Speed is perhaps the most coveted component of athletic performance. Whether you are a football player looking to better your 40 yard dash times or a marathoner who’s looking to improve your distance time, the importance of foot speed in running is unquestionable.

Our patented Springbak Springsoles will accomplish both increased stride frequency and increases stride length.

Traditional thinking dictates that to be fast, choose your parents carefully. In other words, speed is a genetic trait. While this is true to the extent that it is not possible to be a world-class sprinter without genetic endowment, sport science and proper coaching have done much to refute this.

Speed is a learnable skill that can be taught through motor-learning principles. Ultimately, it is only through the practice (repetition) of these motor skills and proper training that any genetic endowment can reach its highest potential.

There is an old axiom: “I hear, I forget; I see, I understand; I do, I remember.” The more you do something, the better you become at it.

Speed Made Simple to understand:

Although the actual physical components of running speed are rather complex, we’re going to keep things simple. Speed is produced by stride length (distance covered with each stride) and stride frequency (leg turnover time, or how quickly you can get your feet on and off the ground).

Of these two components, stride length is the easiest to develop and is also the most misunderstood. Stride length is not created by how far you can reach forward with each step, but rather by the amount of force you apply to the ground (with the foot striking directly under the hip) and driving back. Our Springbak Springsoles will increase the force you apply to the ground, thus a longer stride length.

Speed is created through the ground, not the air. Once the foot touches the ground, it drives rearward, creating a springboard effect that propels the body forward. Most people are slower than they should be because they pull out of their stride length too early, not allowing the foot to remain on the ground long enough to drive the leg completely straight behind the body, thereby maximizing the force and distance necessary to propel the body farther forward.

Let’s quickly look at two basic mechanical principles that should be considered for proper running form:

Step 1: Keep Your Head Steady:

Head position is critical in athletic performance. Your head should be still during sprinting. We use the term “focus” to mean your eyes should be straight ahead, as if you’re looking at somebody your height in the eyes. Remember, you go where your head goes.

If your head is moving side-to-side, your body is going to be subject to lateral forces that negate from the objective: moving straight ahead. You should run relaxed; you’ll hear track coaches say “Jaw down, shoulders down.” The human head generally weighs between 11 and 14 pounds. Keep this “bowling ball” (your head) in the proper postural alignment: centered between the shoulders.

Step 2: Keep Your Arms Fixed at a 90-degree Angle:

Why? To use the strong muscles of the shoulder girdle to create optimum force. Never run with tight, clenched fists. This will tighten you up and slow you down. Keep your thumb and forefinger in contacts or run with an open palm, whichever you are most comfortable with. Your elbows should be squeezed in to the sides of the body.

Try this: Stand up and put your left hand on your left hip. Move your right arm across your body. Did you notice how your left hip moved? The body is a system of levers and, to simplify matters, what you do with one arm will affect the opposite leg. If your arms cross in the mid-line of your body when running, your hips will rotate in, thereby taking away from your force output and creating rotational forces that minimize your speed.

Enjoy the speed training tips!

Mark Vona – GM Springbak Inc.

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For more tips and information from Springbak:

Visit the Official Springbak® Website at www.springbak.net
Peak Performance Springsoles / Insoles – Run Faster, Jump Higher, Lessen Fatigue

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Here are a few ways to reduce hamstring injuries and increase speed-Advice from Hall of Fame Coach Jim Bush

Hamstrings got you down? Two or three times a week, run a few 50 meter strides backwards, mixed in with regular strides. Make sure you are warmed up and have a smooth, flat and safe surface on which to run. Your local track or soccer field would be ideal. Coach Bush has his runners complete two backward strides before the intense portion of their running workout. After the hard workout, the runners complete two additional backward strides before the warm down phase. For the rest of us regular runners who aren’t doing fast running, simply do some forward and backward strides during or immediately after your run. Coach Bush reports greatly reduced likelihood of hamstring injuries. Jim Bush is a Hall of Fame track coach who’s been leading teams and individuals to National, World and Olympic titles for more than 40 years.

To increase speed, coach Bush recommends Springbak Springsoles to his athletes. The Springbak’s will increase your stride length and increase stride frequency(shorten foot plant time). Coach Bush comments,”My track runners all felt they got more bounce off the track. They felt like they were running easier and the Springbak Springsoles did improve their running times.” I go mainly on what I see and how the athlete responds and if they tell that it feels good, that they feel they’re getting off the ground quicker, than that what counts.”

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Coaches, trainers and athletes have proven that Springbak Springsoles enhances athletic performance.

But don’t just take our word on it – take the Springbak Challenge on our website and let us know how much it has improved your performance.

Or even if you have not taken the Springbak Challenge, but have been using Springbak’s to improve your game, write us a comment below and let us know your results.

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