As parents of young athletes, we know how important it is to help our children perform at their best. When it comes to improving speed, many parents automatically turn to tools like so called “SPEED LADDERS” as a quick fix to boost their child’s athletic performance. However, while speed ladders can look impressive, they are not the game-changer many believe them to be. In fact, SPEED LADDERS WON’T MAKE YOUR CHILD FASTER at least not in the way that’s truly beneficial for their athletic development.
In this article, we’ll explain why speed ladders won’t magically turn your child into a faster athlete and what you can do instead to BOOST THEIR SPEED AND AGILITY for long-term results.
THE SPEED LADDER MYTH: WHY IT’S A POPULAR, BUT MISUNDERSTOOD TOOL
Speed ladders have become a POPULAR TRAINING TOOL for many coaches and parents. They’re commonly used in sports training to improve footwork, coordination, and agility. At first glance, it makes sense quick foot movements and precise steps seem like they’d naturally transfer into faster sprints, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.
Here’s why:
- SPEED LADDERS DO NOT INCREASE RUNNING SPEED: Speed is a BIOMECHANICAL MOVEMENT, and improving speed means focusing on developing proper running mechanics. Speed ladders primarily target FOOTWORK AND COORDINATION, but these are just a small piece of the puzzle. Running faster requires your child to generate more force into the ground at speed with each step. This means improving stride length, and optimising running posture. Speed ladders simply don’t address these areas directly.
- THEY DON’T BUILD STRENGTH: Speed is fundamentally about accessing strength fast, especially in the LOWER BODY. To sprint faster, your child needs to develop strength in muscles like the GLUTES, HAMSTRINGS, CALVES, AND QUADS. Speed ladders don’t do much to enhance muscle strength or explosiveness. In fact, training for speed should also focus on strength training, plyometrics, and sprint drills that engage the whole body.
- FOOTWORK DOESN’T ALWAYS EQUAL SPEED: While footwork is important in many sports, it won’t necessarily make an athlete faster. It’s QUICKNESS and ACCELERATION that matter most for increasing speed, not how fast your child can step in and out of the rungs of a ladder. For sprinting, the ability to EXPLODE OFF THE LINE and maintain EFFORTLESS FORM throughout sprints is far more important than how fast the feet move in a short space.
- SPEED LADDERS CAN BE MISUSED: Many young athletes spend a lot of time performing repetitive ladder drills without ever learning the right technique for running. This can lead to poor movement patterns and habits that don’t translate to faster sprints. In particular it can encourage a low knee lift, cramped spinal posture and short choppy foot actions. If your child is practicing a lot of footwork drills without a focus on RUNNING FORM and STRENGTH, they might be developing bad habits that will hinder their speed development.
WHAT TO FOCUS ON INSTEAD OF SPEED LADDERS: BUILDING TRUE SPEED
So, what should your child be doing to IMPROVE THEIR SPEED? Rather than relying on speed ladders, focus on STRATEGIC SPEED TRAINING that addresses key components of running mechanics:
1. STRENGTH TRAINING
Start with LOWER BODY STRENGTH. Strengthening the glutes, quads, calves, and hamstrings will help your child produce more force with each stride, which translates directly to faster sprints. Exercises like SQUATS, LUNGES, DEADLIFTS, and STEP-UPS are excellent for building the power required for sprinting. It will also increase their robustness to be able to undertake more intense speed training.
2. SPEED WORK & SPRINT DRILLS
Incorporate SPRINTING DRILLS that focus on acceleration and top-end speed. Have your child perform ACCELERATION SPRINTS, focusing on the first 10-20 meters of their sprint to develop the explosive power needed to reach top speed quickly. Drills like Wall Switches and A Skips can help improve posture and lower body mechanics.
3. Plyometrics
Jumping exercises like SKIPPING, HOPS,, and HURLDE JUMPS are essential for improving EXPLOSIVENESS and REACTIVE STRENGTH. Plyometrics help your child become more efficient at generating force, which is key to accelerating quickly when sprinting.
4. PROPER RUNNING FORM
Speed ladders don’t address RUNNING FORM, which is crucial for running faster. Teach your child to maintain an upright posture, keep their arms at 90 degrees, and drive their knees forward while focusing on the KNEE DRIVE and ACTIVE ANKLES. Correcting posture and form will improve running efficiency and reduce the risk of injury.
5. FLEXIBILITY AND MOBILITY
Being FLEXIBLE and having good MOBILITY in the hips, ankles, and hamstrings will help your child take longer strides, improving their sprinting mechanics. Incorporate dynamic stretches and foam rolling to keep muscles loose and functional.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE SPEED LADDER
Speed ladders are not completely useless! While they won’t make your child faster, they can be a GREAT TOOL for improving FOOTWORK and COORDINATION, which are important in sports like football, basketball, and soccer. Just don’t mistake ladder drills for the magic ticket to faster sprinting. Use them as a supplementary drill alongside proper strength and speed training.
THE BOTTOM LINE: FOCUS ON REAL SPEED TRAINING
As a parent, it’s essential to help your child focus on realistic, results-driven speed training rather than relying on shortcuts like speed ladders. Strengthening the lower body, improving sprinting mechanics, and practicing explosive movements will have a far greater impact on your child’s speed than any ladder drill.
ARE YOU READY TO HELP YOUR CHILD RUN FASTER?
Download our FREE “NEED FOR SPEED” GUIDE to discover effective, proven training techniques that will enhance your child’s speed and performance on the field.
Final Thoughts: Developing Speed for Long-Term Success
Speed ladders may look fancy, but the truth is that they won’t make your child faster in the long run. Instead of focusing on trendy tools, invest in real speed training that focuses on strength, sprinting mechanics, and explosiveness. With the right approach, your child will be running faster and performing better in no time!
