The best players can accelerate and decelerate with explosive speed and efficiency. It’s a devastating skill that can leave the most formidable of opponents clutching at thin air.
Take Lionel Messi, for example. He’s 5ft 5in, and 10st 5lbs. He’s slight and small. You’d think he’d get physically dominated, by a bigger, stronger, faster challenger. But when he comes up against any player, no matter how athletic and experienced they are, he scoots away from their grasp.
Why? Because he’s unbeatable over the first five yards, and can slam the brakes and start again in an instant. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could train this skill? Well, you can. And we’re going to show you how, with the help of strength and conditioning coach, Jamie Reynolds.
In this video the trainer, who works with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Fabien Delph and Gabriel Agbonlahor, demonstrates a simple drill that works on speed and agility. Hit play and add it to your next session.
Reynolds is the founder of Velocity Training Club. For more information visit velocitytrainingclub.co.uk and follow@jamie_velocity
For more football tips see:
Be quicker off the mark
Soup up your sprint speed
Get rapid-fire footwork
Change direction in a flash
