Q: I have spent the last eight months strengthening my leg after ACL surgery and have finally returned to playing lacrosse. Unfortunately, I noticed that my speed has decreased, is there any way to improve this?
A: It seems like everyone wants to improve speed. “Faster is better” seems to be the phrase in use, and recent research seems to back it. Studies have shown a direct correlation between NFL draft position and speed in the 40-yard dash more than any other variable measured at the combine.
With proper training, anyone can improve speed. Genetics lays down a strong foundation, but many of you can drop time by getting rid of wasted movement.
How do you do this? You will need to have a trained professional watch you run or videotape yourself and watch it back in slow motion. Look to keep your arms bent at 90 to 100 degrees and moving linearly from your hip to shoulder with an open hand. Arm movement is important because it can keep the lower body going even as the legs fatigue.
A simple drill is to swing a light dumbbell back and forth about 20 times, keeping the elbow at 90 to 100 degrees of flexion throughout the range of motion.
Next up is the lower-body mechanics. Never let your feet get ahead of your knees. If you land with your foot in front of your knee, this creates a loss of momentum and a small deceleration moment. The goal is to be explosive and powerful.
A drill that helps with this explosive movement and forward position is a short sprint from a push-up position. Do about 10 of these over a 10-yard segment.
The faster you are able to turn over your stride to propel yourself, the faster your whole body will move. One of my favorite drills for developing this is an “H” run. Set two cones five yards apart. While moving forward, pump your legs and arms as fast as you can, bringing your legs to waist height and keeping good arm movement (per above).
If you are training for lacrosse, you will probably never have to run more than 60 feet at a full-out sprint. Most of your training for speed should be at this distance or less. Use the techniques and form cues from above, and repeat several short sprints over different distances several times a week.