Speed Training and Basketball

A prerequisite to reading this blog is to first read my Preparing Athletes for Sports That Feature Starting, Stopping, and Changes of Direction blog. I may repeat some things from that blog but certainly won't go into as much detail.

It is important to understand that body control is an important part of the equation. Although many sequences in basketball occur in very small spaces and for short distances, it is not just about moving as fast as possible from Point A to Point B, as this can easily result in a loss of body control as well as a failure to utilize/recruit the musculature properly. After two or three explosive steps, a person driving to the basket or ready to shoot a lay up should be in control enough to adjust as the situation dictates rather than being out of control and less likely to be successful.

It even can be beneficial to familiarize a basketball player with how to best run a 100-meter dash. That distance is long enough where the athlete's max velocity that he/she is capable of can be attained and maintained before the inevitable deceleration. Using that as a basis, the athlete can then adjust the body positions, quicken the rhythm/cadence, etc..., as needed for the various situations. In addition, efficient movement results in less wear and tear on the joints, tendons, and musculature when starting, stopping, changing direction, jumping/landing, etc..., during play.

Some athletes, without being told anything are better than others at coordinating their actions and recruiting the right muscles to push-off explosively into some kind of sprint, have their body aligned well during the process, as well as doing a good job of keeping the body segments in front of the body, while eliminating unwanted action that occurs to the back of the body, ie, a visual that can be observed during top speed running is that the thigh of the leg that is pushing off should travel no more than just a little bit past being in line with the torso, and then will recover up in front of the body. This is referred to as having good front side mechanics. It is definitely easier to be effective at decelerating, changing direction, stopping, etc..., when the legs are recovering up in front of the body as they should, feet under the center of gravity, and in the appropriate dynamic posture for the given sequence. Meaning, that an athlete that runs with too much backside mechanics has a harder time being effective in these situations. The same goes for having good trunk and shin discipline (explained in the Preparing Athletes for Sports That Feature Starting, Stopping, and Changes of Direction blog).

When the body is in an acceleration posture where the hips and torso are angled forward, ie; during the start and initial acceleration, the same thigh to torso relationship for front side mechanics applies, but the athlete needs to be skilled at assuming what is called "option positions", meaning that a body position is assumed that is functionally well suited for a situation where the player needs to respond skillfully. When sprinting, during the start and initial acceleration, the head is angled downward, and the eyes are focused downward. When engaging opponents on the basketball court, however; although the hips and torso may be angled forward, the head is basically up, and as many skills are executed the hips have to be able to roll, flip, snap, etc..., to be in the proper alignment for maximum effectiveness. The hanging forward that is done during the drive phase on the track is replaced by whatever is most appropriate for the skills that need to be executed.

In track, during a sprint the balance is challenged during an initial first few steps. A high degree of eccentric strength can help the athlete to be balanced at this time, as well as when planting a foot, landing from a jump, etc....

Check out this Fastest NBA Players of All-Time video for examples of what an asset speed can be on a basketball court. It is important to note, however; that although an athlete may be elite, may be explosive, very fast, etc..., it doesn't mean that he/she is using sound mechanics to run, jump, land from a jump, etc..., and some flaws in running technique may lead to injury, see video.  

Training for speed also can be a very important part of knee care training, as properly recruiting the glutes and hamstrings are important for knee care as well. In my mind, considering knee care should be mandatory for sports that include jumping, cutting, and pivoting like basketball, soccer, and volleyball. FYI - Non-contact ACL tears are especially prevalent in these sports, especially among females. Although the injury rate is not as great among males, they also need to give attention to knee care as well. In my opinion it is a mistake to conduct a program meant to increase explosive performance in basketball players without also giving attention to the knee care aspect.

A lot of basketball is obviously played with the athletes not moving very fast, but who must be ready at a moment's notice to move explosively and powerfully. This is where body alignment and movement efficiency during the lesser intense movement becomes very important, and this, of course, must be done in a fundamentally sound manner in regard to the basketball situation, ie; the ballhandler must keep the ball protected.

Since jumping is such a big part of basketball, attention needs to be put into whether or not the athlete is setting up the jump effectively. The next to last step before a jump is called the penultimate step and plays a critical role in setting up the jump. Check out this Penultimate Step Video as well as this video which shows the penultimate step during one leg jumps.

One huge benefit in coaches and players becoming familiar with the mechanics that support speed is that when watching film, there can be a better understanding of what went right during those instances when the player looked exceptional. Understanding what happened can better enable the player to be able to replicate that more frequently.

My suggestion for a big picture off-season plan is:

1. Basic conditioning which, along with running, includes; good bending, good glute and hamstring recruitment to start movement in a variety of ways. Assess athletes ability to bend properly.

2. Strengthening key areas of the body

3. Promote running with appropriate forefoot landings and technique in general when running at various speeds. Leg stiffness training fits in here.

4. Jumping, hopping, landing, cutting, pivoting, stopping, and back pedaling skills, first without a ball and without game-like competition to help instill basics while assessing what athletes have concerns. Before adding a ball and competitive game-like situations and games, have a plan for those that have demonstrated significant injury risk during assessments, so obviously there has to be some note taking and recording of what is observed while assessing the athletes.

5. Add the ball and competitive game-like situations, drills, and games.

For pre-season and during the season, various activities, exercises, and drills can be rotated into team warm ups that promote knee care.

At the end of the day, the goal is for all players to be able to play basketball, executing the skills and movements at a high level and in a safe fashion. Once again, it goes without saying that first and foremost, the bottom line is that basketball players need to be prepared for all of the demands of their position, but obviously, some of these demands have to do with speed in various ways, and like it or not, coaches, easily fall in love with speed. So please check out my blogs that detail sprinting and allow time for the lessons to translate into performances on the court.