In the case of football agility drills, I think it is safe to say that practicing an agility drill will make you better at that specific drill (correct me if I’m wrong), right? So, it seems it would be important to practice position specific drills in addition with the 5-10-5 ect. Let’s say, in the case of a WR involved in preseason training…when practicing routes on an agility/COD day, is it logical to practice the route running in a “conditioning” type setting or would it be more beneficial to run the routes at FULL speed with the appropriate rest intervals needed to perform at full speed? If tempos are run for conditioning, could the routes be run in tempo form?
I’m just not sure if it is more beneficial to “train for game conditions” and compromise the speed and technique of the drill, or to make full speed running a priority and sacrifice the conditioning aspect. Any recommendations?
Question #2: If a beginning player is having trouble with a drill, would it be beneficial to slow the drill down to say, 70% or so and allow him to perfect it and THEN raise the intensity?
I would appreciate the thoughts and advice of any of you. Thanks.
True. However, I think that some drills can also be used to reinforce proper movement patterns, much as we do A-skips, etc for sprinting.
So, it seems it would be important to practice position specific drills in addition with the 5-10-5 ect. Let’s say, in the case of a WR involved in preseason training…when practicing routes on an agility/COD day, is it logical to practice the route running in a “conditioning” type setting or would it be more beneficial to run the routes at FULL speed with the appropriate rest intervals needed to perform at full speed? If tempos are run for conditioning, could the routes be run in tempo form?
I’m just not sure if it is more beneficial to “train for game conditions” and compromise the speed and technique of the drill, or to make full speed running a priority and sacrifice the conditioning aspect. Any recommendations?
I like to do my specific work at full speed with full recoveries. Use tempo to build capacity.
Question #2: If a beginning player is having trouble with a drill, would it be beneficial to slow the drill down to say, 70% or so and allow him to perfect it and THEN raise the intensity?
Perhaps, but the problem is that some skills cannot be performed at 70% or you may train him to have the proper movement patterns at a slower speed and not be able to tranisition them to full speed. Generally, I would rather break down the movement and figure out the weakness, then address that indirectly (through drills) then once the weakness is addressed, go back to the full skill at full speed. I think this mirror’s Charlie’s approach to teaching the sprint start as well.
Sport specific work depends on experience, level, etc. If you are a very experienced player with a long season, this type of work just increases wear and tear. Better to concentrate on max straight line speed and power, full recovery in the off-season time available. Direction change is heavily influenced by elasticity and core strength- work there.
Sport specific work is extremely common in Tennis, where most speed training simulates game movement, yet they’re already playing so many games and points in practice that speed never has a chance to go up and the wear and tear on knees and ankles is horrendous.
I’m just not sure if it is more beneficial to “train for game conditions” and compromise the speed and technique of the drill, or to make full speed running a priority and sacrifice the conditioning aspect.
Skill development and quick reactions are paramount. If you can’t throw, catch, kick, cradle, bump, spike, swing, hit, shoot, tackle, so on and so forth, all the strength and speed in the world will only have a moderate effect on your game.
However, Charlie is correct in that you can’t play the game all the time like he referred to tennis. Football is the same way. Can’t play it all year round. Take some aspect, segment or skill of the sport and develop it at game or perferably faster than game speed. This can be applicable to all sports with the exception perhaps to auto racing.
For example, I have a DI softball player that I am now working with that grew up in Puerto Rico. Never played softball before coming to the US. Played one year of HS ball. She played baseball with boys for 14 years. As a freshman third baseman (or is that basewomen?), not a ball gets by her and she crushes everything at the plate. She had to shorten up her swing a bit, but her bat speed is incredible.
She says the balls hit and thrown to her are so slow compered to playing baseball, that they appear in slow-motion.
Yes slow the skill or drill down to a level the athlete can perform and then gradually increase speed.
Yes. Plyos and power speed drills will contribute to elasticity, which, in turn, will contribute to direction change ability, without the wear and tear associated with more specific drills.
charlie,
a little off topic, but in a classic strength phase on which days (high CNS/tempo/day off) would you have an athlete receive ART therapy?
thanks
Extensive ART or any deep work is usually best on the low intensity day, as it accelerates the upswing on the 48hr supercompensation curve after power rather than limiting the drop right afterwards. That said, you can do a “touch-up” anytime with ART or other methods as needed.
When using multiple modalities, the order might be massage, accupuncture, ART (it might be ideal to go accup, massage, ART, but the accup and ART are usually done by the same therapist).
Charlie,
Just to make sure that I’m following you, in reference to the original question, you are saying that linear speed work should be the MAIN focus during preseason training and that COD (for the most part I assume) should be trained in the form of strength training, plyos, etc. Correct?
What about in the case of INexperienced athletes, such as H.S. freshman or new players. Should they save most of the COD work for the season as well? Or should we attempt to develop better neurological efficiency in the sport specific movements?
One more question in terms of younger or inexperienced football players…do you believe that sprint drills and acceleration work hold much value in their training, or should most work, in the beginning, consist of training the posterior chain and trunk, etc? If this is the case, when do you feel it is necessary to begin sprint training with “the average” younger athlete?
Part 1: I think so
Part 2: I would only do a few basic skills in pre-season and save the rest for the season to take advantage of newly developed strengths.
Part 3: For sprint drills, I would concentrate on accels from a lying position on the ground, with no emphasis on technique, and hills, saving more specific skill work for the point where sufficient strength is present to make this work effective. If insufficient strength is present, no skill work can be perfected anyway.
