Quickness Drills - Essential for Quickness Development

Every coach wants players to play fast and quick. Can quickness be developed or is it just left to those who are genetically blessed. 

When I started speed training in 1979, every coach said you can’t teach speed. Today we’re talking about quickness, which is an aspect of speed. What if moving with electric transitions and ballistic quickness on the football field could be trained? I can’t say that every athlete on your team will be quick just because you trained them. I can say that you and I can teach them the technical aspects and equip them with the skills to develop quickness.

Quickness results from contraction of muscle fiber at a rate that creates a muscle impulse that moves limb structure vey rapidly. Most athletes, unfortunately, can’t rely on such traits and are forced to live with what they’ve been given. Everyone talks about fast twitch but how can you, as a coach, rely completely on genetic attributes when you and I both know that great genes are possessed only by the few and not the entire team.

What Will Work For You

The following drills will provide changes that won’t rely just on DNA. Technical skill application will pull out the maximum potential for all of your athletes’ development. Everyone has more quickness in their physical makeup than they realize. Mechanical skills will open up and release quickness movements once the mind has experienced the movement application.

This will become a new experience that was never felt before. It replaces the old motor imprint with a new feel sensation imprint that the athlete has never experienced. You can’t perceive what you haven’t felt previously when it comes to human movement. Once they feel the movement change, the mind will grab it and begin to process it immediately. The next step is to adapt to the new movement consistently by performing repetitions over time. Remember, for future success while training, less is more and more is less.

This means that repetitions done right with minimal attempts provides a higher rate of success and quality vs. numbers of reps that are executed poorly. Quality execution – low reps with a high success ratio – is the way to be successful for movement development.

The following drill set is designed to produce contraction quickness and change prior kinetic and motor skill function. The process will rely solely on the athletes’ understanding of the technical applications necessary and applying them accurately in a controlled, yet quick, manner.

Eyes must be level throughout the entire drill series. This will keep the leg, body and head aligned, which is critical to control during movement changes. Second, the focus for limb control will be the arm activity. Fast multi-movements are difficult to control if the athlete has too many things to think about. Two things you need to teach are eyes remaining level and forward. The other is focusing on the upper arm during movement changes that will keep arms/legs synchronized. Keep eyes level and let the arm control the rest. Keep it simple and your athletes will begin to move quicker.

Diagram # 1 • Zones are all five yards apart, aligned straight. First motion is fast arm cycle from static position. At the second zone, decelerate upper arm action to control deceleration. For each new burst, the athlete’s initial arm action must be short and quick, front to back. Repeat as shown.

Diagram # 2 • This is the same zone structure. Lateral fast with100% velocity. At the second zone, again decel the upper arm to control momentum. Use a quick upper arm action to create the burst. Repeat as shown.

Diagram # 3 • Lateral slowly at a 45-degree angle and then plant to a quick burst sprint. Once again, use a quick arm cycle on first motion impact. Be careful to watch for athletes wanting to bend at the waist when they plant to the burst. Repeat as shown.

Diagram # 4 • Run a slow, straight jog downhill and then plant to a lateral burst. Plant back straight and decel arm to control momentum back to a jog. Maintain alignment on this drill as in diagram 3. Repeat as shown. At the last zone, plant to a straight burst off of a fast lateral. There should be no bending at the waist on transition to the sprint. Keep eyes level with quick arm movements. 

Coach Baskett began his career as a football speed coach in 1979. During the last 33 years he’s consulted and trained hundreds of coaches and thousands of athletes nationwide. In the last year he has worked directly with high schools in California, Texas, Minnesota, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. Over the last few years he has also consulted with Texas Tech, Ohio State, USC, University of Washington, and the University of Mount Union. You can reach him directly for more information or if you have specific questions on your training program. Coach Baskett is at dbspeedt@hotmail.com and 858-568-3751.