Sports speed comes in various forms.

It can be applied in a straight line, over

a turn or other rotational movement, through a punch, hit, kick, tackle, throw,
jump, dive or reaction. It can involve the whole body, as in sprinting, or be
unleashed ultimately through a single limb, as with the javelin throw, or tennis
serve. Given these variations, I think it is helpful to define specific 'speed
types'*. This will enable you to understand just what type of speed, or
combination of speeds, you need for your particular sport.
Optimum speed/skill speed
As I will emphasise throughout this PP special, too much speed can sometimes
be a disadvantage. If a long jumper, for example, builds up too much speed
on the runway, he may not be able to take off into an effective jump. This is
because he will have too little time on the take-off board to generate the force
needed to convert speed into height and distance.
Similar problems occur in many other sports. In Rugby Union, Jonny Wilkinson
knows his range when it comes to place kicks. He has developed his rhythm
with painstaking practice over many years and inevitably slots the ball between
the posts. The England half-back could swing his boot faster at the ball in an
attempt to gain additional metres, but would probably sacrifice accuracy as a
result. It is important for athletes to determine with their coaches an
appropriate optimum speed/skill speed for their particular sports skills that
does not compromise technical execution.
Out-and-out speed
There are obviously some activities that demand full expression of speed,
sprinting being the most obvious example. But it is important to note that,
while the sprinter needs to move his limbs as fast as possible during parts of
1

Chapter One
* The training and development of these 'speeds' will be covered in subsequent chapters.
the race, he must do this in a relaxed manner, since the effort involved in
'trying too hard' will tighten muscles and slow performance. Out-and-out
speed therefore calls for mastery of technique plus the ability to relax while the
body is operating at maximum intensity.