The toughest part about the Lee Taft Speed Academy being in NY yet having my home in Indiana is the time away from my family. My daughters will be attending a volleyball camp at the YMCA and I hate not being there to drive them to it every day. I get so much joy out of watching them play. Sometimes they don't even know I am watching. My girls are doing 4-H projects and are having a great time working on them. Obviously, I will be missng this too. It won't be long though. At the end of July I will be heading back to Indiana to be home with them again.
What is the True Formula for Speed?
I bet if you were to search for products on speed development you would come across several hundred. The truth be told, many of them are good resources. The reason I say this is because, even though each one may be focusing on what they consider to be the key to speed, it is still good information.
I believe products are often dismissed as poor if the product doesn't meet the demands of the potential buyer. That certainly isn't a good reason to call the product poor. It just isn't what the buyer wanted.
To switch gears a little bit, I want to talk about what really is the speed formula. The truth is "it depends on the type of speed and the issues the athlete may have".
When I am coaching a basketball player to be quicker on the basketball court, I need to make sure he or she can accelerate in all direction, change directions quickly and under control, make sharp and speed cuts, and retreat all with great speed and quickness. So in this case the components that are going to be most important are; body mechanics as it relates to the speed skill (change of direction, cutting, accelerating...), force production and force reduction ability, and of course stride length (both linear and lateral). Stride frequency is harder to control and I would rather have more power and stride length resulting in greater speed anyway.
If I am coaching a sprinter, then my concerns change. I no longer need to focus on lateral or change of direction skills. My technique work needs to be geared toward efficiency while accelerating and at top end speed.
What if I am coaching hockey players. I really must emphasize explosive acceleration and deceleration.
Do I believe all athletes should be taught proper mechanics of accelerating, sprinting, lateral quickness, change of direction skills, jumping, and all the other movement skills- ABSOLUTELY! I don't believe we teach athletes to be well rounded movers any more. Believe me, when an athlete has developed the ability to be coordinated in all directions both in acceleration and deceleration, then they will have a greater foundation to be better at their chosen sport.
Getting back to my title, I believe there are many formulas to improve speed. The constants are strength and power, technical mastery, tactical and strategic mastery, and concentration and relaxation. But, I feel each situation demands a different formula. I need to know what the athlete brings to the table before I start coaching them. I want to know how they move and what their movement background is. Coaching speed is a mix of science and art. Good coaching is understanding when to put more emphasis on the most needed (science or art).
Yours In Speed,
Lee
PS: If you are really looking forward to improving your knowledge in multi-directional speed training then go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ and become a Speed Insiders Member. Read what one member had to say about her membership as a Speed Insider:
“My favorite part of being a Speed Insider is the knowledge that Lee passes onto us every month. It is so invaluable. I can use it immediately with my athletes and clients.”
-Kris Massaro
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