AU coaches have spent over 15 years helping athletes across all sports shave tenths of a second off their times. When parents and athletes search for a sprint coach near them, they are usually frustrated by a plateau in speed. There is a common misconception that speed is purely genetic—that you are either born fast or you are not. While genetics play a role in peak potential, speed is highly technical. It is a skill that can be broken down, taught, and improved.
A great AU coach does not just tell an athlete to run harder. Elite speed coaches break down biomechanics, analyze ground contact time, and build explosive power. Whether the goal is running the 100-meter dash or breaking away from a defender on the football field, understanding the mechanics of sprinting is the fastest way to improve.
Why Sprint Mechanics Matter for Athlete Development
Speed kills in almost every sport. However, raw effort without proper form leads to wasted energy and hamstring injuries. Developing elite sprint mechanics—like proper pelvic posture, violent arm drive, and striking the ground with the ball of the foot—translates directly to explosive acceleration and higher top-end speed.
When athletes learn how to apply force into the ground efficiently, their confidence completely changes. They no longer worry about getting caught from behind on a breakaway. In-game performance improves because moving fast takes less effort. For long-term development, proper sprinting technique protects the lower body from shin splints, hip flexor strains, and hamstring pulls, keeping athletes on the field and off the sideline.
Best Drills to Accelerate Your Speed
When evaluating a potential sprint program, pay attention to the foundational work. A top-tier AU sprint coach will focus heavily on mechanics before ever timing a 40-yard dash. Here are the foundational drills athletes need to master:
- Wall Posture Drills (Acceleration Angles)
- How to perform: The athlete stands facing a wall, leaning forward at a 45-degree angle with their hands flat against the wall. They drive one knee up to parallel, then strike the ground and switch legs rapidly on the coach’s command.
- Why it works: It trains the exact body angle and triple extension (hip, knee, and ankle) required for the crucial first 10 yards of acceleration.
- Coaching tip: The foot must strike the ground directly under the hips, not out in front of the body.
- Common mistake: Dropping the hips or rounding the lower back during the leg drive.
- A-Skips (Rhythm and Foot Strike)
- How to perform: The athlete performs a rhythmic skipping motion, driving the knee up parallel to the hip and then driving the foot forcefully back down into the ground.
- Why it works: It reinforces the concept of striking the ground with force using the mid-foot to forefoot, which is essential for maximizing stride frequency.
- Coaching tip: The arms must swing aggressively in sync with the legs. Hands should move from cheek to cheek.
- Common mistake: Floating in the air too long instead of forcefully attacking the ground.
- Seated Arm Action Sprints (Upper Body Mechanics)
- How to perform: The athlete sits on the ground with their legs straight out. On command, they pump their arms exactly as they would in an all-out sprint, trying to bounce their hips off the ground using just arm momentum.
- Why it works: Sprinting is a full-body movement. If the arms move slow, the legs move slow. This isolates the upper body and teaches aggressive backward elbow drive.
- Coaching tip: Keep the shoulders relaxed and avoid shrugging up toward the ears.
- Common mistake: Crossing the arms across the centerline of the chest instead of driving straight forward and back.
- Falling Starts (Transition and Reaction)
- How to perform: The athlete stands tall with feet together, leaning forward from the ankles until they lose their balance. Right before falling over, they drive their lead leg forward and accelerate into a 15-yard sprint.
- Why it works: It forces the athlete to automatically adopt a forward lean and aggressive shin angle without overthinking the start.
- Coaching tip: Keep the chin tucked and eyes looking down at the ground for the first few steps to maintain the drive phase angle.
- Common mistake: Popping straight up in the air on the very first step.
- Fly 10s (Max Velocity Training)
- How to perform: The athlete gets a 20-yard running start to build up speed, then sprints at absolute 100% maximum effort for exactly 10 yards before slowly decelerating.
- Why it works: You cannot get faster without training at absolute maximum velocity. This drill focuses on top-end speed mechanics without causing excessive nervous system fatigue.
- Coaching tip: Run tall. During the max velocity zone, the hips should be high and the body should be upright.
- Common mistake: Tensing up the neck and face muscles. Fast runners look relaxed.
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Common Mistakes Athletes Make
Even the hardest workers hit a wall if they develop bad running habits. A great AU coach will identify and fix these common mistakes immediately:
- Overstriding: Reaching too far forward with the front foot acts like a brake. Every time a heel strikes the ground in front of the body’s center of mass, the athlete slows down. The foot must strike directly under the hips.
- Side-to-Side Arm Mechanics: When arms cross the centerline of the chest, the torso twists. Twisting wastes kinetic energy that should be pushing the athlete straight down the track.
- Popping Up Too Soon: In the acceleration phase (the drive phase), the body should be leaning forward. Athletes who stand straight up on their second step lose all their power and momentum.
- Running Tight: Clenching the jaw, tightening the fists, and shrugging the shoulders restricts fluid movement. Speed requires the muscles to fire and relax in fractions of a second. Tension kills speed.
How Private Coaching Accelerates Improvement
Group conditioning sessions at the end of football or soccer practice will get an athlete in shape, but they will not make them fundamentally faster. A team coach does not have the time to watch the ground contact time of 40 different kids. This is exactly where a private AU sprint coach accelerates improvement.
In a one-on-one setting, an AU coach can utilize slow-motion video breakdown to show the athlete exactly what their body is doing in real-time. This personalized feedback is invaluable. If an athlete is overstriding, an AU coach can instantly identify the mechanical flaw and correct it on the very next rep. This level of granular, detail-oriented training builds immense confidence, corrects form early, and gives the athlete the exact tools they need to run past the competition.
Find a Strength and Speed Coach: https://athletesuntapped.com/browse/strength-and-speed/
Frequently Asked Questions About Speed Training
Can Speed Actually Be Taught, or Is It Genetic?
While genetics dictate the absolute ceiling of an athlete’s potential, almost every young athlete has poor running mechanics. Speed can absolutely be taught. By fixing arm drive, posture, and foot strike, AU coaches routinely help athletes drop significant time off their sprints regardless of their starting point.
What Age Should Athletes Start Speed Training?
Athletes can start basic mechanical work and coordination drills as early as 8 or 9 years old. This is an excellent time to build healthy movement patterns. By ages 12 to 14, private coaching becomes essential as athletes experience growth spurts and need to relearn how to control their longer limbs efficiently.
How Long Does It Take to Get Faster?
Athletes will feel a difference in their balance and efficiency after just 2 or 3 sessions. However, true neurological adaptation and increases in absolute top-end speed usually take 8 to 12 weeks of consistent, focused training.
How Often Should Athletes Train for Speed?
For max velocity improvement, less is often more. AU coaches recommend two high-quality, fully rested speed sessions per week. Sprinting at 100% effort taxes the central nervous system heavily, so athletes need 48 to 72 hours of recovery between true speed days.
Do Private Sprint Coaches Help With Field Sports Like Soccer and Football?
Absolutely. Track speed and field speed are slightly different, but the foundational mechanics are identical. A private AU speed coach will tailor the session to include multidirectional speed, deceleration, and the specific starting stances used in a given sport.
Conclusion
Finding the right sprint coach is one of the fastest ways to elevate an athlete’s entire sporting profile. Speed is the ultimate equalizer on the field and the track. Athletes need someone who will tear down bad habits, build a rock-solid mechanical foundation, and teach them how to apply force efficiently. When athletes find an AU coach who prioritizes form, relaxation, and proper biomechanics over mindless conditioning, they see their acceleration and top-end speed improve faster than they ever thought possible.
About Athletes Untapped
Athletes Untapped connects athletes of all sports with experienced private coaches who specialize in mental performance, sports psychology concepts, and competitive mindset training. Through personalized instruction and structured training plans, AU coaches help athletes eliminate performance anxiety, master their internal dialogue, and completely dictate their emotional response to adversity.
Find an experienced coach near you: https://athletesuntapped.com
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