Want to help your athletes sprint faster and more efficiently? Sprint speed comes from mastering the three key phases: The Start, Acceleration, and Max Velocity. Each phase plays a critical role in developing explosive speed and peak performance.
Phase 1: The Sprint Start
The sprint start is where races are often won or lost. In just the first two steps, athletes lay the foundation for the entire sprint. This phase accounts for a large chunk of early momentum, with the goal of reaching at least 50% of top speed within the first few strides.
Key Focus:
To dominate the start, athletes need to project their center of mass forward and generate maximum force against the ground. Think of this as a “two-yard race”—a short, aggressive effort to build momentum. This sets the tone for the rest of the sprint. Your athletes should be explosive, precise, and confident in those initial steps.
🔧 Sprint Start Improvement Drills:
-
Two-Point Stance Drills – Starting from a simplified two-point stance builds proper sprint mechanics. These drills improve posture, balance, and ground contact timing—all essential for quick, clean starts without unnecessary tension.
-
Banded Acceleration Drills – Adding resistance with bands increases the demand for horizontal force production. Marches and projections with resistance teach athletes how to stay low and drive powerfully through the ground, creating habits that carry over to sprint starts on the field or track.
Phase 2: Acceleration
Acceleration is where athletes build the bulk of their sprint speed. The 0–5 yard split alone contributes over 40% of your overall velocity. Athletes must focus on maintaining a forward lean, strong posture, and powerful strides.
Success in acceleration hinges on one thing: horizontal force application. The more effectively an athlete can project their body forward and push against the ground, the faster they'll get up to speed. Every step should be intentional—low heel recovery, strong shin angles, and quick ground contact.
Acceleration Training Tips:
-
Force-velocity profiling—This assessment tool evaluates how well an athlete applies force across different sprint phases. Whether an athlete struggles to get out of the blocks, loses momentum in the mid-phase, or lacks reactivity at top speed, force-velocity profiling helps tailor the right drills and intensities for improvement.
Phase 3: Max Velocity
Max velocity is where raw sprint speed is realized. In this phase, athletes are upright, fully extended, and operating at their peak. But reaching top speed isn’t enough—maintaining it is the real key.
To sustain elite speed, athletes must master efficient force application, optimal stride frequency, and postural control. Small improvements in technique—like correcting arm swing or refining foot strike—can make the difference between a close finish and a breakaway sprint.
Top Speed development drilLs:
-
Max Velocity Drills – Use ankle dribbles, calf dribbles, and knee dribbles to improve stride frequency and posture.
- Fly 10 -
One of the most effective drills for exposing athletes to top-end speed in a controlled environment. Flying sprints allow athletes to build up before hitting their max velocity zone, helping refine their sprint mechanics at high speeds.
Putting It All Together
Developing elite sprint speed isn’t just about effort—it’s about intentional, phase-specific training. By isolating and improving The Start, Acceleration, and Max Velocity, you’re able to train your athletes smarter.
Take the Next Step Toward Elite Speed
Ready to help your athletes sprint faster, smarter, and with purpose?