast twitch in muscle fibers and their lower levers (hips, legs)
are mechanically speed efficient. Bodyweight tends to be lighter at
70-90kg.
Team and ball sport athletes have a wide mix of genetic make ups in line with
the many varying physical demands of different sports. Demands may include size
of the playing area, sports specific skill or positional requirements. Many
sports people do not have the athleticism or the training history to cope well
with high intensity track based speed drills and are susceptible to injury.
This may be attributed to differences in flexibility, core stability, posture,
predominate muscle fiber type and bodyweight. For example a 105kg rugby league
player has far greater load and stress placed on his lower back and lower limbs
than a 70kg sprinter performing the same activity. |
| |
| |