Training for Quickness

Quickness training is on of the most underlooked areas of training - and often ignored.

Coaches often times feel that an athlete is either quick or not so they do not think they need to train this area. Although there is a certain genetic predisposition to how fast and how quick some can be, but it does not at all mean that that ability can't be improved.

Quickness is how fast someone reacts to a stimulus. Reation time is a part of someone's quickness and can be trained. Agility training is already in your sports training program so start adding some quickness training drills to enhance your program.

Here are some training drills you can use for quickness development:

-Ball Drop
Your partner holds a tennis ball out in one hand. You start in an athletic stance and when the tennis ball is released/dropped, you sprint to the ball and snatch it before it bounces more than once. This is a great drill for first step quickness training.

You can change the distance that you partner stands away from you, you can hange the height of their arm (how high it is raised), and also change your starting position stance. All of these can help you change the difficulty and challenge of this drill.


- Dodge Ball
The old american game of dodge ball is a great game to work of quickness and reaction time. This game can be played with all ages and levels of athletes.

-Partner Mirror Drill
This is like the shadow game that you use to play as kids. This drill is performed between partners. One partner starts moving and the other partner follows and doesn't allowed to be juked. You need to try and mirror the movement and match each reaction.

These quickness training drills with help your athletes become faster and should be added to every sports speed training program.