Max Velocity drill
Sprint-Float-Sprint
Train re-accelerating back to top speed after easing off, which is exactly what a support runner does.
- Time
- 35 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Intensity
- High
- Equipment
- Cones
- Space
- 70m straight line
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
Five cones on flat grass at 0m, 30m, 40m, 60m and 70m.
How to run it
- Accelerate over the first 30m, then sprint flat out from 30m to 40m.
- From 40m to 60m, float: keep your leg speed but shorten and relax your arm action so you ease off effort without actually slowing down.
- At 60m, expand your arm action again and sprint flat out to 70m, then run past the last cone before easing off.
- Do 4 reps with 6-8 minutes rest - this is very demanding on your nervous system, so use it once a week at most and only once you're comfortable with flying sprints.
Coaching cues
- Limit the arms to float, expand the arms to sprint
- Ease off the effort, not the speed
- Say the pattern out loud before you go
Common mistakes
- Actually slowing down in the float instead of just relaxing
- Attempting this before you've built a base of flying sprint work
Related drills
- Wicket RunsForce front-side knee recovery and a tall sprint rhythm at close to top speed.
- A-MarchGroove the knee drive, foot strike and tall posture used at top speed.
- 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.