Do you know any drills to increase foot speed? I play racquetball and want to increase my foot speed and initial push-off. Any suggestions? Thanks!

--madmac191

Mac, foot speed and initial push-off are separate, but related. In all racquet sports, you want that first step in the direction of the ball to be an explosive one. This requires strength. As you close on the ball, you have to make adjustments to your stride length so that you don't set up too close to the ball and jam yourself when you return the shot. So it's best not to run at full stretch. Developing foot speed allows you to cover the court, change directions and make adjustments on the fly.

Speed and power are a function of strength, so make your legs stronger. If you're not yet weight training, you should start. If you go to a gym, use the leg extension, leg curl and leg press machines. If there isn't a press available, do half squats. If you work out at home, get some dumbbells and do squats and lunges while holding the dumbbells in your hands. Remember that you're getting stronger for racquetball, not football, so choose a resistance that allows you to do 12 to 15 reps each set for two or three sets.

Another way to build power is through the use of plyometric exercises. Here's one: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart in a half squat, as if you were about to receive a tennis serve. Leap as high in the air as you can, and land gently in the same spot, with your feet the same distance apart as when you started. The moment you settle back into the starting position, leap again. Do this 10 or 12 times. Whew! You're training for explosiveness and working on your endurance, too.

One warm-up/drill I used when I was playing squash -- which has similar demands as racquetball -- was skipping rope. Since racquet sports require spending most court time on the balls of our feet, what better way to develop speed than an exercise that forces you to repeatedly bounce on the balls of your feet? After gently stretching your quads, hamstrings and calves, as well as loosening up your ankles, skip rope for about five minutes, landing on both feet. Then start landing on one foot at a time, changing feet after every 10 jumps.

After a couple of sets on each leg, alternate the landing foot. Once you get into a good rhythm, pick up the pace. Eventually you want to turn the rope fast enough so that you're literally sprinting in place. This forces you to get your feet up and down in a hurry. Do this until you miss or run out of gas.

Start out again slowly and gradually build up speed. This will also increase your endurance. Don't spend more than 15 or 20 minutes on this drill, since it gets really strenuous.

All these drills and strengthening exercises will make your legs tighter than they already are, so really focus on stretching your leg muscles (especially your calves) after a workout or playing a match.

For more on training for racquetball, you should read Winning Racquetball by Ed Turner and Woody Clouse. It's available from Human Kinetics (1-800-747-4457). Human Kinetics will also have books on plyometrics for you. Go get 'em, Mac!

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