We talked about the importance of knee drive in Speed Hack #8, but I would be a fool if I didn't stress the importance of your hips as well. So Speed Hack #9 is all about the hips!
You can't drive your knee - without your hips - let that sink in. So it makes sense that you certainly won't be able to drive your knee with TIGHT hips.
Tight hips will not only affect your speed, but also your athletic performance.
You see tight hips restrict your knee drive, which will affect the amount of force you are able to put into the ground.
I would be a millionaire if I received $1 for every player I saw with tight hips. It blows my mind because it is such a simple hack. You could have the perfect sprint technique or have the strongest legs, but you can throw all that out the window when your hips are tight.
Hip flexibility is so important and the reason why I include multiple hip flexibility exercises in my Speed Clinics.
If your hips are tight, you are already behind the eight-ball even before the referee blows the whistle for kick off.
I encourage every parent to stop what they are doing now, grab their child and test their hip flexibility.
The easiest way to do this is by performing the "Thomas Test".
1. Have your child lie back on the dining table with knees bent over the edge
2. Get your child to hold one knee up to their chest
3. Observe the position of the opposite thigh (one with knee not held against the chest) against the table
4. The opposite thigh should be flush with the table
5. If the opposite thigh is raised, their hip is tight
So how do you fix a tight hip?
The simple answer is through stretching.
My favourite hip stretch is the HIP FLEXOR STRETCH - hold this for 20 seconds and perform 3 sets on each leg.
I'd love to hear how your child went with the Thomas Test. Were their hips tight or did they pass the test with flying colours?
P.S If you are looking for a program that will improve your child's hip flexibility and improve their explosive speed on the field then you need to check out my ONLINE SPEED PROGRAMS where I include detailed, mapped out training sessions that include flexibility. No equipment required for the 4 week program - only body weight and minimal equipment required for the 12 week program
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