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AFM Magazine


Speed Training for Combines

by: Mike Frascogna
Multi-Sport International/Speed City
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Whether a player attends the NFL combine in Indianapolis, or one of the ten NFL-sanctioned Scout Camp regional football combines, he will be tested in a variety of areas. But when the combine is over and all the data has been collected, there is typically only one question that gets asked about a player: How fast is he?

Because this is the reality of the situation, all combine participants should be well-prepared to face the "holy trinity" of combine tests: the 40- yard dash, the short shuttle and the vertical leap. The following is training advice on what areas to target and suggestions on what drills to use to maximize performance in these three tests.

Vertical Leap

The vertical leap is a measure of raw explosive ability and may be the best indicator of overall athleticism. The best aspect about training the vertical leap is that the training carries over to other tests. Because the same explosion that sends an athlete vertical is also used during acceleration, improving vertical leap will lead to almost unavoidable improvements in the short shuttle and the 40-yard dash.

The critical components of the vertical leap include triple extension (hip, knee, ankle), coordinated arm thrust and a strong core. The following drills target these components and will help athletes get maximum return from their training investment.



Picture 1

Vertical Leap Drill #1 - Core Strengthening (Seal Throws)

The "core" refers to the abdominal muscles and the lower back. An athlete's core can be compared to the hub of a wheel in that it holds everything together. The core is also considered to be the launching pad for any and all explosive movements because it helps coordinate the motions of the upper and lower body. Thus, a strong core plays a vital role in a test like the vertical leap where the entire body must move explosively and in perfect sync.



Picture 2

Because most coaches already know several dozen good abdominal exercises, the drill presented here will focus on the lower back. When performing seal throws, the athlete will lay facedown on the ground, arms extended above his head and hands firmly grasping a light weighted ball (4-8 pounds) (see photo one). Without bending his arms, the athlete then quickly throws the ball as high and as far behind his body as possible (see photo two). The throw will result in the athlete's body being in a cupped position with hands and feet off the ground and all of the body's weight supported by the stomach and hips. A training partner or coach should be in position to catch the ball and roll it back to the athlete for the next repetition.

The idea behind seal throws is to develop not only a strong lower back, but also an explosive lower back. These muscles play a large role in snapping the body out of a crouched, loaded position and into the vertical takeoff position during the vertical leap test.



Picture 3

Vertical Leap Drill #2 - Caber Toss

The caber toss requires the use of a six- to 15-pound weighted ball. First, have the athlete stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, the ball firmly grasped in both hands and arms extended directly above the head (see photo three). In a large sweeping motion, the athlete lets the ball swing from above his head, down to his feet, and continuing back through his legs as if he were long-snapping (see photo four). When the ball reaches its furthest position behind the athlete, the body will naturally begin to snap the ball forward. As soon as the athlete feels this natural recoil begin, he should hit the ignition button and launch the ball as high into the air as possible. The athlete should be instructed to throw the ball directly above his head, step out of the way as the ball returns to the ground, catch the ball off the first bounce and then reload and throw again.



Picture 4

The caber toss requires the athlete to develop a quick, powerful hip thrust to drive the ball out of the bottom of the swing. Like seal throws, the caber toss is more dependent on the speed and height of the throw than on the weight of the ball.

Vertical Leap Drill #3 - Resisted Leaps

Although resisted leaps can be performed in a number of different ways, the best versions involve the use of a waistbelt and a piece of flexible rubber tubing (like the Viper, manufactured by Speed City). When used with a training partner or coach, this training device can be stretched behind the athlete to resist the linear motion of a frog jump, or secured to the ground to resist the vertical motion of a Russian leap.

Regardless of which drill is chosen, the waistbelt and flexi-cord place all of the resistance on the athlete from the waist down and allow the upper body to move uninhibited. This creates a great training scenario since the thrust of the arm must be in sync with the thrust of the hips for a maximum vertical leap. As the athlete leaps against the resistance, his arms will fire at normal speed and his hips will be forced into rhythm through the disadvantage of the resistance. This type drill helps develop smooth, correct firing sequences and also "hiccup-quick" hip pop.

40-Yard Dash

If a combine was whittled down to a single test, it would likely be the 40-yard dash. Because of the importance and emphasis placed upon this test, all of the athlete's combine preparation should aim to, in some way, positively influence the 40. The following drills will help focus an athlete's 40-yard dash training in the correct areas.

40 Yard Dash Drill #1 - Starts

The shorter the distance of a race, the more important the start becomes. Because 40 yards is a very short distance, a successful start is of supreme importance. For this reason, an athlete should become extremely comfortable with his starting technique during combine preparation. Starts can, and should, be practiced every day during combine prep.

Starting technique for the 40 is distinct from any starting stance used in the game of football. A football stance (regardless of position) requires the player to have a clear view of everything around him and to be in a balanced position, ready to react in any direction. A 40-yard dash start requires neither sight nor balance. The athlete knows exactly where he is going and he does not have to be prepared to change direction. Therefore, the stance an athlete uses for the 40 should commit him to going in one direction and one direction only. This can be accomplished by following one simple guideline: Have as much of your body in front of the starting line as possible. Obviously the athlete's two feet and one hand that will be touching the ground must be behind the starting line, but the rest of the body should be moved as far over, or in front of the line, as possible (see photo five). This positioning ensures that the athlete's first twitch (the one that starts the clock) will be toward the finish line, and that the force needed to start the body in motion will be minimal. Actual placement of the hands and feet will vary from athlete to athlete. And it should be up to the athlete to determine where he feels most comfortable and confident with regards to this placement.



Picture 5

40-Yard Dash Drill #2 - Hand-Weight Drops

Using a pair of two- or three-pound hand weights, have the athlete sprint a distance of 20-50 yards and drop the hand weights somewhere in the middle. This drill is an excellent example of contrast training and will force the athlete to focus on the backward thrust of his elbow. Causing the elbows to explosively fire backward past the body while sprinting will have a direct effect on the speed generated in the lower body, and thus, the overall speed of the sprint.

Also, performing hand-weight drops will help coordinate the motions of the upper and lower body. In the first half of the sprint, the weighted upper body will be forced to keep up with the free lower body. As soon as the hand weights are dropped, the upper body kicks into overdrive and the lower body is forced to immediately speed up in order to maintain rhythm.

40-Yard Dash Drill #3 - Overspeed Sprints

You don't get fast by training slow. Overspeed sprints (preferably with a pulley-type system) condition an athlete's body and mind to move faster. This training technique teaches athletes to accelerate instantly and to relax at top speed. As the athlete's combine preparation progresses, overspeed training should gradually increase. This training should be done early in the workout when the athlete is totally fresh and far from experiencing any signs of fatigue.

Short Shuttle

The short shuttle is a measure of short-burst acceleration and change-of- direction speed. Because this drill involves very short distances (5-10 yards), it is difficult for an athlete to drop his time by improving only his ability to accelerate. An athlete will be far more successful if he focuses his training on improving his ability to stop and redirect his acceleration 180 degrees. In other words, it is the turns, rather than the straight-aways, that are key to maximum performance in this drill.

Short Shuttle Drill #1 - Single Leg Lateral Hops

Here the athlete uses the same waistbelt and flexi-cord system incorporated in the vertical leap training drills. The athlete should be positioned at a starting point, standing on his right leg with the flexi-cord stretched out to his right and secured by a coach or training partner. The athlete then performs a series of five to six hops to his left (shown in photo six sans cord).


Picture 6

The athlete should aim to cover as much ground as quickly as possible in the allotted number of hops. This drill forces the athlete to balance as he isolates the lateral cutting motion performed by the right leg. The strength and balance required to perform this drill is the same that is used by the athlete in the turns of the short shuttle. The resistance provided by the flexi-cord conditions the leg to perform under conditions far more difficult than what will be encountered in the actual test.

This is a highly advanced training technique and should be performed only by well-conditioned athletes who have mastered the drill without using the resistance of the flexi-cord. Also, because the short shuttle requires the athlete to be equally strong cutting off of both legs, equal repetitions must be performed to the athlete's left and right.

Short Shuttle Drill #2 - Viper Sprints

Possibly the best drill for developing cutting speed in the short shuttle involves a flexi-cord attachment and a waistbelt with a rotating connection point. In this drill, the athlete positions himself on the starting line for the short shuttle (straddling a line, with boundary lines five yards to his left and right). The athlete should be wearing the rotating belt with the flexi-cord attached and stretched to his right.

The athlete now simply runs the short shuttle drill. As the athlete starts to his right, the flexi-cord assists him to the first mark. This assistance provides neuromuscular conditioning to the athlete by snapping him out of the start. The additional speed generated by the assistance of the flexi-cord also serves to strengthen the right leg by overloading it when it plants to make the cut at the first mark. As the athlete cuts off his right leg and begins the 10-yard sprint to the second mark, the flexi-cord pivots on the belt and serves as instant resistance (a quick contrast to the initial assistance). The athlete powers through the resistance and plants on his left leg at the second mark. Because the flexi-cord is now again in a stretched position, the athlete is quickly snapped away from the second mark and assisted through the finish/starting line.

An athlete performing this drill should always perform equal repetitions starting to his right and left, and with the flexi-cord initially providing either assistance or resistance. In order for the athlete's body to adjust back to normal conditions, he should also perform one free short shuttle for every shuttle he runs with the flexi-cord.

Conclusion

Because combines play an important role in the advancement of a college football player's career, failure to properly prepare for an upcoming combine would be as senseless as failing to study film on an opponent before a championship game. As you train an athlete to perform in a combine, keep in mind that you are no longer training a football player. You are training an athlete to perform in a series of speed related events that are all governed by different sets of rules and different training requirements






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