All athletes need speed -- particularly in a sport like basketball where the first player up and down the court can mean the difference in winning or losing a game.
In the world of sports, the fastest, quickest athletes are usually the most successful. But exactly what kind of speed and quickness is best for basketball?
Many coaches may place too much emphasis on "straight-ahead" speed by, for example, focusing too much of their attention on getting their athletes to run a faster 40-yard dash. In a sport like basketball, this isn't necessarily going to be the kind of speed that's going to make for a more effective player. Seldom, if ever, does a player run baseline to baseline in a straight line, and even if they did, a fast 40-yard dash might not equate to an effectively fast basketball player.
Having fast top-end speed measured at 40 yards wouldn't necessarily make you as effective as perhaps being a bit slower in the 40, but having the quickness and explosiveness to be faster down the court (which is a shorter distance).
Most sprinting in basketball starts from moving or "rolling" positions, not a stationary one. So, some of your training should be spent with that in mind. Performing your speed training from different starting positions such as turning and sprinting from a backpedal, accelerating from a side-shuffle, or running after getting up from the floor (simulating being knocked down and having to get up and hustle down the court) translates into more "real world" training for basketball players than simply lining up at one baseline and sprinting to the other.
This doesn't mean there is no room in your training for that kind of sprinting. It may have a place in your conditioning program--to build, for example, speed endurance. But, don't confuse this type of training with working on your game speed.
Here are three tips that can help athletes plan a program designed to improve their basketball speed:
Build Strength
Before any speed work is done, an athlete must have adequate strength. Without it, you might as well be trying to get a car to go 100 miles per hour with a go-cart's engine. Studies have shown that weight training to build strength can improve running speed. We're not talking about building big muscles here. We're talking about building strong muscles that can help us produce speed.
A basic strength-building program for speed includes strengthening the legs (calves, hamstrings, and quads) with exercises such as calf raises, squats, leg curls and extensions; strengthening the upper body with exercises such as dumbbell (bench) press, seated row, shoulder raises, bicep curls, and triceps extensions; and the core muscles (abdominals and back) by using regular crunches from the floor, stability ball crunches, oblique rotations, and back extensions. These basic exercises and more can help the basketball athlete begin to develop the strength necessary to build speed.
• 5 Exercises To Improve Power
Work on Acceleration and Quickness
Acceleration is the ability to increase velocity. The key here is how quickly you can increase your speed. This is perhaps more important in basketball than raw speed, because unlike a sport like track where all the athletes take off at the same time, basketball players must be quick to recognize when they must start a sprint--such as a rebound leading to a fast break -- and then be able to accelerate quickly. In basketball, having the ability to accelerate from a stationary position or from a moving position is equally important.
Drills such as learning the proper 45-degree body position to begin acceleration, or using the proper arm action in the sprint can be helpful in this type of training. Each of these seemingly simple, but often overlooked aspects to becoming faster can help athletes improve their acceleration.
Don't Forget Deceleration
Training for speed without including deceleration training is like learning to drive a car very fast without brakes. Athletes need effective speed, and effective speed means being fast, but under control.
When a basketball player dribbles fast down the court for a breakaway lay-up, she'd better be able to effectively slow down as she approaches the basket. Otherwise, she's out of control, and will probably miss the lay-up and perhaps even get injured.
Braking or decelerating is extremely important to speed training -- perhaps the most important skill in basketball speed training. This may seem counter intuitive to some, but in order to have effective speed on the basketball court, the athlete must be able to run fast, decelerate or slow down, and reaccelerate into a sprint, cut, or jump. Slowing down properly actually aids in the athlete's ability to reaccelerate. A fast, out-of-control player is not very effective in a game. So make sure that learning proper deceleration techniques are an integral part of your speed workouts.
An extensive discussion about proper deceleration technique is complex and beyond the scope of this article. However, many experts suggest that two key components to good deceleration is in keeping nice flexed or bent knees, and in lowering the athlete's hips during deceleration--whether from a sprint or from a landing.
Always check with your physician before undertaking any exercise program such as those covered in this article.
5 Best Basketball Speed Drills and Exercises
Home > Player > Athletic Development > 5 Best Basketball Speed Drills
Speed Kills
You've heard your coaches tell you over the years. Speed kills! A player who is FASTER simply can make something out of nothing.
It is not fun having opponents consistently fly by you down the court for an easy bucket or struggling to close out to shooters before they fire 3's over you. Players with more speed are simply able to make more plays... so maybe it is time to do something about that!
Game Of Inches
People always say how basketball is a game of inches, and it truly is a game of inches. As you continue to play basketball at higher and higher levels, it becomes more evident that most plays either fail or succeed based on a matter of INCHES. So how does this relate to speed? Let's examine the following situations:
If you are faster coming off a screen, you are more likely to hit that 3 over the outstretched hands of a defender.
If you are faster running the floor, you are more likely to get that transition layup or dunk.
If you are faster bringing the ball down the court, you are more likely to turn a secondary break into a primary break and create offense for your team. Or better yet, you create a scoring opportunity for yourself.
If you are faster on defense, you are able to closeout on a skip pass and take away an opponent's jump shot.
If you are faster in transition defense, you can get back in time to block a game winning shot attempt.
What is the difference between failing or succeeding in each of these scenarios? We are not talking about a matter of seconds in these scenarios, rather we are talking about being faster by a few milliseconds.
Seeing The Court
Being one step faster could also be the difference between seeing more playing time on the court. This won't necessarily be because a coach puts a stop watch on you and notices that your 40 yard dash time is faster, but coaches will notice when you begin making more plays on the court. And in the end this is why players work to get faster- it helps you make plays while on the court.
Have A Plan
Cody Roberts Athletic Development Program has specific exercises in it designed to help you become a better athlete. If you want to have the most success at becoming a better athlete, you need to follow a well laid out plan by a professional, this is the first step in guaranteeing success.
Remember, successful athletes have a plan.
Great basketball players don't go into the gym without a shooting routine and they don't go into the weightroom without having a program designed to make them a better athlete.
5 Drills and Exercises To Increase Your Speed
1) Wall Drive
One key to great speed is your body position. The drill teaches proper body positions of acceleration. It also helps develop proper mechanics of driving the feet into the ground, keeping head up, and chest out.
2) A-Skip
Great exercise for helping you develop dynamic control of your body and your posture. It also helps with proper positioning of the torso, hip, knee, and foot when sprinting. Start slow with this exercise and add speed as you get more comfortable with the drill. Maintaining good posture throughout is a key to the A-Skip.
3) Straight Leg Bounds
Straight leg bounds will help you develop an aggressive hip drive and ground contacts. This helps improve your prime movers, which are muscles used to power the body forward. Focus on quick contact with the ground and hangtime in the air while performing Straight Leg Bounds.
4) 5-15 Yard Sprint Starts (Falling and Half Kneeling)
Great drills to work on straight ahead acceleration. There are several variations of sprint starts. Begin by focusing on the falling and half kneeling sprint starts.
5) Flying 10's
This exercise is one of the highest and most intense training stimulus for an athlete. Being able to run at and experience full speed sprinting is awesome for developing a complete athlete. Focus here should be on sprinting tall and upright, while remaining relaxed.
Beyond The Dunk
Take a look at this next video clip. While the announcers and most fans will focus on the dunks these players finish with, please look beyond the dunk. I want you to focus on something else. How did they get open or how did they get to the rim?
The answer to that question is SPEED!
Each player that scores in the video simply outruns their opponents at some point. You probably won't turn Sportscenter on anytime soon and have the hosts talk about how fast a player was on the court. I challenge you though to notice what puts these players in position to make spectacular defensive or highlight reel offensive plays. I think you'll find that speed is a definite factor in their success.
Showcase Your Skills
You have worked very hard on your basketball skills. Better speed will allow you a chance to showcase these skills.
Offensively-speed will create space between you and your opponent.
Defensively- speed will take away space between you and your opponent.
Without that space, showing what you can do on the court is that much more difficult. Give yourself an edge on the court, and increasing your speed will help you do so.
If you'd like a step-by-step program to help you take your athleticism to the next level...
Take a look at Cody Roberts' 12-week Athletic Development Program. This improves your speed, vertical jump, quickness, and much more.
5 exercises to run faster
Any runner, amateur or professional, can run faster. This takes time and effort. We need regular running training, as well as exercises that will help increase the level in sports, develop endurance, strength. Further in the article - how to learn to run fast: 5 effective sets of exercises and useful tips from experienced runners.
Top 5 sets of exercises for acceleration
Classes to improve speed performance should be carried out before each run, at least 3 times a week. And very soon they will give their results - you will run much faster. But keep in mind that they need to be done correctly - this is the only way the necessary muscle groups will be worked out and the ligaments and bones will not be damaged. And in productive exercises, sports shoes for running can help you.
So, TOP-5 sets of exercises recommended by sports trainers:
1. Running on the spot. Determine the number of repetitions yourself - focus on your own training:
With knee raise. Keep your heels off the floor while doing this, using only your toes. Raise your knees as high as possible while running. Be sure to alternately speed up and slow down. The back should be as straight as possible, the stomach is drawn in. A variation of this task: while running, lean your hands on a barrier, such as a wall.
Heels to buttocks. While running, stretch your heels to the buttocks, ideally - touch. Keep your posture straight and your abdominal muscles tense. Move your arms like you would during a normal run. This will help you place your foot correctly.
Jumping. Strongly pushing off, jump from foot to foot. Hands at this time move arbitrarily. This method improves repulsion.
Lying. Place your feet perpendicular to the floor, then start running. Slow down and speed up as you go.
With jump. Two options: 1st - each touch of the floor is accompanied by an active repulsion upwards with a swing of a bent leg and a jump. 2nd - rise to the elevation from different legs alternately.
With stop. Put your hands on the wall and vigorously "run". It is important that the supporting leg is at the same level with the body.
Jumping. Jumping strengthens the calf, lumbar, femoral muscles, buttocks. You need to perform them in 3-4 approaches. Determine the number, focusing on your strength and physical fitness:
With a change in the position of the legs. Starting position - one foot forward. Quickly bouncing, change the position of the legs. The exercise should be performed on toes, with a straight posture. In this case, the knee joints tend to rise, but move forward. This type improves the alternation of legs, the technique of adduction / breeding of the hips.
On straight legs. Starting position - legs slightly apart. Jump, pushing hard. Keep your legs and back straight and your stomach tucked in.
From a semi-squat. Half-crouching, jump as high as possible. Land in the same position from which you jumped. Variation of the task: jumping on one leg from a semi-squat, the second leg is tucked in.
Rope. Start by jumping on both feet. You don't need to jump too high. Gradually increase the pace. If possible, complicate the task: jumping over the rope, change your foot. This way you will follow the pace set by the rope itself. The exercise works great for endurance, helps to develop the correct running rhythm.
To the dais. Can be on a bench or step. Starting position: lean with a half-bent leg on an elevation, the leg on the floor should be straight. Straighten your bent knee, jump up and, lowering, change the position of the legs.
Down - up. Jump down from an elevation 80-100 cm high and, pushing off, immediately jump to the same height located nearby. And in the opposite direction.
2. Squats.
Helps to strengthen all muscle groups on the legs, buttocks, develop good coordination and balance. From a standing position, slowly squat until you feel tension in all muscles. The knees should be strictly above the feet, do not push them excessively. Repeat as many times as you think necessary - until moderate fatigue. Another effective exercise: lean forward while holding an extra weight with your hands. When bending over, lift and place one leg back. Squat on the base. Lower the load as far as possible below the knee, lift, stand up. Reps for each leg - 10-12.
3. Climbs and rolls.
Work to strengthen the calf, tibial muscles, ankle joints. It must be performed before running, not necessarily sprinting, on an ongoing basis. The starting position of the classic "spring": feet shoulder width apart, hands on the belt. On the exhale - rise to the half-fingers with the creation of tension in the calves, on the inhale - return to the "start". Variation of the "spring": one leg - on the floor, the second - on a dais. The lifts are the same as in the classic exercise. Rolling from toe to heel and back can be done without support or with support on the back of a chair. Torso exercises. They pump the muscles and tendons of the torso, which are activated when running. Plank and pelvic bridge on one leg are most effective. The bar is performed as follows: lie on your stomach on a hard, flat surface, rise on your elbows at an angle of 90° and toes. Keep your body straight, parallel to the floor, without leaning to the side. The longer the better. Bridge execution: lie on your side on a solid base, resting on the elbow and leg that are below, lift the second leg as high as possible, hold for 10-15 seconds and lower. Repeat the same on the other side. All exercises can be performed at home. No special equipment is needed for this: only the desire and time of the athlete, as well as the accuracy of execution. The efficiency of muscle pumping and the result of efforts directly depend on it.
How to further increase your running speed: tips
Experienced athletes know how to run fast and not get tired. Take note of the tips from them: Warm-up before jogging is a must: swinging your arms, rotating your body, lunging with your legs, walking in place. The practice of yoga stretches all the muscles and tendons well, increases the flexibility of the joints, relieves tension, and improves coordination of movements. The most useful asanas are: Goddess Pose improves lung ventilation, Child and Happy Child Pose stretches the back muscles, Side Plank strengthens the back, arms and abs, Mountain Pose forms the correct posture. To recover after running and saturate the body with oxygen, use the Salutation to the Sun complex. Persistent, regular classes are the key to achieving high performance. Don't skip workouts for no good reason. Try to run in a group or at least with two people. Excellent performance running nearby will inspire and motivate. Your diet should include a variety of vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. Eat less sugar in any form. Before running, you need to eat something from healthy carbohydrates. Whole grains are great. Good sleep is essential for the human body to fully restore all muscle groups. A good rest is the key to good health. Practice brisk walking in a relaxed state in your daily life. This relieves tightness while running. Take care of the shoes: running shoes should be running and fit perfectly on the foot. Don't skimp on a running pair, it's your closest "ally". Feel free to move your arms vigorously and sweepingly during the race.
When thinking about what exercises will help you speed up, don't forget the "spirit" of running. It is sometimes more important than any training. First, praise yourself for the successes you have achieved and less often engage in introspection. Secondly, periodically change the place of training - this eliminates the feeling of routine and inspires. Third, run with an opponent or set goals for yourself to reach. Fourth, believe in yourself and success is guaranteed.
Constantly worrying about how to run fast and how to reach the maximum, you can overdo it. And it will take you a few steps back. Take your time, follow the recommendations of experienced athletes, do everything with persistent pedantry and you will succeed. And don't forget the right running shoes - Asics, Adidas, Mizuno and more!
Special running exercises for endurance and running speed
Hello, dear visitors of the website basketball-training.org.ua ! In today's article I want to tell you about a series of running exercises , which will allow you to move faster around the court, instantly change direction, jump higher and stay fresh throughout the game.
I want to note right away that this article is not an ideal guide to the use of various special running exercises for the comprehensive development of a basketball player. Rather, it is the result of my observations, studying forums and books. The main thing is that from the systematic implementation of the exercises described below, you will get a pretty good result. Let's start!
Running exercises for basketball players
At first I wanted to divide this article into sections according to the type of exercise: "to increase the jump"; "for the development of endurance"; "to develop an explosive first step", etc. But, after writing a few lines, I realized that it would not be possible to divide it so clearly. So, I will try to list the most common exercises that you can perform on a morning (or evening, as you like) jog.
Shuttle.
Personally, I consider this exercise an integral part of every basketball player's training. An explosive first step, a significant increase in footwork speed, the ability to stop abruptly and instantly accelerate in the opposite direction, instantly run into fast breaks - all this is perfectly trained by shuttle running.
I know several variations of the shuttle. The first one, also known as the classic one: We got to know him at physical education lessons. The distance between start and finish is exactly 10 meters. The point is to run 4 distances as quickly as possible (round-trip, round-trip). A feature of the exercise is that when changing the direction of movement, you must touch the ground with your hand (or raise a tennis ball).
The second option is purely basketball. Starting position - on the end line. Start: dash to the free throw line, dash back to the end line; dash to the center line, dash back to the front line; a jerk to the free throw line of the opposite ring, again we return to the front; jerk to the opposite front - and back. Shuttle completed! Often the free throw line is replaced with a 3-point line (8.325 meters from the end line).
Reverse 17's.
This is one of the best exercises for developing speed and pushing speed when jumping from one leg. Just for a second: after 2 weeks of doing this exercise (3 times a week, 2 sets), I felt that I was running into the gap much faster. In the final stage of the takeoff - the legs were like springs, no fatigue after a dash at maximum speed across the entire site, awesome repulsion from the site. All in all, this is a great exercise.
How to do? Starting position on the end line, make a dash to the line of the center of the court and immediately return (with your back) to the end line. As a result, you need to run 9 halves of the site facing forward and 9 sites with your back forward. Results will be noticeable in a week or two, or even earlier. The distance to the center of the site is 14 meters. You can run across the site (15 meters). I did 2 sets: the first at the beginning of the workout, the second at the end.
Naturally, if it is possible to find special "elastic bands" that will create resistance for running, it will be generally cool.
Hill Sprint.
In a more understandable language, this exercise can be translated as a jerk to a hill. Due to the fact that the angle of the surface on which you run changes, the load on the legs increases many times over. The distance to be run is chosen individually. I think that for a start, 20-25 meters of ascent, with a slope of 30 degrees or more, will be enough for you. Again, my recommendation is to start with 6 runs up and 5 runs down. Down, of course, we go down face forward, it’s not enough to roll down, accidentally catching on something.
For those who like to mock (increase the load) - pick up small (0.5-1 kg) dumbbells. A sea of sweat, teeth grinding and heavy breathing are guaranteed! Once again: a jerk up and a leisurely descent jogging down. In Kharkov, you can run in the forest park, there are wonderful ups and downs.
It is impossible to pass by the usual exercises for all of us: multi-jumping and running with high hips.
Multi-leap (aka deer run). This exercise was discussed in the section on plyometrics, let me remind you of the main points. This is a jumping run, while the knee of the front leg is taken out as high as possible. We try to jump as far as possible and pull the knee. Choose the distance yourself: from 30 to 100 meters is enough.
Running with high hips. Here, focus on the intensity of the leg work (do it as quickly as possible) and the height of the hip lift. At least - until parallel with the floor. I would advise not to set the distance (because here the point is in the high speed of work, and not in overcoming the distance), but to set the time. For example, start with several sets of 30 seconds each.
Well, let's add one more exercise, which is usually performed at the beginning of a workout in most youth sports schools. Starting position - the corner of the basketball court. We start moving in a protective stance along the front line to the opposite corner.
Without it, you might as well be trying to get a car to go 100 miles per hour with a go-cart's engine. Studies have shown that weight training to build strength can improve running speed. We're not talking about building big muscles here. We're talking about building strong muscles that can help us produce speed. 
The key here is how quickly you can increase your speed. This is perhaps more important in basketball than raw speed, because unlike a sport like track where all the athletes take off at the same time, basketball players must be quick to recognize when they must start a sprint--such as a rebound leading to a fast break -- and then be able to accelerate quickly. In basketball, having the ability to accelerate from a stationary position or from a moving position is equally important. 
So how does this relate to speed? Let's examine the following situations:
The drill teaches proper body positions of acceleration. It also helps develop proper mechanics of driving the feet into the ground, keeping head up, and chest out.
Focus on quick contact with the ground and hangtime in the air while performing Straight Leg Bounds.
I think you'll find that speed is a definite factor in their success.
Further in the article - how to learn to run fast: 5 effective sets of exercises and useful tips from experienced runners. 
Be sure to alternately speed up and slow down. The back should be as straight as possible, the stomach is drawn in. A variation of this task: while running, lean your hands on a barrier, such as a wall. 
2nd - rise to the elevation from different legs alternately. 
Jump, pushing hard. Keep your legs and back straight and your stomach tucked in. 
Jump down from an elevation 80-100 cm high and, pushing off, immediately jump to the same height located nearby. And in the opposite direction. 
On the exhale - rise to the half-fingers with the creation of tension in the calves, on the inhale - return to the "start". Variation of the "spring": one leg - on the floor, the second - on a dais. The lifts are the same as in the classic exercise. Rolling from toe to heel and back can be done without support or with support on the back of a chair. Torso exercises. They pump the muscles and tendons of the torso, which are activated when running. Plank and pelvic bridge on one leg are most effective. The bar is performed as follows: lie on your stomach on a hard, flat surface, rise on your elbows at an angle of 90° and toes. Keep your body straight, parallel to the floor, without leaning to the side. The longer the better. Bridge execution: lie on your side on a solid base, resting on the elbow and leg that are below, lift the second leg as high as possible, hold for 10-15 seconds and lower. Repeat the same on the other side. All exercises can be performed at home. No special equipment is needed for this: only the desire and time of the athlete, as well as the accuracy of execution.
The efficiency of muscle pumping and the result of efforts directly depend on it. 
Excellent performance running nearby will inspire and motivate. Your diet should include a variety of vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. Eat less sugar in any form. Before running, you need to eat something from healthy carbohydrates. Whole grains are great. Good sleep is essential for the human body to fully restore all muscle groups. A good rest is the key to good health. Practice brisk walking in a relaxed state in your daily life. This relieves tightness while running. Take care of the shoes: running shoes should be running and fit perfectly on the foot. Don't skimp on a running pair, it's your closest "ally". Feel free to move your arms vigorously and sweepingly during the race. 
Third, run with an opponent or set goals for yourself to reach. Fourth, believe in yourself and success is guaranteed. 
Rather, it is the result of my observations, studying forums and books. The main thing is that from the systematic implementation of the exercises described below, you will get a pretty good result. Let's start! 
Just for a second: after 2 weeks of doing this exercise (3 times a week, 2 sets), I felt that I was running into the gap much faster. In the final stage of the takeoff - the legs were like springs, no fatigue after a dash at maximum speed across the entire site, awesome repulsion from the site. All in all, this is a great exercise. 
This exercise was discussed in the section on plyometrics, let me remind you of the main points. This is a jumping run, while the knee of the front leg is taken out as high as possible. We try to jump as far as possible and pull the knee. Choose the distance yourself: from 30 to 100 meters is enough. 
