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AFM Magazine


The Speed Report: Athletic Speed Skills for Special Team Plays

by: Dale Baskett
Football Speed Specialist
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Special teams is, of course, a major concern for every football program in America. Coaches must select the right people for the job. They then must teach the proper schemes for executing both cover and return deployment by the troops.

The selection of talent available does not always provide the fastest people on the team. A player’s football savvy is sometimes a better skill than pure speed. This fact is often important to the special teams design. However, speed on the field is never put in the back seat when all things are equal.

I realize as a coach that you have limited time constraints that certainly predict how much you can do outside of special teams preparation. However, I am proposing you plug in some teaching methods over time in the form of speed skill and movement control. I want to share a handful of drills that will enhance athletic speed which is very useful for both cover and return units.

Certainly cover is more linear in regard to the requirements performed. I have arranged five cover speed applications that are movement speed specific to some of the cover game necessities. The last three drills offered will develop the more difficult speed angles and curve speed control aspects that are tough for most athletes. Every movement where speed is involved is teachable and learnable. Key technical applications can very often be a minor implementation that has a major impact where speed, quickness and movement control are concerned. I will point out the minor-major technical applications on the following drills portrayed as we walk through them.

I hope you will be able to insert some, if not all, of the following drills prior to and during the upcoming season.

Speed Burst Drill (Diagram 1)

This is a cover speed application. We want to attack the neural function (nervous system). Remember that the mechanical application is always the overriding focus when applying physiological stimulation. The high intensity of muscle contraction in a repetitive format enhances the psychomotor adaptation important to nervous system stimulation. The drill is simple but utilized over time will trigger new neural firing patterns. The result in short order will be to create metabolic changes to the physical system in a positive manner. The results will enhance muscle contraction spontaneity which is very important to power and speed. The first five yards are at 40 percent stride speed. At the double cone the shoulder joint should be activated rapidly front to back, short and abruptly. Shoulder speed intensity should be maintained at 100 percent throughout the remaining sprint zone.



Speed Acceleration Drill (Diagram 2)

With the same action as in Diagram 1, activate the shoulder joint front to back as aggressively as possible for 20 yards. Then decel arm speed to 80 percent and activate aggressively again. Repeat this until three sprints are completed aggressively. Minor-major for this drill is keeping the line in place (the leg, torso and head) during accels and decels. The eyes should remain level at all times in each speed phase (second minor-major).



Frequency Lock/Speed Increase Drill (Diagram 3)

Burst six yards as aggressively as possible with proper shoulder rotation (remember that arms control the leg cycle activity). Your focus should always be on the shoulder frequency application. The first zone is as fast as you can turnover the limbs and then lock the set frequency established at six yards. Maintain frequency intensity for ten more yards; turn shoulder speed to a maximum frequency level for the remaining 15 yards. The final zone will have somewhat of an increase for each stride. A high twitch activity is used for neural development.



Speed Weave Increase Drill (Diagram 4)

This drill involves the simple use of ballistic shoulder speed from a static weight position. The objective is to accelerate maximally each step while the shoulder steering technique is applied. Line should be over footstrike with eyes level, shoulder aggressive and leaning left to right slightly while accelerating. As the body weight is displaced the arm activity remains busy (minor-major point).



Speed Weave Increase/Decel Weave Drill (Diagram 5)

This drill is the same as Diagram 4 on the weave increase phase (first four cones). When you arrive at the double cones you begin to slowly decel the arm rotation while staying over the footstrike. Shoulder steer while you decel to 20 percent of maximum speed by the end of the weave decel zone. It is important that an athlete learns to decel while displacing momentum. This is useful on coverage when negotiating control to the ball carrier.


Curve/Lateral Speed Curve Transition Drill (Diagram 6)

Return movement applications offer a new challenge for angle and curve speed which requires control. Aggression that’s out of control creates breakdowns in movement execution. Mechanical efficiency with what I term aggressive control delivers excellent speed that is properly placed for consistent results.

The athlete is facing one direction (see foot placement) and releases on a curve uphill to the next set of double cones. The proper technique is to drop the shoulder to an uphill direction, keep the elbows in close to the body and keep shoulder speed aggressive. Always keep the eyes forward and use peripheral vision to its advantage. This helps stabilize footstrike placement to the center of body mass while displacing momentum on varying angles.

At the top of the curve angle, breakdown to ten percent movement and then plant to a lateral while facing the LOS on a downhill flow. Two-thirds of the way turn to a short curve forward to the next double cone and breakdown facing the LOS. Now continue the same action again and again to master repeating the similar control demanded.



Weave/Loop Drill (Diagram 7)

Facing 180 degrees opposite (see foot placement) release 100 percent towards the uphill weave. Upon release you must drop a shoulder towards the first cone and activate the arm rotation aggressively while keeping the elbows in at all times (minor-major key). As you approach the double cones drop your shoulder severely and shorten the arm rotation significantly. However, keep the shoulder active during the tight leap angle, double cones. Once around the double cones, square up and decel to breakdown the base-up square position. Then immediately plant to the next continued procedure and repeat until four reps are completed.



Speed Curve/Drop Curve Sprint Drill (Diagram 8)

This drill is merely designed for two things. One is to become effective at dropping the shoulder to the direction of the designed angle trajectory. Arms are short and active at all times and they must decel and accel on both short and long angles. The lean and sprint application is an important technique for long curve trajectory. On short drops you should step under center with the inside foot as you drop the shoulder to redirect. Keep elbows in and arms active at all times (minor-major).








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