09/04/2026
Speed Coaching Lesson: Acceleration Projection—and How We Train It at Southside!
Concept: Acceleration is about projecting the center of mass forward, not simply moving the legs faster. The athlete should push backward into the ground with longer force application during the first few steps. The body then rises gradually as speed increases.
Drill/Cue: Use 10-yard falling starts. I also added some banded drills I use before the starts!
Cues:
* “Get up on your toes and fall into your sprint.”
* “Maintain a strong forward lean and shin angle to project yourself forward.”
* “Break the imaginary glass wall in front of you with your knee at the start.”
* “Push the ground behind you and rise one step at a time.”
Watch for the head and torso popping upright or the foot striking too far in front of the hips. I also look for Z-striking versus L-striking to ensure the leg isn’t acting as a brake—but we’ll save that for a separate coaching lesson!
Application Question: In your current acceleration work, are you losing time because you lack force and power—or because you’re directing that force too vertically or striking too far in front of your hips?
05/22/2026
05/04/2026