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AFM Magazine


Speed Report: Mechanical Application & Technique-The Backbone for Football Speed Development

by: Dale Baskett
Football Speed Specialist
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All human movement must be viewed as a mechanical function. The faster the movement, the greater the potential for a mechanical breakdown. Athletic movement at high velocity levels requires precise mechanical execution. Also important is the motor pattern development which needs to be a target from a spontaneity standpoint. For whatever mechanical function is utilized, it is being recorded as muscle firing memorization. What patterns used become ingrained and fire directly the same way over and over again. This is why it is very important to understand the methods of movement that are correct so as to prevent improper input. The mind doesn’t decipher the incoming information; it just records it. The athlete and coach must decipher the correct material that’s loaded into the computer. It is critical that you use the proper biomechanical movements so the athlete has the best opportunity to produce the best forces and limb harmony possible during high-speed endeavors.
I’ve spent the last 30 years pioneering speed development. I came to realize quite early along that lineal sprint speed and multi-movement speed are whole different worlds.
In the 1970’s, I was a head coach at a junior college for track and field as the sprint coach. I was also the offensive coordinator for the football program. Working with sprints and football for years helped give me insight for my future days as a speed coach. Football requires a different approach for speed than track sprints. Understanding the mindset for football and track gave me a great perspective for creating a football speed system. Any football speed system must have a systematic teaching progression for the subject matter being presented. The order in which material is presented must have connective relativity to a central theme or premise. It is a mechanically based method with drill applications arranged in an order of progressive presentation.
It’s like building a wall with blocks: the job relies on a foundation for development. Running fast is a similar challenge. If your foundation is not sound, you aren’t building in a systematic manner and the wall will fall. There are far too many people in the speed world today who are arranging workouts with an array of implements and apparatuses. The tool is cool but teaching a sound progressive system for processing is far and away more productive. Most coaches lack a series of progressive development methods. They rely on internet research and find that most things available have the same similarity among coaches. It’s like the coaches all belong to the same club with the butt kicks, the hops, the skips, the a’s and the b’s, the ladders, the bungees, and so on.
In essence, the workouts in many cases become entertainment, with limited growth development and certainly no foundation for physical and mechanical accuracies. Remember, if you use something, know what the scientific values are that relate to correct human movement positions and motions. All drills being used should be carefully thought out as to the order of application. We must not just shoot from the hip and move through movement variations without reasoning or a clear cut progressive growth method applied. A textbook is arranged by chapters for a subject being taught. Usually chapter one is far less demanding than chapter 22 due to the advancement of the subject matter being arranged strategically to advance the learning curve step-by-step. Baking a cake has a step method for ingredients placed and involved in a certain way and in a certain time period. Teaching motor patterns can and should be utilized in the same fashion. The speeds at which you run are also part of the formula for success. Slow to fast is the prescription for teaching technical movement and speed. Knowing when it’s time to take the next step is only going to be accomplished by someone who truly has expertise in these areas.
What I see happening is that athletes move from station to station, apparatus to apparatus, with no understanding of the progression of mechanical and motor training. A speed plan must have a plan both physiologically and biomechanically. Mechanics and the nervous system must be addressed on everything you present and in an order that’s relative to the learning level for that day, week, etc.

The Real Deal - Mechanics,
Mechanics, Technique, Technique

Lineal speed is not the real deal for football speed. However, you must learn first to run mechanically well straight ahead. Once that base has been covered you can move into the movement training for the multiplicity of changes required in football. Why I harp on the subject of mechanics so aggressively is for one reason: it’s the greatest value towards maximizing speed on the planet. Remember, high frequency limb rotation and body mass velocity is totally controlled by the skill of your mechanical effectiveness. Strength, pylos, power development are all relative but without the proper mechanical function you will never reach your true potential. Power, force, and leverage all rely on technical function because running is a non-stop activity that breaks down the faster you run. One must master the techniques to master the potential.

Leaving You a Simple Plan:
CORRECT THE MECHANICAL FOUNDATION

LINE (Diagram 1)

Consists of the leg, upper body and the head being aligned as force is applied to the surface in a downward and backward leg motion. This line is the foundation prior to any limb activity being performed. If it is misplaced, the limb rotation will suffer and be out of synch rotationally. If that happens, you now have the opposing rotational force at work. Alignment must be in place on all movement changes as well. It’s much like the trunk of a tree: if its attachment is sound from the ground up, the branches have a chance to function well. The same is true for the upper lower limb rotation capability.

LIMB SYCHRONIZATION (Diagram 2)

This is the upper/lower harmony of the leg and arm cycle. The only way the two will synchronize is if the arm angle is in a constant L angle throughout the front to back arm rotation running phase. If the arm angle at the elbow opens or closes a lot, the athlete will never be perfectly synchronized and the potential for maximum speed will be altered. This is the initial reason why one must lock the L’s.

FOOTSTRIKE POSITIONING (Diagram 3)

The leg is directed downward as it reaches the front side of the torso upon the return leg action. That is, straight downward and not out in front. We need to get back to the ground so we can continue to propel the body mass with ground force activity. The ball of the foot is in correct position for surface contact at the touch phase.
These are the foundations for all human movement. They are also in an order of prioritized importance. First line, then synch, then footstrike. If you are running on your heels or the balls of your feet, it doesn’t matter if the line is misplaced vertically.
Email me at my site if you would be interested in thorough information about speed development packages for your specific program.






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