How to Get Faster: Real Speed Strategies for Athletes

Coach Herbert
Jul 24
2 min read

Athletes perform intense speed drills on an indoor field to improve agility and performance.

As a team sport athlete, speed isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s often the deciding factor in whether you make the play or miss it. Whether you’re sprinting down the sideline, breaking away in transition, or chasing down an opponent, game-changing speed gives you an edge. But if you’re only relying on cone drills or running a few sprints now and then, you’re leaving a lot on the table.

Here are three strategies that can actually move the needle on your speed and help you carry that speed into competition.

1. Go Beyond Sprint Technique Drills

Form drills and technique work have their place, but they shouldn’t make up the bulk of your training. Most team sport athletes don’t just run in straight lines. They react, cut, rotate, and accelerate repeatedly. You need to be powerful, reactive, and efficient in real-world scenarios.

Rather than overdoing isolated technique work, include movements that strengthen the foot and ankle complex and build elasticity. Exercises like pogo jumps, skips, and switches are a great start. Then progress to sprint work that mimics game movement patterns.

2. Sprint More Often With Intention

The best way to get faster is to sprint. Period.

A big part of your speed development should involve high-speed sprinting. These exposures help your nervous system adapt, your mechanics sharpen, and your tissues tolerate the demands of full-speed movement.

Try to structure your speed training sessions like this:

a. Technique and Reactivity (Short Block): Start with short, targeted drills to prep the nervous system and reinforce efficient mechanics. This should take no more than 10 minutes.
b. Power, Plyometrics and Projection: Use jumps, bounds, and loaded exercises to build force production and prepare the body for high-speed work. This block is important early in a training cycle but should become a smaller focus (around 25%) once you're sprinting more often. Short accelerations of five yards or less could also be considered here.
c. Sprinting and Application: This is where the magic happens. Spend a solid 30 to 40% of your session sprinting at high intensity. Mix in variations like light resistance sprints, curved runs, or fly sprints, but keep the intensity high and rest long enough to maintain effort. Follow that with short, competitive drills like races, chases, or position-specific bursts to apply what you've built.

3. Train for Transfer

Speed that doesn’t show up in games isn’t very useful. You need to apply your speed under pressure, fatigue, and unpredictable conditions. Build in competitive and sport-specific scenarios where you react to a stimulus, make decisions, and move explosively. This bridges the gap between speed drills and actual performance.

Want to Start Today?

If you’re serious about getting faster, I’ve put together a free 3-Day Speed Guide PDF that walks you through how to implement these ideas with structure. You can download it below.

And if you want direct help applying this to your own sport or schedule, you can also book a free strategy call to talk through the next steps.