Your First Three Steps Tell Me a Lot

"The first few steps of a sprint often reveal more about an athlete's acceleration than the rest of the run."

If I only had a few seconds to evaluate an athlete's acceleration, I'd probably watch the first three steps.

Not the entire sprint.

Those first few contacts tell you quite a bit.

Is the athlete pushing the ground backward?

Are they projecting their body forward?

Or are they immediately standing upright and trying to move their feet faster?

That's an important distinction.

Because when most athletes think about getting faster, they focus on one thing:

Moving their feet quicker.

But acceleration doesn't start with foot speed.

It starts with force.

What the First Three Steps Reveal

Early acceleration is heavily influenced by how much horizontal force an athlete can put into the ground.

In simple terms, the body has to create enough force to move forward effectively.

That means each step should contribute to driving the athlete down the field, court, or track.

When athletes struggle with acceleration, it often isn't because they're moving too slowly.

It's because they're directing their effort inefficiently.

Instead of pushing, they rush.

Instead of projecting forward, they stand up.

Instead of creating force, they create activity.

Lots of movement.

Not much acceleration.

Faster Feet Aren't Always Better

Sometimes when athletes hear the cue "be quicker," they do the exact opposite of what we actually want.

Their feet start moving faster.

Their cadence increases.

Everything looks busy.

But their steps don't move them very far.

They're working harder without covering more ground.

That's why speed training isn't just about increasing turnover.

It's about making every ground contact count.

The athletes who accelerate best often look powerful rather than frantic.

Each step has purpose.

Each contact creates momentum.

Each push moves them forward.

Why We Coach the Push

That's why we teach athletes to think about pushing before they think about running.

There will eventually be a time to get tall and sprint upright.

But the first few steps usually aren't it.

Early acceleration requires a forward body position that allows force to be directed horizontally.

The goal is to build momentum.

As momentum builds, the athlete gradually rises into a more upright sprint posture.

Trying to stand up too early often limits acceleration and reduces the effectiveness of those critical first steps.

A Simple Way to Evaluate Your Sprint

The next time you perform a 10-yard sprint, record it from the side.

Before looking at your time, look at the movement.

Pay attention to the first three contacts.

Ask yourself:

• Did each step move me forward effectively?

• Did my body gradually rise as I accelerated?

• Was I pushing into the ground or simply moving my feet?

• Did I become upright immediately?

Those answers often provide more useful information than the stopwatch alone.

Because acceleration is a skill.

And skills improve when you understand what you're actually trying to accomplish.

The Small Details That Change Speed

Getting faster isn't always about teaching your legs to move quicker.

Sometimes it's about getting more from the first three times your foot hits the ground.

Improve those initial contacts.

Learn how to project forward.

Learn how to apply force effectively.

Learn how to build momentum.

Fix those things, and the stopwatch often starts telling a very different story.

— Coach Shelby & The Shelby Trained Team