Functional Path Training

"Game Speed"

Here are some of my thoughts on "game speed." What it is and what it is not. I would be interested in your comments and ideas.

 

 

Train Fast!

There is an excellent feature article in today’s New York Times magazine section on University of Oregon Football called Speed Freak Football by Michael Sokolove www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/magazine/05Football-t.html?ref=sports It got me thinking of training for and at “game speed” in a myriad of sports. In many ways it is quite simple - to play fast you have to train fast. Train for the game you play with an understanding that in most cases the games are barely controlled competitive fury. To train fast demands a focus on meaningful movement in training, no fluff, and no extraneous work. You must train at a high threshold intensity, close to the edge, in essence pushing the envelope. My colleague Dr Jack Blatherwick, conditioning coach of the 1980 “Miracle” US Hockey team calls it “over speed”, constantly trying to play faster. Their play epitomized this approach. There is no question that in this approach you will make errors, but practice is working to eliminate errors while learning to play at higher speeds. Coaches always will verbalize that speed wins and then train the opposite. Train the way you want to play. It will challenge your creativity as you constantly seek new ways to push the envelope.

The Dance

I would like you all to dance today. No I have not lost it. You dance everyday, you dance all the time. Movement is just a big dance. Sometimes you dance solo, sometimes you have a partner, and sometimes it is line dance other times a circle. Movement is a big dance. Take some time today when you are at a training session, a game or a match, a rehab session or sitting in an airport or waiting at a bus stop and look at the people moving. Look at movement from a dance perspective, you will see slow waltzes, fast rumbas, sassy salsas, heavy polka, ballet, you will see it all. So take some time today and take a look at rhythm and flow of movement, look at the big dance. At the end of the day reflect on what you have seen and try to incorporate more dance elements in your training in the future. You will see a difference in how your athletes move. Dance on!

Bike versus Car: The Car Wins

Was on a nice ride this morning. Stared at around 6:45 AM to beat the heat. Beautiful dawn – see picture. Well to make a long story short I had my ride rudely interrupted by a big black SUV that turned right in front of me. Fortunately my emphasis on reactive agility training based on years of programmed agility saved me. Collided and I went down  , nothing broken or bleeding. Straightened the bike out and finished the ride. It all hit me (No pun intended) when I got home. I was lucky. Taking my bike to the shop now, hope I can get it all straightened out, would like to get in one more ride tomorrow before I leave for Trinidad again.

Game Speed

This is at the forefront of my mind as I watch the World Cup matches. Game speed is different than pure track speed. Game speed requires the player to quickly (instantly) solve a myriad of movement problems. The track sprinter has one task – get to the finish line as fast as possible. The sprinter deals with three dimensions, the body, gravity and the ground. The games player has a fourth and some would say a fifth dimension – the opposition as well as an implement and/or the ball.

 

The sprinter is rewarded for time in the air – the time necessary to recovery the legs in the stride cycle. The games player is penalized for time in the air, the requirements of triple extension to start and accelerate and triple flexion to stop demand that the feet are close to the ground. Also there is a demand for highly variable stride length and frequencies. Therefore stride frequency is rewarded. Game speed is totally dynamic and unpredictable, in many ways random and chaotic.

 

Are sprint speed and game speed related? Yes, absolutely, they are cousins. The research of Warren Young from University of Ballarat in Australia shows that the more complex the cuts and changes of direction the less correlation with linear sprint speed. I prefer to have good sprint speed as a basis to teach and develop game speed. Obviously a combination of the two gives that player an edge, provided he can channel that sprint speed to the demands of the game.

 

Game speed entails the ability to recognize, react, start accelerate, decelerate, possibly reaccelerate, and change direction and stop quickly. Quickly is a time from tenths of a second to four to seven seconds depending on the game or situation in the game. To improve game speed you must know the speed demands of the game you are preparing for, the position the player plays and the player’s speed, strength and power qualities. I have found it most important to understand how each player plays their game and help them to improve that. Generic cone, ladder, ring and programmed change of direction drills have varying degree of transfer to improve game speed. Overall we probably spend too much time on these types of drills.

 

Training for game speed demands intensity and focused concentration applied to quality repetitions. There is a tendency to introduce fatigue too early in the process. Mindless repetition of drills has been proven to be ineffective. Remember just making them tired is not making them better. Teach first, refine the movements, then speed it up, only then should you add an element of fatigue.

 

Another axiom that I live by is that testing speed does not equal game speed. Testing speed typically involves programmed and rehearsed situations; the game is unrehearsed and random. Game speed is hard to measure unless you have sophisticated analysis systems to use. If you do, then the job becomes a bit easier and specific. If not you must closely observe practice and study video of practice and game situations and adjust and train accordingly.

 

It is important to always try to incorporate speed of thought, decision-making and awareness in game speed training. That is fundamental to insuring a degree of transfer of training to the game. Game speed training should consist of short sharp bouts of work with a specific goal for the movement that the player clearly understands. At various times it is valuable to slow it down in order to speed it up. The next step is chaining those bouts together in varying sequences and actions. Then add a reaction component and last but not least add an opponent or a ball.

 

Training game speed is a challenging process. It demands thorough preparation by the coach to constantly assess progress and challenge the athlete. Be creative, it is a FUNdamnetal challenge.

Game Speed Thoughts & Tips

Base your speed development training on the speed demands of the sport that you are preparing for.  

Always prepare for each speed training session with a thorough active warm-up.  

Speed development must be done in a non-fatigued state; therefore it should occur at the start of the workout and after an easy workday or a rest day.  

Always stress correct mechanics and relate the mechanics to the specific movements of sport you preparing for.  

Optimum Speed is the goal - Speed that you can use and control in the game.  

Never lose sight of the "moment of truth." When you least expect it and are most fatigued speed will be the deciding factor in making the play.  

Speed is a motor task - You can learn to move faster through correct mechanics and situational awareness.  

Starting is extending ankle/knee/hip. Stopping is bending ankle/ knee/hip. Without the ability to stop effectively it is difficult to be skillful and stay injury free  

Reaction can be improved by working on the primary stimulus that is either the ball or another player.  

Assistance training methods (Towing) develops specific strength to improve stride frequency.  

Resistance training methods (Harness, hills sprints, tire pull) develop specific strength and acceleration.  

Speed work demands a high level of motivation and concentration.   6 - 8 are the optimum number of reps for speed development work for any one exercise.  

Adequate strength and sound basic technique are prerequisites for speed development. 

Vary speed training methods and intensity to avoid building a speed barrier.

Venice Volleyball Pre-match Warm-up

Somehow I may have stumbled into the 21st century. This is my first attempt at posting video. (I was born twenty years to early to mater this on the first try) The following video clips show the stages of our pre-match warm-up. Warm-up begins with coordination, followed by lunge and reach series, lateral slide and block jumps at the net and then short burst sprints. Specific warm-up with the coaches follows, it focuses on volleyball skills. The elements of this warm-up are included in the daily pre-practice warm-up. the content of the warm-up varies with the goal of practice. This is a warm-up routine that I have been using for at least thirty five years at all levels of sport and with various sports.

Form Running – The Baby Elephant Waltz

Have you ever watched offensive and defensive linemen do so called “form running’ drills? It is the most nonathletic disjointed looking activity you could imagine, certainly the epitome of mindless exercise for this population. I think the players just go through the motions because they intuitively know it has nothing to do with the ability to play their position, it is another task they must complete before they get to the stuff that matters. Various permutations of from running including high knee skips, high knee running and pawing are predicated on having time in the air to recover the leg through in the step cycle – this is the opposite of what a lineman wants, for that matter virtually any athlete who has to change direction wants to do. To be effective they need to play with their feet close to ground in order to optimize their ability to change direction and keep their center of gravity over and inside their base of support. If you are using these types of drills for anyone besides a sprinter, jumper or hurdler in track and field you are probably wasting your time. I have heard the argument that they are good for hip mobility, yes they are, but there are better drills that have positive carry over to change of direction sports.

So what should you do? Jump rope, do ladder drills with short ladders, in short drills that emphasize getting the feet back to the ground with the hips over the base of support. Be creative and imaginative; devise drills that emphasize quickness in three to five second bursts. Drills that promote triple flexion of the ankle/knee/hip – the key to playing low. Playing low is rewarded in multidirectional sports.