Can't teach speed

[1maGoh]

https://www.stack.com/a/why-christian-mccaffrey-is-training-like-a-track-athlete-this-offseason

I'm on my phone, so I can't/won't post the whole article. If someone else could, that would be cool. The gist it's that Christian McCaffery is training like a track athlete in order to increase his speed. He things it's working.

Apparently there's a whole profession, "track coach", and business, probably several, around teaching speed. Okay, that's my sarcastic part for all those times I've heard "you can't teach speed".

The serious part is, I wonder how much speed gain he's getting and how much you can expect the average less explosive athlete to get. Maybe it's possible to take a risk on some "too slow" guys and throw them in such a program to teach them speed.

 

[Flint]

With proper training and technique anybody can get faster but there are probably limits. Some guys are just put together in a way that makes them faster.
There’s that saying about guys who are fast in college, “you don’t get faster, the guys chasing you do.”

 

[fearsomefour]

For sure can improve.
The results, as they say, may vary.
A slow twitcher who has been running for years will get less results. A fast twitcher who hasn't been training will probably see big improvements.
Big variables obviously in age, training and physiology.
Then there is lateral quickness, change of direction etc. just not straight sprint speed.
For straight sprint speed technique would be huge. How much actually technique could be used in a game is questionable.
The best lift to assist in sprint speed is the trap bar (specifies trap bar) deadlift. Has to do with how the hip/leg hinges.
When I have worked with pitchers they are all (that I've worked with) been way under trained.
Underweight and weak for an explosive activity. Gain weight and get strong in specific measurable ways will always see gains in throwing velocity with these guys.
That said, it is always easier to see results with young, untrained guys (high school/college) than a guy like CM who is already elite athletically.
So, a 1% to 2 % improvement would be huge for a guy like him.

 

[Ramhusker]

I don’t think you can teach speed. Now you can improve quckness with technique and prep. But I believe speed is something unique to the individual. But in reality, if you improve quickness, you make up for some speed.

 

[FrantikRam]

This is why I think the Rams might draft Parris Campbell

 

[gogoat1]

You can't, either fast or not. So, Christian is going to be a "tiny" bit faster. Cullen Bryant was never going to be fast, just the way it is.

 

[1maGoh]

I don’t think you can teach speed. Now you can improve quckness with technique and prep. But I believe speed is something unique to the individual. But in reality, if you improve quickness, you make up for some speed.

You can't, either fast or not. So, Christian is going to be a "tiny" bit faster. Cullen Bryant was never going to be fast, just the way it is.

I guess you guys should go tell all those track coaches, combine prep centers, and other performance institutes that they can go home now. Their jobs are fake.

 

[kurtfaulk]

I guess you guys should go tell all those track coaches, combine prep centers, and other performance institutes that they can go home now. Their jobs are fake.

you're taking the literal version of the saying.

if you're slow as fuck no amount of coaching will make you run quickly. that's where the "you can't teach speed" saying comes from.

.

 

[Ramhusker]

I guess you guys should go tell all those track coaches, combine prep centers, and other performance institutes that they can go home now. Their jobs are fake.

No, not while they are making all that money turning a 4.51 into a 4.50.

 

[Adi]

You can teach faster foot speed , but that quick twitch and explosiveness is what makes special athletes different

Aaron Donald has drastically improved his speed since he come into the leauge. But he is special and no one at his weight looks anything like him. 99% of players could do the same workouts as AD but they wouldnt be AD.

I think all of these new age techniques have made everyone faster, just like shooting coaches in the NBA have made the open 3 point shot a lay up. I love it and it only will improve

 

[Ramhusker]

Wondering why every professional sports team doesn’t have a “speed” coach?

 

[Akrasian]

Wondering why every professional sports team doesn’t have a “speed” coach?

Takes a lot of work, and while .01 or .02 faster straightline speed undoubtedly helps in track, in football (for instance) you are wearing a lot of gear, and being able to make rapid cuts is more important - and you only have so much time to practice. Would you rather have somebody gain a quarter step or so on a long bomb - or get better at running precise routes and - you know - get practice at catching the ball, or blocking downfield, or things like that?

 

[1maGoh]

Wondering why every professional sports team doesn’t have a “speed” coach?

Because "you can't teach speed".

 

[Ramhusker]

Because "you can't teach speed".

True

 

[1maGoh]

True

I'd bet that there's enough guys that haven't trained specifically for speed in the NFL just because of this old saying that a speed focused program would pay significant dividends.

Just a hunch of mine.

 

[Karate61]

I took a class on speed. I totally failed, even though I studied real hard!

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Speed coaches are successful at low levels. There's a speed coach that gives private lessons in my area. He has made a big difference with some of the lesser leaguers and has a great track record in the local college; Bloomsburg U.

i would think that once you reach the pros, you either got the training already, or are good enough for it not to make much of a difference.




there's one little guy in my son's class that is short, slow as molasses, and isn't an athlete. That poor little guy is at speed training every chance he gets. It hasn't made any difference. Some guys won t ever improve enough to make a difference.

 

[Merlin]

 

[Ramhusker]

I'd bet that there's enough guys that haven't trained specifically for speed in the NFL just because of this old saying that a speed focused program would pay significant dividends.

Just a hunch of mine.

I’d bet a better saying would be, “Some things you just can’t teach, but you can buy” (amphetamines come to mind :rimshot::fuelfire

 

[Ramhusker]

Speed coaches are successful at low levels. There's a speed coach that gives private lessons in my area. He has made a big difference with some of the lesser leaguers and has a great track record in the local college; Bloomsburg U.

i would think that once you reach the pros, you either got the training already, or are good enough for it not to make much of a difference.




there's one little guy in my son's class that is short, slow as molasses, and isn't an athlete. That poor little guy is at speed training every chance he gets. It hasn't made any difference. Some guys won t ever improve enough to make a difference.

Agreed. I’d imagine you could take a person that has never been that interested in sports and train them in diet, techniques, muscle memory, desire, etc etc and see some noticeable clock shaving. But I’d imagine much of that might fall under “quickness” improvement that the average athlete gains throughout their developmental years. Pros will look for any little advantage and some may find a little microscopic improvement. Remember Steven Jackson used to sleep in a hyperbaric chamber to help recover from the beatings he took because of his “bull in a china shop” running style. I remember seeing AD drill with rubber knives trying to perfect technique to increase pass rush quickness.