FIX YOUR START: There are some critical parts of the start that really help people understand how to run a faster 40. A common mistake I see is foot position so understanding how far away from the line the feet should be and how to get set up is critical to improve your 40. Additionally, positioning of the spine, arms and even head position are commonly overlooked when it comes to improving the start.
FIRST 3 STEPS: There are so many critical parts of the first 3 steps but I will go over as much as I can here in order to help you get a better understanding of why this program will really help! First the amount of time spent on the ground should be .17 seconds on the first step, .14 on the second and .14 on the third as well. The amount of time it takes from toe off to the foot hitting back on the ground should not exceed .3 seconds. So what we do in the breakdowns is identify where there is additional time being spent that is slowing you down. And give you the coaching and drills necessary to improve.
DRIVE PHASE: This is the critical point of running the 40. How well do you accelerate through those first 3 steps into top end speed somewhere between 8-12 steps. Knee angles, spine position, arm action, chin position are all critical here and when there are errors it can easily cause slower 40 times by .2 seconds or more. I work with athletes all the time and by fixing the drive phase improve top end speed abilities and sprinting times whether it is their 40, 60, 100 whatever. Key thing here is 10 yards in 7 steps and 20 yards in 12 steps.
TOP END SPEED: How well are you able to finish? Now in the top end speed there needs to be efficient movement in the arms and legs. The feet should be getting off the ground, the posture should be upright, the hand should be getting in front and pulling back and through. The goal here is to be picking up 10 yards in 4 steps or maybe more depending on your height. The fastest athletes generate the most amount of force into the ground which is what allows them to pick up so much distance per step. The numbers show on average it takes .45 seconds from when your foot touches the ground to toe off and cycle back through to touch down again which is what makes a step. That means for each additional step you take in the 40 you are adding .45 seconds. Eliminating even half of a step can shed over .2 seconds from your 40.
DRILLS AND COACHING: The main part of this program will be the breakdowns and the coaching. Understanding where you have mechanical flaws and how to fix them will save you time immediately. That is really what you are paying for however there are good specific drills you can do to improve your sprinting mechanics. We will provide that based off what we see in the breakdowns but you will benefit more from understanding how to improve your sprint than anything else.
