Want More Speed? Here's Where to Start

"Speed isn't just about moving your legs faster. It's about producing force, directing it efficiently, and repeating it when the game speeds up."

Every athlete wants to get faster.

But speed isn't as simple as running more sprints.

Speed is a skill.

And like any skill, it depends on several qualities working together.

If you want to get faster and stay fast under pressure, it comes down to three things.

1. How Much Force You Can Create

Speed starts with force production.

Every acceleration, sprint, and change of direction depends on your ability to push into the ground and create force.

The ground is what ultimately moves you.

The harder and more effectively you can push against it, the greater your potential to accelerate.

That's why strength training remains such an important piece of speed development.

More force gives you a larger engine to work with.

But strength alone isn't enough.

2. The Direction You Apply That Force

Creating force is only part of the equation.

You also have to direct it effectively.

An athlete can be incredibly strong, but if they apply force in the wrong direction, much of that potential is wasted.

When accelerating, force needs to drive the body forward.

When changing direction, force needs to help control momentum and redirect movement efficiently.

This is one reason two athletes with similar strength levels can perform very differently in competition.

One creates force.

The other creates force and applies it effectively.

That's a major difference.

3. Your Ability to Express It Under Pressure

Speed isn't tested in a controlled environment.

It's tested during competition.

You're reacting.

Making decisions.

Changing direction.

Managing fatigue.

Responding to opponents.

The athletes who perform best aren't always the strongest or fastest during testing.

They're often the athletes who can consistently express those qualities when the game becomes chaotic.

That's where speed becomes performance.

Because speed that disappears under fatigue or pressure isn't nearly as valuable as speed that holds up when the game is on the line.

Miss One Piece and Speed Suffers

Think of these three qualities as links in a chain:

• Force production

• Force direction

• Force expression under pressure

If any one of them is weak, speed suffers.

You may have the strength but lack the mechanics.

You may have the mechanics but lack the force.

You may have both but struggle to maintain them when fatigue sets in.

True speed development requires all three.

A Simple Drill That Builds Speed

One of the simplest and most effective drills we use to develop these qualities is Alternate Bounding.

Watch Alternate Bounding in Action:

This drill teaches athletes how to produce and transfer force from one stride to the next.

It challenges coordination, posture, rhythm, and explosiveness all at the same time.

Most importantly, it reinforces a movement pattern that directly carries over to sprinting.

Understanding Triple Extension

Alternate Bounding helps develop something called triple extension.

This refers to the simultaneous extension of the:

• Ankle

• Knee

• Hip

These joints work together during sprinting to create a powerful push-off.

The more efficiently an athlete coordinates this action, the more effectively they can project themselves forward.

That's why triple extension is such an important quality for speed-based athletes.

What Alternate Bounding Improves

When performed correctly, Alternate Bounding can help develop:

• Ground contact efficiency

• Better acceleration mechanics

• Improved rhythm and stride coordination

• Explosive force production

• Trunk and lower-body integration

• Better force transfer from step to step

The goal isn't simply to jump farther.

The goal is to teach the body how to apply force efficiently while moving.

How to Perform It

To incorporate Alternate Bounding into your training:

• 2-3 sets

• 6-10 reps per side

• Perform after a thorough warm-up

• Use during speed or agility sessions

• Rest fully between sets to maintain quality

Focus on powerful, explosive contacts with the ground.

Maintain good posture.

Stay tall through the trunk.

Allow each bound to be deliberate and controlled rather than rushed.

Remember:

Quality beats quantity.

Every single repetition should look athletic.

Train the Qualities Behind Speed

The fastest athletes aren't fast by accident.

They spend time developing the qualities that create speed.

They improve strength.

Refine mechanics.

Build coordination.

Learn how to apply force efficiently.

And practice expressing those abilities when movement becomes fast and unpredictable.

Because speed isn't just something you have.

It's something you train.

If you want more speed, don't just sprint more.

Build the qualities underneath it.

Train the movement.

Train the system.

Train the speed.

— Coach Shelby & The Shelby Trained Team