By Aaron Thigpen, Gamespeed Sports Oct 2018
Speed and Quickness are two related but different skills sets. As such each requires different forms of training.Â
Speed can be thought of as moving the body rapidly in “one direction”,covering distance and is generally not stimulus driven. Accelerating, maximal sprints or runs are demonstrations of speed.
Quickness can be thought of as an atheltes instant “reaction” and corresponding change in body movement to a stimulus. A shift in posture, hand movement, multi directional step, dodge or cut are demonstrations of quickness.Â
The training for each is commonly confused. Heres a little help on separating the most common exercises used in the pursuit of both.
SPEEDÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â QUICKNESS
Accelerations/Sprints              Ladder Drills
Hill Runs                         Skipping
Sled Pushes/Pulls                 Cone Drills (multi-directional)
Parachute Runs                   Agility Pattern Drills (shuttles etc)
Jumping & Bounding              Jumping Rope
To be successful you have to develop both, but knowing what your training specifically and how to is the “first step” (pardon the pun) to gettting better.Â
