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Improve Your Speed on the Field

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Improve your technique, raise your game. Simple, right? Problem is, whether you're an adult with a hectic work schedule or a kid going from one tournament to the next, there never seems to be time for the drills that make you better--the drills that matter. Prioritize technique drills and use the four keys that follow to bolster your skills, and boost your speed and agility.

1. Practice deceleration to move forward

Throughout a soccer match, players are constantly changing direction. Whether they are reacting to an opponent with the ball, or trying to make a quick move to blow by a defender, soccer athletes require both linear and multidirectional speed. This might surprise you, but in order to make any quick change of direction you first must slow down, or decelerate your body before you can speed up, or reaccelerate. The ability to quickly decelerate under control and then reaccelerate in a different direction can have a huge impact on your multidirectional speed.

2. Achieve new speeds

Soccer players often rely on poor physics to move themselves around the field. We know from physics class that a force in one direction results in an equal and opposite reaction, so if you want to move forward, it only makes sense that you should apply the force into the ground behind you. Be careful not to over-stride when running, or reach too far out in front of you, because this will force you to pull yourself instead of push.

3. Push yourself

It's a common misconception to think that reaching out in front of you when you run will make you faster. Truth is, by reaching out with each stride, your foot contacts the ground in front of your body, applying a force in the wrong direction with the effect of applying the brakes with each step you take. If you want to run at top speed, it's important to shift your mindset and think about applying power to the ground down and back behind you. In other words, think about pushing yourself forward with each and every stride.

4. React faster

Soccer is a complex game that requires each player to continuously interact with their environment. Players are constantly reacting to external cues on the field. Whether you are reacting to the body language of an opposing attacker, the verbal commands of a teammate, or the physical contact between you and your opponent when fighting for a ball, the speed at which you react to these cues greatly impacts your performance. It can mean the difference between defending a ball and allowing a clear shot on goal. Incorporate reaction drills into your training program to improve your ability to react fast.

About the Author
Craig Friedman  |  Vice President of Innovative Team

Craig brings a variety of performance training experience to the Athletes' Performance staff, including work at the International Performance Institute, extensive time traveling on the WTA professional tennis tour, consulting with a variety of training centers across the country, and lecturing at conferences and in the classroom both nationally and internationally.

As Director of Methodology for Athletes' Performance, Craig designs and implements performance training systems for professional athletes of all sports as well as elite youth through college athletes. He also continues to specialize in MLB spring training preparation at the Arizona facility and served as a Performance Specialist for the German National Soccer Team during their run to a 3rd place finish at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

He is also involved with numerous developmental initiatives integrating performance training and technology for both Athletes' Performance and Core Performance as a leader of the Performance Innovation Team at Athletes' Performance.

Craig received both his MS and BS degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he worked with the Women's Athletic Training Department. He gained additional experience as a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona as the Assistant Football Athletic Trainer, where he was responsible for the acute care, assessment, and rehabilitation of injured players before shifting his emphasis toward performance training.