Can a Player Improve Overall Speed and Quickness?

By Kenny Robinson

         

     The one question that always comes up among coaches and parents is, "Can a player become quicker?" I sought the answer to this question while attending the Maryland Basketball Performance Clinic, Saturday, July 23^rd, which was led by the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Maryland’s basketball team, Kyle Tarp. It was a small group of about twelve to fifteen coaches who coach at the high school, college and/or club level. Some were strength and conditioning coaches, and others were basketball coaches. All of us were there because we wanted to find ways to improve the performance of our basketball players. Coach Tarp had a lot of great information, and the coaches themselves brought some great insight into our discussions on relevant training methods for basketball players.

            It is clear the freaky speed and athleticism we see in the elite basketball players is something they have been born with and no matter how much advance training we put our athletes through, they will never attain that kind of speed and quickness. However, can we make a player quicker and faster than he or she is today? No question. It had been demonstrated that with the right training, a player would improve his or her overall speed and quickness. Most of these results have to do with efficient running techniques that are specific to basketball, and overall speed development regimens that can be useful to all athletes.

            This past week in our daily Elite Basketball Training sessions I went over some of the techniques with the players, and in just a couple of sessions, you can see how important learning to move correctly and from the right position can have a significant impact on a player's ability to get to any spot on the floor quickly. Basketball is about changing directions quickly and instinctively. Just adding a half second in your ability to get from one spot to the next can be a strong determinant in playing time at the high school level and beyond. To learn more contact coach Kenny Robinson for upcoming speed clinics for basketball players "mailto:kennyrobinson@bulldawgbasketball.com"