any tips for how to make me faster for sprinting?

Question

I need drills that will boost my speed for sprints.

Answer 1

Most of the drill mentioned above are great.

However, the easiest way to increase your speed in a 50 or 100 is STREAMLINE. It is by far the most overlooked and simplest stroke adjustment to make. For sprinters, starts and turns make or break a race.

Are you utilizing the walls (start and turn) like you should? Your body needs to be as arrow like as possible. One hand on TOP of the other with your head tucked in front of your arms. Some coaches teach between but I like head tucked in front of arms.

Are you explosive off the walls and do you dolphin kick three or four times before you start your first freestyle stroke? Are you on your side when you push off the wall (correct) or do you twist to your stomach before pushing off the wall (incorrect). You've waisted 1/2 second if you twist to your stomach before leaving the wall.

The most efficient part of your pull begins at the catch and is in the first half of the pull. Are you waisting time in the last 1/4 of the pull and the recovery? Richard Quick has a great freestyle DVD that illustrates these ideas perfectly.

What is your stroke tempo? This is the time it takes for you to take one full stroke with each arm. The faster the turn over without slipping or droping our elbows the better.

We do Blasts. They are 12.5 yard super sprints then 12.5 easy. Turnover should be VERY, VERY fast. But remember, don't let your stoke suffer.

In a 50 free race, keep your breathing to a minimum. This varies greatly by age. 15-17 year old should be approaching zero breaths for a 50 free. 13-14 No more than two at the most.

In practice, NEVER breath from the flags to the wall and back out to the flags.

Answer 2

"Golf", as mentioned above, is an amazing drill for sprinters!

Also, lung-busters. You should be doing your 50s with no breath on the first 25 and two or less on the second. Drill this by doing 25s from the block without a breath. Walk back to the block, repeat until you do five or six without a breath.

Submerged lung busters (aka gut busters) work too. From the block, do 25s without a breath fully submerged. This will help you build lung capacity and speed.

Make sure your dives are amazingly clean and long. Practice getting as far out on the dive as possible and entering with as much power as possible. Have someone hold a skimmer pole out in front of you and dive over it. Practice moving the pole further out until you are as far out as you can possibly be.

Ensure you are using long, efficient strokes. Do plenty of fingertip drag, catch up, goggle-in/goggle-out free, etc.

Practice practice practice! Use intervals to make your sprint training as efficient as possble.

And finally, ask your coach for tips, drills and pointers. No one know you better than your own coach ( =

Good luck!

Answer 3

You must be talking about swimming.
Normally a swimmer will build aerobic stamina and strength, and then taper for sprints.

A good exercise is called "golf".
You count your strokes and time your laps...
Add the number of strokes to the time to get a score...

Now you lower your score by reducing the number of strokes or by going faster with the same amount of strokes.

Do this ten times.... 1 minute rest in between.

Hint: take fewer breathes (1 breath for 25m for example), kick really really hard, stretch and glide, long arm strokes on exit.

Answer 4

Inhale at the set, exhale at the bang. Don't stand up after the takeoff, gradually raise yourself up until you hit 20 meters to take full advantage of the block start. Don't tense up. Make sure your knees are lifting so you get the most out of your stride. Land on the balls of your feet. Keep your back straight and head aligned with it. Make a 90 degree angle with your arms. Move them as fast as possible, but relaxed at the same time. Make sure you don't drop/lower your hips (run tall). Form aside, spend time working on explosive power and muscular development. Deadlifts, cleans, benching, squats, weighted lunges, and plyometrics. You can even try to run with a weighted sled or weighted vest. Also, don't listen to Nick on the 2 mile runs, aerobic work is unnecessary for sprinting speed unless you're running the 400m or above. 2 mile runs are useless to you. All it serves to do is work your slow twitch fibers and aerobic endurance, and you need to work your fast twitch fibers and anaerobic endurance. Last but not least, if you want to get faster, sprint.

Answer 5

First I would start with five yard sprints. Get set, sprint five, repeat. Do twenty of those. Then find a hill. It needs to be about twenty yards or so with a good incline. Sprint up, walk down. Do twenty of those. Then go to the top of the hill and run down it. Be careful not to get too much speed cause you will eat it hard. Stretch your stride out as you run down the hill. Walk to the top and repeat. Try twenty of these and do three to four times a week. You should probably add some jump rope. This will help with foot speed. Good luck.

Answer 6

since i think you are talking about swimming and not running, start with 25's, and try to breathe every 3 strokes... when you move up to 50's, try to make your flipturn fast and efficient, and don't breathe for a few strokes before or after your flipturn...

Answer 7

Start exercising and stretching your legs very good. Everyday run from one place to another and time yourself. You can see if you are getting faster each day. Also, jog in place. It helps. = )