While the NFL season is coming to a swift end, college athletes begin to prepare mentally and physically, as the NFL combine approaches. In the world of professional football, speed is often a game-changer! Athletes strive to maximize their speed and agility to gain a competitive edge, especially when it comes to events like the NFL Combine. In this divulging video collaboration, Coach Chris, from Overtime Athletes, teamed up with Coach Usama Mujtaba, the esteemed strength and conditioning coach for the Toronto Argos of the CFL, to explore their insights regarding combine prep training, specifically tailored for the 40-yard dash.
The foundation of any successful sprint lies within the initial burst of acceleration. Chris and Usama discussed the critical importance of the first three to five steps in the 40-yard dash. Their focus centered around achieving a powerful push and executing a fast switch to propel the athletes forward with optimal efficiency.
Acceleration in sprinting is a nuanced skill, therefore, specific elements that contribute to effective acceleration were emphasized. For example, a good push, where the athletes generate force against the ground, and a fast switch, referring to the rapid leg movement, were highlighted as the key components necessary to master if the athlete is seeking success in the 40-yard dash.
To translate the theoretical emphasis on a fast switch into practical training, the coaches introduced a series of wall drill exercises. These drills were designed to enhance the fast switch component, concentrating on the quick acceleration of the legs during the critical first steps of the sprint.
The wall drill sequence comprised three variations: single switch, double switch, and triple switch. Each drill required athletes to maintain an aggressive forward lean against the wall, simulating the 40-yard dash stance. Athlete’s were instructed to focus on accelerating the knee swiftly and efficiently towards the ground in the precision of each movement. It is important to remember to encourage athletes to take brief breaks between each drill, ensuring that the emphasis remains on quality over quantity.
As the training session progressed, Coach Chris introduced the half kneeling start technique—a method aimed at optimizing the initial push and loading of the back leg during the 40-yard dash. Athletes were directed to start in a half-kneeling position, and the emphasis was expressed on generating a powerful forward push while ensuring proper loading of the back leg.
Coach Chris was sure to communicate the importance of maintaining a good forward lean, approximately at a 90-degree angle through the ankle. This position allows the athletes to engage their hip range of motion effectively without compromising acceleration. The half-kneeling start technique provided a unique perspective on the mechanical complexities involved in the initial movements of a sprint.
Both coaches supplied individualized feedback and corrections for each athlete, regarding specific guidance on areas such as knee drive, posture, and arm movements. The significance of maintaining consistent form through each repetition and dedicated practice was also deliberated.
During the wall drill exercises, each athlete’s unique strengths and areas for improvement were addressed through tailored feedback. Drawing from his experience as a coach for the Toronto Argos, Coach Usama offered some insights that resonated with each participants movement corrections. The importance of a collective focus on form and technique emerged as a recurring theme throughout the session.
Chris and Usama not only identified areas for improvement but also commended each athlete on their strengths and applied effort. Positive reinforcement played a crucial role in boosting their confidence, creating an environment conducive to learning and growth.
In the pursuit of speed and excellence on the football field, especially when it concerns the NFL combine, every detail matters! The collaboration between Coach Chris Barnard and Coach Usama Mujtaba provided a comprehensive look into the intricacies of combine prep training for the 40-yard dash. From the fundamental principles of acceleration to the practical application of wall drills and the half-kneeling start technique, the training session offered valuable insights and tangible feedback to ensure the athletes developed enhanced comprehension of speed training, and set them up for a successful 40-yard dash!
Here are 3 great tips to help you drop your fastest 40 yard dash (NFL Football Combine)
Looking to shave some precious seconds off your 40 yards dash time? We’ve got 3 undefeated tips that can help you drop your fastest 40 yard dash. Best thing about all three? You can start to use them right here, right now, today! Let’s dive right in.
If you want to drop your fastest 40 yard dash, then you have to learn to trade inches for angles. How do we mean? Many times, excellent kid athletes come in for their first session and crowd the line so much. Why? That’s because crowding the line as they do helps them run the shortest distance possible.
You’ve probably heard this before. It goes like ‘Set up on the line, then lean ahead as much as you can. That way, plenty of your body weight is over the line and you’re running 39.5 yards instead of 40. The shorter the distance, the faster you are, right? Exactly. Well, what if we told you there’s a better way, unh? It’s in optimizing angles and expressing your force in a way that you go at your best possible speed. It’s about the angles, position, and direction.
Anytime you’re attempting to make a run, two constant forces are antagonizing you. There’s the vertical force, which is gravity, and the horizontal force, which is your destination. Now, you’re on your knees, about to sprint. Take your lead leg. The front shin is like a cannon and the knee is the top of the cannon. The cannon goes wherever the top points to, yeah? When athletes crowd the line like that, the cannon points up, in a vertical direction. When they take off, they lose the acceleration angle. That’s because they’re trying to get a cannon pointed vertically to go in a horizontal direction. Not the best way to do things.
What do you need to do? Get that cannon pointing in the direction you want to go. This is like the biggest tip here. Now, to do this, we need to get the stance right. Stand on the line. Then, take your lead leg and slide it back to the heel of your trail leg. Next, slide the trail leg back all the way so that when you bend that knee, it’s roughly in the arch of the foot of your lead leg. If you want to know you got this right, your lead knee should be at the tip of the starting line.
If you’re getting confused at this point, do not hesitate to turn to the YouTube video up there. There’s a step-by-step description of this whole procedure for you. Watch it and get started on the journey to running your fastest 40yard dash.
Now, let’s talk angles. Remember, position, direction, and angles? When you’re set up like you’re supposed to be, the front knee should roughly beat a 45-degree angle. This way, you’re optimizing both the vertical and the horizontal forces to get that fastest 40. We should also mention a thing or two about the front and back shin angles. The front shin should be at 45 degrees but the back leg shouldn’t be too bent too. We’re talking something around 130 degrees inside that back knee. Both shins should be roughly parallel and pointing forward, in the right direction.
Again, check out that video if all of these gets muddled up in your head. But, what we’re saying is that a perfect 40 starts from the set-up and direction and that’s like the first thing you need to get right for your fastest 40 yard dash. Do take your time to practice this tip until you master it. If you’re not sure you’re doing it right, get a coach or someone who knows what they’re doing. Getting this part right is a huge step in the right direction.
If this wasn’t important, it wouldn’t need a whole new number. Practice, practice, and practice. It’s not just your set up, but practicing your first 5 yards is crucial too. That’s because you’ll get to half your maximum speed in two, three steps after takeoff.
In practice, you form a very familiar routine. Take it like you’re a basketball player practicing free throws like ‘one, two, spin’. It becomes part of you. You feel an error the moment you make one because you’ve got a rep. You could be like ‘Oh, my front shin should have been more horizontal’ because you know it didn’t happen like you’re used to. It’s like you’ve set up a feedback system that lets you spot irregularities and improve on it.
Practice needs to be daily. Practicing your start, set up, and first 5 yards 10-20 times in a day isn’t all talk but the effort pays off always. Find that will to start now and push with all you’ve got each time you’re on it. Your fastest 40 yard dash is well underway!
SEE ALSO: HOW TO IMPROVE SPRINT TECHNIQUE FOR BEGINNERS
In getting that fastest 40 yard dash, you need to be violent and aggressive about it from the get-go. Many times, we see guys moving their arms really fast but they’re not covering as much distance. What you need is patience while the rage is building inside of you. Wait, maximize your power and push, then give it all you’ve got the moment your foot leaves the ground. That’s when your strength is most influential.
Your time waiting at the line is to set-up properly, then gather all that momentum you need to convert into the first move you make. Your foot stays down the longest here so you’ve to make the most of the power you generate.
As a bonus tip, there’s one last thing that might just help you get that fastest 40 yard dash. With every step, there is a natural rise and it’s okay. It’s like one, two, three and you rise, then rise, then rise. Do not force the lean because that could lead to falling forward and trying to catch yourself. This slows you down. Go with this flow. It’s just like an airplane taking off on a runway, okay? It gradually builds and rises.
There, you have it, champions. Get down, practice, and push your way through to that fastest 40 yard dash!
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