Acceleration Gate Sprint
Speed & Acceleration
Legend
- player
- cones
- ball
- movement path
How it works
Develop acceleration technique through a timed sprint through three acceleration gates with the ball.
What you need
- field hockey stick
- field hockey ball
- cones
Your focus
Gated sprint drills teach players to accelerate in a straight line with maximum efficiency. Performing them with a ball makes the speed training game-relevant. Timing creates motivation and tracks improvement over the season.
Set 3 cones at 5, 10, and 15 yards from start.
Player starts from a standing position with ball.
Sprint to each cone, touching the cone with the stick before continuing.
Time the full 15-yard sprint; target improvement of 0.1 seconds per session.
Goal
You're there when you hit each gate faster than the last, building speed through all three checkpoints, not just the first.
Helpful cues
- First 3 steps matter most, go hard immediately
- Keep the ball to your side on the run, not in front
- Chin down in the first phase of acceleration
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
No ball, build sprint technique first.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Sprint and receive a pass at the final cone; finish with a shot.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.