I just wanted to share with you 2 drills for linear speed that I have been using with some of my athletes after a dynamic warm up. It really has been helping their sprint form.

The first drill teaches the athletes to drive and accelerate properly during the initial start of the sprint. An important skill every athlete should focus on is acceleration.

You want to come off the line faster than everyone else.

The second drill is forcing the athlete to properly kick his butt like he would during the top end speed part of the sprint.

This is where you’re standing up right and properly cycling your legs to effortlessly keep sprinting until you’ve reached the finish line.

Check out the 2 drills below:

2 Drills For Linear Speed

  • Piston Run
  • Butt Kick

Piston Run – This teaches them to fire the hip flexor and punch the knee. Unlike other high knee drills I make them forward lean. We shoot for 20-30 steps. This basically mimics the drive phase when you first start sprinting.

Butt Kick – Not the traditional version. I want my athletes to fire the knees as well, and THEN contract the hamstring and kick. This trains the ratio between hamstrings and quadriceps.

linear-speed

Holler,

Chris Barnard
Chris Barnard

Chris Barnard is a strength and conditioning coach at Strength Camp, a hardcore athlete training facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, as well as author of multiple performance programs. He has worked with athletes at all levels and from many different sports to produce the highest level of performance in each. He currently resides in St Petersburg, Florida and continues to pursuit breakthroughs in athletic performance.