In any sport, both quickness and speed are important. Yet they are not identical skills.
Quickness is the athlete’s instant reaction and movement time when faced with an external stimuli. Think of an NFL cornerback eyeing the quarterback, and then making a lightning-fast decision to pursue a receiver to his left, rather than his right.
Speed, meanwhile, is generally viewed as a less stimuli-driven skill. Think of a track runner or, with our previous example, the wide receiver. For each of these athletes, yes, they are responding to a stimuli – the starting gun or the quarterback’s snap – but in each case their routes are generally well-defined. It’s only when a stimuli is introduced that quickness, rather than speed, enters the equation.
These details may seem insignificant but they have a profound impact on your training regimen. Our team of trainers will work with you to develop a personalized speed or quickness training program that helps you achieve optimal performance.