Speed Articles

- 40 Yard Dash Phase 1 - 40 Yard Dash Phase 2 - 40 Yard Dash Phase 3 - 40 Yard Dash Phase 4

40-Yard Dash Phase 1

The 40-yard dash, like every other skill, can be coached. Its no different than the bench press or the skill of catching a football. DO NOT let people tell you the 40-yard dash CAN'T BE COACHED. To run a fast 40-yard dash you must o practice all five phases of it repeatedly. Phase 1: 40 -Yard STANCE AND START

Creating Your Personal Stance An athlete's stance should be comfortable but compact. The young athlete tends to be too comfortable in his/her stance. Your stance should be as compact as you can make it without losing the power of your first step. Do not trade comfort or a compact stance for POWER. Make sure you have as much power as you can generate out of your stance. You can measure the power of your stance by timing the first 10 yards of your sprint. Positioning Your Feet Most professional football players use a sprinter stance with, their front foot about two inches from the starting line. The forward foot should your power foot. (An excellent way to figure out which foot should be forward is by standing straight up and having a friend stand behind you and push you forward. Whichever foot steps should be the back foot.) The back foot should rest in a semilocked position at the instep of your front foot. Your Hands And Arms You should place the hand opposite your forward foot on the line with most of your body's weight rested on that hand. If you are starting with your right foot forward, your left hand should be on the line. (Your power leg is easily determined using the drill mentioned later in this article.) The hand not on the ground should be on your hip. Your arm should be cocked at a 90-degree angle and ready to shoot forward. Your Body Position Your butt should be the highest part of your body. Your head should be faced straight ahead; you can look at the ground or at the finish line. Your back should be flat, NOT ARCHED UPWARD!! Your muscles should be relaxed. Relaxed muscles move extremely faster than flexed muscles. Example: Flex your arm at a 90-degree angle and see how fast you can move it. You cannot move it very fast unless you allow it to relax. Start: Your First Couple Steps Once you are in your stance you should take a deep breath, let it out and explode forward. Your first step should be an explosion! The arm that starts in the air should shoot forward. Your first step should be as low to the ground as possible. DO NOT STAND STRAIGHT UP AT THE

START! You should attempt to be as close to the ground as possible coming out of your stance. Your first step should be as straight as possible. Any step to the side will cost you valuable time. The start to a 40-yard dash must be an explosion because you are gaining the necessary momentum that will carry you through the 40 yards. Drills to Help You Create A GREAT Stance and Start To Determine Your Power Leg Stand straight up, relaxed, and have a friend stand behind you and push you forward. Whichever leg goes forward should be start back in your stance. The leg that you use to push with is your power leg. That is the leg that should be in front when you are starting. To Create Your Own Stance Get down in your 40-yard stance and hold it for 30 seconds. Explode out of your stance and repeat the process. Never stand up out of your stance; this creates bad habits. ALWAYS EXPLODE out of your stance whenever you get into it. Practice your 40-yard stance as much as possible. Try to create a stance that allows you to get your feet as close to the starting line as possible. To Explode Out Of Your Stance Lie on your stomach and have someone blow a whistle. Upon hearing the whistle, push yourself up as fast as possible and explode forward for 10 yards. Practice staying as low to the ground in your initial start as you possibly can. Lie on your back and have someone blow a whistle. Upon hearing the whistle, roll over to your stomach and explode for 10 yards. Sit on the ground with your legs flat on the ground either facing or with your back to the starting line. Try doing this drill both ways! Have a friend blow a whistle. Upon hearing the whistle, explode of the ground and burst for 10 yards. Start in a squat position, hold it for five seconds and burst out of the position for 10 yards. Concentrate on taking your first step as straight as you possibly can. Drive your arms and explode for 10 yards. Try this drill both and with your back to the starting line. When doing this drill with your back to the starting line, do a half eagle, turning your entire body around, and burst for 10 yards. Weightlifting Recommendations to Improve Your Explosion Hang cleans Squats Leg press One-legged squats (light weight) Lunges

Plyo-metric Drills to Improve Your Explosion (Do plyo-metrics on a grass surface and only twice a week. Plyos should be done in low reps and with close attention to the proper form.) One-leg frogger jumps 3x15 jumps

Broad jumps Squat thrusts forward Scissor kick lunges

3x5 jumps 3x15 jumps 3x15 jumps

Other Drills to Improve Your Explosion Foot fire for 20 yards In-and-outs for 20 yards Speed latter drills

Phase 2: The First 10 Yards

What Is in the Article What the first 10 yards tell college scouts Benefits of running the first 10 yards well Burst Body position Arms 10-yard times Drills Weight and strength training

Keys Explode and accelerate Take powerful steps Run in a straight line Pump arms as fast as possible Stay low to the ground

What the First 10 Yards Tell College Scouts

Most college scouts time the first 10 yards of the 40 to evaluate an athletes power and quickness. A good 10-yard time tells scouts that an athlete possesses excellent quickness and power as well as the potential to run an extremely fast 40-yard dash. The first 10 yards of a 40 is an excellent indicator of an athletes feet and burst.

Benefits of Running the First 10 Yards Well

The 40-yard dash is a quick speed burst in which every step and every tenth of a second counts. It is broken down into five phases; the second is the first 10 yards. The first 10 yards are crucial because they account for what should be the slowest portion of the sprint and allow an athlete to create the momentum he/she needs to gain the speed he/she will need to finish the sprint strong. In the first 10 yards of the 40, an athlete can gain the crucial tenths of a second that will make or break his/her time. Athletes who learn to run the first 10 yards well can improve their 40 time by two to five tenths of a second. Think about it: An athlete who runs a 4.8 can drop his/her time to a 4.5 just by improving the first 10 yards of his/her sprint.
Burst
The first 10 yards should be an explosionits all about acceleration. An athlete must generate power and speed in these first ten yards by making sure he/she takes the proper steps to gain ground. Try to take 5-6 steps in the first 10 yards of the sprint to gain as much ground as possible while not over-striding. Your steps should be as straight as possible but not too long, because that will cause you to overextend your stride, which can cause such problems as lack of power, a stumble, or a slow initial 10 yards. The first steps of a 40-yard dash must be powerful and fairly compact. Dont take too short steps! Short steps will cost you valuable time and vital energy.

Body Position You should be low to the ground, not running fully erect until around the 15-yard marker. To keep low to the ground, practice looking at the ground for the first 10 yards. This tends to keep your body low and helps you accelerate. Leaning forward to generate power. Younger athletes tend to tense up in the first 10 yards and slow down. Make sure you are relaxed in the first 10 yards. This will generate a tremendous amount of speed and acceleration! Arms An athletes arms should be pumping fast in the first 10 yards. This forces the athletes legs to move faster. Concentrate on driving your arms quickly. Ten-Yard Times Speed Athletes An excellent 10-yard time is anything under 1.6 seconds for speed athletes. Younger athletes will tend to have slower 10-yard times because they do not have the power needed to run a fast time.

The Bigger Athletes For larger athletes, an excellent 10-yard time is anything under 1.8 seconds. The 40-yard dash was created for the smaller, quicker athletes, but the 10-ard sprint is an excellent measurement for bigger athletes. If you fall under this category, pay extra attention to running a fast 10-yard time. Drills Pro agility shuttle (20 yards total) Sitting arm pumps for five seconds Speed latter Change of direction drills Ten-yard sprints Falling-forward ten-yard sprints Squat sprints (NO WEIGHTS)do a squat and then sprint 10 yards Squat jumps then sprint 10 yards (NO WEIGHT) Uphill sprints Resistance sprintshave a partner hold a towel around your waist and pull him for 10 yards) Broad jump to a 10-yard sprint

Weight and Strength Training Squats Hang clean or power clean Hamstring curls Hip flexor raises (NO WEIGHT)

Phase 3: 40 Yard Dash

Phase 3: from the 10 yard mark to the 30 yard mark What's In The Article

1. Keys to Phase 3 2. What college scouts look for during the 10 yard mark to the 30 yard mark 3. Top speed phase 4. Speed maintenance 5. Stride

6. Body position 7. Arm drive 8. Foot position 9. Drills

Keys To Running Phase 3 Continue to accelerate until the 20 yard mark You should be running almost fully erect by the 20 yard mark Your stride should be at its peak at the 20 yard mark Your turnover should be at its peak by the 20 yard mark Arm drive should be powerful and quick Relax Maintain form What College Scouts Are Looking For During The 10 And 30 Yard Mark Between these markers college scouts are looking for an athlete that shows a smooth running style which consists of a fluid motion and powerful strides. College coaches want to see an athlete runs with grace and good form. Good form is defined as high knee drive, powerful arm drive, and a lengthy stride. Granted that an athlete's 40 yard time is the ultimate evaluator for college coaches however, an athlete ability to run with grace and good form presents a very attractive image to college coaches because it shows an athletes athleticism. Top Speed Phase After an athlete has accelerated to the ten yard mark he should continue to accelerate to the 15 yard mark where the acceleration phase should end and his top speed phase should takeover. From the 15 yard mark to the 25 yard mark an athlete should be sprinting at top speed. Within this ten yard span the athlete should be running at his fastest speed. This top speed phase should be achieved using powerful arm drive and a quick turnover rate. Turnover rate is the time it takes an athlete to complete a stride. Turnover rate can be examined by seeing how long it takes him to complete each stride. During the top speed phase an athlete should have achieved optimal stride length where he can cover the most ground in the fastest time. Speed Maintenance Phase The top speed phase can only last a certain amount of time because fatigue begins to set in on the athlete's muscles. The maintenance phase follows the top speed phase once the fatigue sets in this phase occurs at about the 25 yard marker. Once the athlete enters the speed maintenance phase he must concentrate on being as efficient with his strides as possible. Efficient strides mean that an athlete is covering as much ground with as little energy as possible. During the maintenance phase an athlete must remain relaxed and be extremely focused on his form. In order for an athlete to run a successful 40 it is crucial that he maintain the speed that he has built up and that means he must increase his stride to compensate for the decrease in his turnover. It is imperative that he pay close attention to his stride. To optimize an athlete's stride he must have good knee drive and extend his leg from the knee to create a pulling motion. During this phase the athlete's leg motion should drive the knee forward; extend the lower leg forward; pull the leg down;

contact the ground; and bring the foot up as high to the butt as possible. The athlete's foot should be just grazing his butt on the backend of his stride. This is phase calls for a different motion than that of the first 25 yards of the sprint. The first 25 yards of the sprint calls for the athlete to create a pushing motion whereas the maintenance phase calls for a pulling motion. The pulling motion calls for an elongated stride and smooth, powerful arm drive. It is absolutely necessary that the athlete remain as relaxed as possible to reduce the factor of fatigue which is occurring during the maintenance phase. Stride An athlete's stride is a very important factor in running the 40. Speed is measured by stride x turnover rate. An athlete's stride can make or break his 40 time. If an athlete is running a good or bad 40 stride is the answer to his success or failure. A good stride during the maintenance phase covers 5 yards or more for every 2 strides. If an athlete can accomplish this feat he will probably be able to run a sub 4.6 second 40 yard time depending on how effective his turnover rate. To increase stride make sure you stretch every day. Also, try back pedaling for distance, kick legs back as far as possible. Body Position An athlete's body position during the 10 yard mark to the 30 yard mark should be progressively erecting. From the 10 yard mark to the 15 yard mark an athlete should allow his body position to naturally rise from the low center of gravity position which he should have had during the first 10 yards. The natural rise in body position will allow his stride to increase and allow him to cover more ground per stride. During the entire 40 yard sprint an athlete should maintain a good forward body lean. Caution extreme forward body lean will decrease stride and an extremely tall body position will decrease power. Arm Drive Arm drive is crucial to a good 40 yard time because the faster the arms move the faster the legs move. A fluid, powerful arm drive creates power and an increased turnover rate. Make sure that when sprinting the arms must stay relaxed. A good indicator of relaxed arm drive is the hands. Be aware of your hands when you are running the 40 because constricted hands usually means that your arm drive is constricted as well. Your hands should be relaxed, try to keep your fingers relaxed by having your thumbs slightly resting on your index fingers. Foot Position One of the best ways to combat fatigue in a sprint is to keep your toes pointed upwards like you would do if you were doing standing leg curls. The further your toes are pointing upward the less stress you will be placing on your hamstrings consequently, the less fatigue you will incur during the sprint and the faster you will run. Try to keep your feet locked at a slightly higher angle than you would have them if you were standing flat footed. Drills Running Flying thirties (start jogging ten yards and then break into a 30 yard sprint; 40 yard sprint total) Leader of the band marches for twenty to thirty yards 80 yard interval sprints (jog 20 yds, sprint 20 yds, jog 20 yds, sprint 20 yds) Form running drills walk 20 yards like you were running twenty yards and hold the knee at the top for three seconds during each stride Uphill sprints for 30 yards Tire pulls for thirty yards

Stride checkers Lunges for 3-10 sets of 100 yds each (no weight) Walk on heels for 3-4 sets for 20 yards each (Note your shins will be extremely sore in the morning) Weights Squats for 10-15 reps lighter weight Lunges Standing leg curls Regular leg curls Lower back lift ups (light weight no weight up to 15 lbs) Wall Sits Plyometrics One legged bounds Squat jumps 10-15 Broad Jumps 3 broad jumps in a row (the elite athletes can jump 10 yards in 3 jumps)

Phase 4: 40 Yard Dash

The 30 to the 40 yard mark What's in the article

1. Keys To Running Phase 4 2. What College Scouts Look For In Phase 4 3. Form Running 4. Maintaining Speed 5. Decrease Body Fat 6. Stride 7. Finish 8. Drills

Keys to running phase 4

1. Maintain good running form 2. Increase stride 3. Keep head still 4. Arm Drive 5. Knee Drive 6. Good butt kick 7. Finish past the 40 yard mark strong

What college scouts look for in phase 4 During phase 4 or from the 30 yard mark to the 40 yard mark college scouts are looking for good form and the ability of an athlete to finish strong. During this phase college scouts want to see an athlete maintain good form and finish strong. An athlete's ability to finish strong tells college scouts that the athlete is a strong runner. Phase 4 is an excellent indicator of an athlete's strength. Younger athletes tend to fatigue at about the 30 yard mark. Those athletes that can finish a 40 strong show that they are strong and efficient runners.

Form Running An athlete that is able to maintain good form at the end of the 40 will have a significantly better 40 time because he/she is able to be that much more efficient with his/her strides. Good form allows an athlete to use less energy and cover more ground. In the later part of a 40 athletes must attempt to cover ground with their strides because their muscles are fatiguing with every stride they take. By using good form running mechanics athletes can combat their fatigue and cover more ground. Good form running consists of good knee drive, powerful arm drive, keeping the head still, a relaxed body, forward body lean, good stride length, and good butt kick.

Maintaining Speed Maintaining speed is crucial to an athlete's success in running a good 40 yard time. This is one of the biggest reasons an athlete runs a poor time in the 40 because an athlete can accelerate well in the first half of the 40, but unless he/she is able to maintain the speed he/she has built up he/she will not run a successful 40. Maintaining speed is dependent on an athlete's strength and running form. By staying relaxed when sprinting an athlete can be extremely more efficient in his/her sprint. An excellent example of this can be seen when watching Olympic athletes run the 100 meter sprint. When watching a 100 meter race most athletes are relatively close at the 50 meter mark but once they hit this mark the more efficient sprinters begin to separate themselves from the pack. The athletes that are able to separate from the pack do so because of the efficiency of their stride and turnover. This means that these athletes take longer strides and faster turnover. An athlete can create longer strides and faster turnover towards the end of the race by focusing on strength training such as weight lifting, resistance running, and conditioning as well as by decreasing body fat, and increasing muscles range of motion. Decreasing body fat is a critical factor that directly effects speed.

Decrease Body Fat By decreasing body fat an athlete can gain a competitive advantage over all competitors. Body fat is a factor that can directly increase an athlete's speed. Less body fat allows for an athlete's muscles to function more efficiently which results in faster times. If an athlete is looking for an easy way to increase speed he/she can decrease body fat. An athlete can decrease body fat by doing cardiovascular work such as riding a bike, jogging, swimming, or any other exercise that is catabolic. An easy rule of thumb when doing cardiovascular work is to do low impact work that is not too strenuous for a period of time around 45 minutes a day. By doing this type of work consistently (4 times a week) one can make significant gains to decrease body fat. Another way to decrease body fat is through eating right. What is eating right? It's simple, create a plan that provides a balanced diet where one eats five to six small meals a day. By eating five to six small meals the body's metabolism is raised which means the body is continually burning calories. Another easy way to decrease body fat is by burning more calories than one takes in. This means that one must exercise and train hard. A consistent diet along with consistent exercise will result in decreased body fat.

Stride Stride one of the two components that make up speed, the other being turnover rate. In the later part of the 40 stride is a critical factor. An athlete should be aware of his stride when sprinting. To run a sub 4.6 second 40 an athlete should take two strides per 5 yards from about the 20 yard mark on through the finish. At about the 15 to 20 yard mark an athlete should begin to come close to hitting two strides for five yards, after the 20 yard mark an athlete should try to hit two strides for every 5 yards, a stronger athlete will be able to further increase his stride to somewhere around two strides for 5-6 yards. If an athlete is hitting two strides for six yards at the end of the 40 he is in good shape to run a successful 40. After the 30 yard mark a younger athlete will notice that his stride is slightly decreasing. If this is the case an athlete should concentrate on his strength training which will allow him to maintain a good stride at the end of the sprint. Note that from the 30 to the 40 yard mark athletes should not over stride because this causes an athlete to lose power. Stride length can be developed through strength training and increasing the muscle's range of motion by stretching or doing other exercises that will increase range of motion such as walking leg kicks.

Finish The finish is one of the most important points in the 40 yard dash because an athlete can lose or gain crucial hundreds or tenths of a second. When finishing a 40 many athletes try to lean over the finish line, this is a good way to finish a race such as the 100 meters, but when running a 40 coaches do not stop the watch until the entire body has crossed the line. So by leaning over to cross the finish line athletes actually lose vital tenths of a second. The best way to finish a 40 is by running hard through the line. If you find yourself able to slow down and stop before the 50 yard mark you are probably slowing up. An athlete's momentum should take him well past the 50 yard mark. Many younger athletes think that they are finishing through the 40 yard mark however most do not. If you have access to a video camera try to tape your 40 and examine your finish. A main reason that athletes do not finish strongly is because of a lack of strength. Weight lifting will help athletes get stronger but it is not necessarily weight lifting that will solve an athletes problems when it comes to finishing a race. The best way to improve an athlete's ability to finish is by doing 50 yard sprints or even 60 yard sprints. This is an excellent way to improve an athletes finish and running strength. Conditioning also plays a vital role in an athlete's ability to finish. Such conditioning drills that will help an athlete finish are 200 yard sprints, 110 yard sprints, and even 300 yard sprints.

Drills Speed

Flying 50's (Jog 10 yards and sprint 50 yards for a total of 60 yards) 5 reps 50 or 60 yard sprints 10-15 reps 200 yard sprints (Start at the goal line sprint to the opposite goal line and back) 6 reps 300 yard sprints (Start in the corner of the end zone sprint all the way around field) 5 reps 150 yard sprints (Start in the corner of the end zone sprint to the opposite corner and then walk diagonally back to the starting point and repeat) 6 reps 110 yard sprints (Start at the end line and sprint to the goal line) 12 reps

Strength Training and Weight Lifting Squats Leg Curls Standing leg curls Lunges with weight Lunge 100 yards (NO weight) 4-12 reps (depending on other drills you are doing) Squat Jumps (NO Weight) 10-12 reps for 4 sets One legged squats (LIGHT WEIGHT) Front Squats (LIGHT WEIGHT)