Soccer Specific Speed Ladder Training - notice the good body position of the athlete and how closely it mimics the movement you see on the field...

Chochi Valenzuela, Director - Speed Trainers USA

Soccer Speed Ladder Training Done the Right Way!  If you want and expect the best results from your players you've got to train them the right way.

Laying a speed ladder on the ground and having your players run through it telling them to 'go faster' without any technique teaching is the equivalent of having a bunch of Rec players kick a ball at eachother and calling it a passing drill.

I said earlier that the speed ladder is the 'Best Training Tool for Soccer EVER!" but only if you use the tool properly. 

Some trainers say that 'technique is everything in speed', I say "the ability to teach technique is everything in soccer speed training!"  That being said read on with a teachers mindset.

OK, the Speed Ladder is the greatest tool to develop foot speed quickness for soccer players and athletes that's been introduced into the arena of player development in the last 15 years.

You've probably seen them at the field and said to yourself "that's really great, it looks like fun but... how do you use them?"

If you are a coach, trainer, player or a parent you can see the benefits of speed training with the speed ladder but "How Do You Use It" and "How Do You Use it Effectively?"

First things first: Your quickest success will come by building the foundation of Technique. Correct technique is the foundation of all your speed training.

If you are new to training on the speed ladder, just go through the ladder placing one foot in each square. This will give you an idea of how the speed ladder challenges your foot speed quickness and balance.

Note:  Over 40 footwork patterns are available to SoccerSpeedTraining.com members!

Here are the areas of you need to focus on to get the best out of your players and your sessions.  I also highly recommend that you teach them in this sequence as I found it extremely effective.

:: Player Development Focus During Soccer Speed Ladder Training ::

1. Balance First! Each foot strike on the ground is an opportunity for you to control your body/balance and accelerate in another direction. No balance, no speed!

2. Get the Footwork Pattern Down! Each footwork pattern takes time to adjust to and learn. Some players pick it up faster but time has to be given to learn the sequence of steps.

3. Get the Rhythm! Each footwork pattern has a certain rhythm; once you get the rhythm of the footwork, add #3.

4. Pump Your Arms! Each footstep should include the opposite arm balancing the body in a sprinting motion (elbows bent at a 90 degree angle or less for quicker foot speeds). When you add the arm swings, you will notice that this will alter your balance. So focus on your Balance & Rhythm while maintaining your arm swings at the same time.

5. Add Speed! Speed should be added in small controlled increments. If your Technique/Balance/Rhythm falters during this section, slow down! Technique is more important than speed.

6. Look Forward! - Intermediate Training!  Rather than looking down at the ladder, for intermediate level training look at the end of the ladder or at a soccer ball at the end of the ladder. This is more game like.

7. Add Upper Body Fake! - Advanced Training!  Lots of the speed ladder drills I use directly mimic the moves that player's use during games.  You can have the players add an upper body movement, fake and/or feint into the footwork patterns to reproduce how they would actually move game situations.

For advanced training practice the fakes/feints on the speed ladder included in the Video Training Area for Platinum Members.

Soccer Speed Training is a set of Specific Technique's that make your players faster in all the game situations they encounter - Learn to teach these techniques and you will become a valuable asset to any team, program or community.

PS.  Remember this -  Speed Without Technique is a Waste of Your Time and Energy. Train Smarter, Better and Faster!

Chochi Valenzuela - Director of SpeedTrainersUSA.com and SoccerSpeedTraining.com