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How to Run Faster in Football?

How to Run Faster in Football
How to Run Faster in Football

Football is a sport where speed always means having an advantage. Regardless of what position you play or at what level, having the ability to run fast means you will be able to get quicker to tackles, you will be able to pass defenders down the line, or you will be able to make a crucial run for a goal. Because of that, as an aspiring professional footballer or just as someone who wants to improve their game, it’s vital that you focus on training for speed. 

One way to do this is to consult with professional coaches, read articles by professional runners and coaches that are published on the Pace Passion running blog, or simply do your own research and find what exercises and drills you can perform to improve your performance. In this article, we’ll look at how you can improve your running speed as a soccer player and give examples of training techniques you can apply during your individual training sessions.

So, without further ado, let’s get started.

What Can You Do To Improve Your Speed

When you play football, you quickly notice just how important speed and agility can be. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing defense, you’re passing like crazy in the midfield, or you’re trying to create chances and score goals. Every position benefits from having speed. And so naturally, most players say that they want to improve it – but for most of them, this is where that desire ends, at just wishing they could be faster. If you don’t want to join that group and you’re actually willing to make changes to become quicker, then here are some tips and drills we can share with you. 

Tip 1: Do Sprints 

This might look like the most obvious possible tip in the world, but it’s nonetheless a great one – doing practice sprints is an absolute must for any player who wants to become faster. The easiest way to incorporate it into your weekly training is by simply staying on the pitch for 20-30 minutes after practice and doing a sprint from the halfway line to the goal post. As you get better and your ability to hold sprints for longer increases, you can go for a longer distance. 

Tip 2: Work on Your Sprint Technique 

Most players don’t think so, but the reality is that sprint is a skill. So, instead of thinking you lack natural talent, just shift your focus to thinking that you need to change the way you approach your runs. If you want to improve your sprinting, you have to analyze your current technique and find what adjustments can be made that will enhance it. Here, it’s good to have a coach with you, or at the very least, a friend, as they will help you film yourself as you’re sprinting, and you can see what needs to be changed so that you get better results next time. 

Tip 3: Build Strong Legs and Core

In the quest to become faster, you always have to become stronger. When sprinting, your body uses the power of the legs to move you forward, and so the stronger your legs are, the longer you will be able to run fast. Additionally, that extra strength will help you be more explosive so that with the very first step you take, you have a clear advantage over the opponent. Another muscle group that’s key for sprinting is the core because it’s what enables your body to remain balanced as it gains speed. Along with that, athletes who have strong cores have better reactions and more control over their center of gravity.

Tip 4: Do Speed-specific Drills 

There’s a good reason why all the best teams in the world use cones and ladders for their practice sessions – it’s because they’re effective. Online, you can find hundreds of drills dedicated to making you quicker and more agile. By incorporating one or two in your individual sessions and changing them up, week-in and week-out, you will be able to train your body’s ability not only to move fast in one direction but to retain speed even as you change directions – a vital skill in football, where you rarely run in a straight line. 

In Conclusion 

Being fast is a great asset to have as a football player – no matter at what level or the position. But most athletes wrongly assume that speed is only a matter of talent. In reality, it’s a skill that can be trained and honed to perfection, so even if you’re not naturally fast, there’s still a lot of work you can do and see major improvements. Hopefully, this article inspires you to do just that and to push on with weekly speed training sessions.

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