Max Velocity drill
A-March
Groove the knee drive, foot strike and tall posture used at top speed.
- Time
- 6 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 30 players
- Intensity
- Low
- Equipment
- None
- Space
- 20m lane
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
A 20m lane marked with two cones on flat grass.
How to run it
- Stand tall with your ribs pulled down and your hips underneath you.
- March forward, driving one knee up until your thigh is level with the ground with your toes pulled up towards your shin.
- Punch that foot back down into the ground underneath your hips - not out in front - striking through the middle of your foot, and drive the opposite arm at the same time.
- Do 3 passes of 20m, walking back between each.
- This belongs in your warm-up before sprinting, not as hard work on its own.
Coaching cues
- Knee up, toes up
- Punch the ground
- Stay tall - don't lean back
Common mistakes
- Leaning back to get the knee higher
- Reaching the foot out in front instead of punching it down under you
Session plans that use this drill
Related drills
- A-SkipAdd sprint rhythm to the A-march position so you arrive at training ready to run fast.
- Dribble SeriesTrain the stepping-over action and foot contact of upright sprinting with no equipment at all.
- Straight-Leg BoundsTeach the hamstrings and glutes to pull the ground underneath you at top speed.
- Flying 20Develop and hold genuine top-end speed, which is where line breaks are finished.
- Float RunLearn to run at 90-93% of top speed while relaxed, so you have a gear left late in games.
- Sprint-Float-SprintTrain re-accelerating back to top speed after easing off, which is exactly what a support runner does.