Acceleration training for athletes. How important is acceleration training for athletes and how does it get developed? We answer these questions and many more.
At OC Sports Performance in Bend, Oregon, we utilize acceleration training weekly inside of our program as all ball sports need better acceleration. The training is that important that it is included in our weekly training plan. Here is how we do it.
Flying 10’s and Flying 20’s
The flying 10 yard and 20 yard sprints are acceleration training plain and simple. The athletes get a 20 yard lead up and then accelerate to top speed as they sprint through a 20 yard window.
The layout is the same each week. We use the same timing system each week. There are gates set up at the start, at 10 yards and at 20 yards. The time starts when the athlete crosses the first gate and then stops when they get through the 20 yard gate.
Athletes sprint 3 times total. That is it. 3 sprints with at least 5 minutes of rest between sprints. In a typical month athletes will have 9 flying 20’s in a month and 3 standing start 40 yard sprints. That is our total sprint volume.
What does this data show us?
We track every sprint that every athlete does at OC. The first time an athlete sprints at OC sets the benchmark for them. Every sprint after that is an attempt to beat their previous record.
The sprint data allows us to say without a doubt that the athletes are getting faster. This isn’t a feeling but a proven fact by the data.
Below is an example of sprint data
Flying 10: 1.15
Flying 20: 2.40
Top speed: 17.78 miles per hour
We can also use this data to discuss with an athlete that their top speed was 1.15 for 10 yards but their other 10 yard – was a 1.25. This means that the athlete either slowed down too soon before finishing the total segment or more commonly wasn’t running fast enough for the first 10 yard segment.
Developing elite characteristics
Athletes that run faster will make more impact in their sport. This includes all ball sports – football, soccer, baseball, volleyball, basketball softball, amongst many others.
Athletes that are improving their acceleration will be faster than their opponents but will also have characteristics that are necessary to get recruited to college.
Frequently asked questions: FAQ
What do the athletes wear when sprinting?
The athlete either runs in their socks or shoes, it is up to them. We don’t run these in track spikes, which means if an athlete sets a record doing the flying 10/20’s that they will break their record in the 40 yard soon!
Why is the sprinting volume so low?
The athletes sprinting volume is low on purpose. All athletes only need enough stimulus to progress. This is training. We want our athletes strong, happy and healthy. Running more at submaximal speeds won’t build acceleration or top speed, it just makes the athletes tired and possibly injured.
Why do you have non sprinting sports such as volleyball train acceleration?
We have trained many high school and college volleyball players who all trusted us with their training. We utilized the acceleration training with them and in turn saw super positive results in both standing vertical jump and approach vertical jump.
What are the fastest times you have seen?
Jack Cauble – a Division 1 sprinter – who has a personal best of 10.44 in the 100m has the fastest college boys time I have seen in person with an impressive .84 flying 10 time, which is 24.34 mph.
For college women we have had several women run sub 1.10. One of which is Olivia Armstrong who ran a 1.07 flying 10, which is 19.11mph. Olivia is a great example of a non-sprint athlete still working on sprinting and it having a positive effect. Olivia is a BMX athlete but we saw great correlation between her race performance and her sprints.
High School
For high school athletes Slater de Brun is the fastest high school athlete. Slater ran a .88 flying 10. He at the time of this writing has another year of high school but he has been timed at an impressive 6.39 60 yard time. Slater is a baseball player, who is said to be a 1st round draft prospect.
Closely behind Slater is Cal Corwin. Cal is a track athlete who won the 2024 IMC championship in the 100m. Cal currently runs college track.
For high school girls we have had several girls run sub 1.05 or 19.47mph. These include Lia Cooper, a track and soccer athlete who ran 1.03. Ava Simone with a 1.04, she is a soccer athlete. Maddie Gardner who has run a 1.05 and is now a college soccer player. Finally, Lani Gassner who was a soccer athlete that ran a 1.04.
Why do you track this information, isn’t this a lot of work?
Yes this is a ton of work, we take 100 athletes in the gym and track data for all of them. But we want to show without a doubt we are improving the athletes sprint speed and acceleration. This is of paramount importance to us at OC – we do what we said we would do, which is maximize your athletes performance.
Acceleration for training for athletes, it is a critical component for success. Experience the difference and book a Free Consult today!
OC Sports Performance has helped hundred of athletes build strength, speed and explosiveness. Get stronger, run faster, and jump higher!
