Coaching Insights Into Pickup Acceleration
Date
Authors
Pryer, Mark
Cronin, John
Neville, Jono
Korfist, Chris
Uthoff, Aaron
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association
Abstract
In team sports, sprint acceleration from a moving start, or, in coaching terminology, “pickup acceleration”—is a critical, yet different, skill that occurs more frequently than acceleration from a static start. Despite its importance, pickup acceleration remains underexplored compared to traditional sprint mechanics, which primarily focus on stationary starts. Given the paucity of research, a practice-based evidence approach was employed in this study, gathering insights from expert coaches (N = 13, coaching collegiate, professional, Olympic, or elite high school athletes) to identify the essential physical and technical attributes for enhancing pickup acceleration performance. The surveyed coaches identified lower body force and power production (54%), lower body elasticity and stiffness (38%), hip and ankle range of motion (15%), coordination (38%), and core rotational strength and stability (31%) as essential physical qualities for pickup acceleration proficiency. From a technical perspective, the change in center of mass height (31%) and center of mass angle (46%), anterior touchdown distance, and shin angle (23%), hip separation angle (23%), and optimization of step kinematics (step length and step frequency; 31%) were thought crucial to maximizing acceleration and efficiency. Additionally, distinctions were noted between acceleration from walking versus jogging starts, with each entry type requiring specific adjustments in force application and body alignment. Understanding the determinants and how to assess pickup acceleration can help delineate between track speed and sports speed, enabling coaches to tailor pickup acceleration training for improved performance in terms of sport specificity.Description
Keywords
42 Health Sciences, 4207 Sports Science and Exercise, Sprinting, acceleration, training, linear sprint speed, high speed running
Source
International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, ISSN: 2634-2235 (Print); 2634-2235 (Online), International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association, 6(1). doi: 10.47206/ijsc.v6i1.580
Publisher's version
Rights statement
Copyright (c) 2026 Mark Pryer, Prof. John Cronin, Dr. Jono Neville, Chris Korfist, Dr. Aaron Uthoff. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.