By Mark Keil, CSCS

The arms play a vital role in speed production. And failure to drive the arms can not only cost your athlete speed, but also energy. 

However, simply moving the arms is not enough. Your athlete must move their arms correctly if they’re going to increase their speed.

What’s the correct arm motion? 

Movement should occur at the shoulders. I tell athletes all the time, ‘You can chop at the elbows all day and not increase your speed’. So be intentional about having your athlete drive their arms at the shoulders. 

And as your athlete drives their arms, they should try to maintain a 90-degree angle at the elbows. It can be difficult to maintain this degree of flexion in the elbow, but it’s something to work toward. 

If you’re interested in more ways to improve your athlete’s speed, then I encourage you to check out our Speed & Agility Course. We’ll take a more in-depth look at Arm Mechanics and give you some drills to practice with your athlete. 

Overall, Arm Mechanics is a relatively easy fix that can yield immediate results.