Ever heard of the saying “SPEED IS KING”?
There is a reason we don’t hear “SPEED IS PRINCE”.
Speed is literally the most important athletic skill that any player can possess.
I’m not just talking from my position of a Speed Coach point of view.
I’m talking from an all-round athletic point of view.
No other skill can provide a player with the benefits that speed training can provide.
Here is why Speed is the most important skill a rugby player can possess
1. Increased Athleticism
Speed will skyrocket your athleticism. You’ll increase your box of tricks on the field and be able to do more things than the average player.
Speed training increases your functional core strength, stability, balance, and dynamic flexibility.
Every part of the game requires these skills.
Here are a few examples.
When you perform a tackle, you need core strength so that the power you generate from your legs transfers to your upper body enabling you to drive through the tackle.
When you pass, you need balance and stability otherwise you run the risk of a forward pass, or even worse - throwing a hospital pass.
2. Improved Speed
This is an obvious one but needs to be mentioned.
Being able to run fast and change direction on a dime provides you with an advantage over your opponents.
We spend 90% of a game in the acceleration phase so it makes sense that if you want to be the best player you need to work on your speed.
Improved speed also equals quickness. You can’t catch what you can’t see!!
3. Improves Body Endurance
Players that perform speed training tend to have more stamina and overall body strength.
They can perform high levels of fast, explosive burst of speed throughout a game which is of massive benefit when the opposition is tiring.
4. Provides Full Body Workout
Speed training is one of the rare training methods that improves the entire body and not just certain parts of the body.
Sprinting not just involves using your legs, but also your arms and core. Therefore, your entire body benefits.
5. Confidence Booster
Believe it or not, a high rate of players that come to me for one-on-one speed sessions do not come to me to get fast, but to improve their confidence.
The reason that the possession of speed improves a player’s confidence is because speed improves all of your skills on the field.
Let me give you a few examples.
Speed creates time which allows you to make that pass or tackle without being under pressure leading you to greater success.
Speed allows you to be at the right place at the right time whether it being a support player when your teammates make a break, or making that try saving tackle because you were able to run down the attacker.
Speed allows you to react quicker to situations - reacting to an attacker side stepping, or needing to react to a defensive line that is up in your face.
The best of the best don’t miss a beat when it comes to speed training. They know the massive benefits of incorporating speed into their training sessions and that is why they are the best at what they do.
If you want to be the best on the field then you need to Check out my 90 DAYS TO EXPLOSIVE SPEED PROGRAM that will turn you into a faster, fitter, stronger, confident and all rounded player.