The Rhythm of Speed

The Rhythm of Speed
By Brian Grasso
While there are many elements to developing sound speed in young athletes, one of the
most crucial is rhythm.
Rhythm is deifned as the expression of timing, and its practicality in sport is vast.
Linear speed requires a well-timed sequence of contralateral action. Any delays or errors in
this timing can drasticaly limit velocity of movement.
In the context of sport, linear speed is seldom of great importance, ut rhythm plays a
significant role in an athletes aility to change direction fluidly and in time with extraneous
factors such as teammates, opponents and apparatus !i.e. all etc".
Rhythm is a singular characteristic within the roader scope of coordination # and this is
important ecause many trainers and coaches do not reali$e that coordination is not an
entity unto itself. It is a system of s%ills and comprised of several varying physical traits&
'alance # oth dynamic and static
(inesthetic )ifferentiation # determing the force required to produce a desired outcome
*ovement Adequacy # the aility to move the extremities in opposition and during
locomotion
+patial Awareness # the %nowledge of where one is in space and in relation to external
factors
All coordination-ased s%ills are ased developed during the pre-adolescent phase of life
due to the plastic nature of the nervous system # and rhythm is no exception.
When teaching rhythm to young athletes, it is est to do so in a progressive manner
following this simple succession&
• +imple
• ,nhance
• )isrupt
• -omplex
.+imple/ rhythm-ased exercises are often non-locomotive in nature and quite rudimentry in
their timing sequencing.
.,nhance/ rhythm-ased exercises are locomotive-centered and involve natural contrlateral
action.
.)isrupt/ rhythm-ased exercises are those which serve to interrupt a natural pattern and
force the young athlete to dynamically adapt to a new timing cycle.
.-omplex/ rhythm-ased exercises are ased on multifaceted motor tas%s.
0he following are examples of each type of rhythm-ased exercise that you can use in your
own training sessions or practices&
Simple:
Slight Patterns #
+light patterns are asic s%ipping exercises that can e done in place and progressed to
locomotive. 'egin y having your young athletes perform asic an%le hops in place !small
hops with limited %nee flexion and a strong plantar-flexion drive". Add varying elements of hip
and %nee movements in order to create a timing sequence.
1or example, have your young athletes perform 2 an%le hops !ilaterally" and then 3 strong
hip4%nee flexion drive with the left leg. Repeat 5 # 6 times for one set.
+light patterns should e progressed in order to ma%e the timing sequence more
challenging. 1or example, have your young athletes perform 5 an%le hops !ilaterally" and
then a hip4%nee flexion drive with the right leg followed immediately y a %nee flexion drive
with the left leg. Repeat 5 # 6 times per set.
Enhance:
,nhance-ased rhythm exercises are progressive from .simple/ variations in that they are
locomotive and can incorporate external equipment.
Slight Patterns #
7erform patterns similar to the one/s listed aove, however this time and your young athletes
execute them while traveling across a gym floor or field.
Skip Loop #
+et out cones roughly 32 # 89 feet apart. :ave each athlete perform a asic ;ump rope
pattern !with ;ump rope" from one cone to the next. <nce they reach the second cone, have
them stop the ;ump rope, wal% around the cone and egin the same pattern ac% to the first
cone.
<ver time, add to the complexity and s%ill level of the ;ump rope patterns that your young
athletes are performing.
Disrupt:
Hurdle Walk-Over #
+et out = # 32 short hurdles at measured intervals !8 feet apart each, for example". :ave
your young athletes ;og or sprint through the hurdles # forcing only one leg to navigate. 1or
example, as the left leg maintains an even ;ogging motion, the right leg executes a powerful
%nee drive at each hurdle !in this case, the left leg is .outside/ the hurdles and does not have
to engage them". Repeat for oth legs.
Staggared Hurdle Walk-Over #
0his exercise is the same as aove, ut this time the hurdles are placed at varying, non-
uniform distances apart from each other. 0his forces the young athlete to acclamate to a
varying rhythm pattern rather than ecome accustom to one particular and predictale
model.
Complex:
ovement !acks #
*uch li%e ;umping ;ac%s, this exercise is a comination of varying lower and upper ody
movements in all 5 planes.
*ovement possiilities are literally endless&
• frontal upper4frontal lower !li%e a standard ;umping ;ac%"
• sagittal upper4sagittal lower
• transverse upper4frontal or sagittal lower
• ilateral lower4same upper
• ilateral lower4unilateral upper
• unilateral lower4ilateral upper
• unilateral lower4unilateral upper
'e sure to wor% at your young athletes s%ill level and add progressions in a variety of ways&
• 62 degree angles !with arm movements or ;umping patterns"
• >umping rotations !?9, 3=9 or 5@9 degress"
• 0empo changes !faster or slower"
• Add ;oint actions !hip flexion4extension etc"
Rhythm is a fundamental aspect of developing quality and practical speed in young athletes.
It is important to start the process of rhythm training during the pre-adolescent years, ut will
allow young athletes to exhit enhanced speed and athletic aility for years to come.