How to improve your 40 yard dash time

The 40 yard dash is the ultimate test of speed at nearly all major football combines. This 40 yard straight sprint is also one of the most important for nearly any position. Even offensive linemen may need to take advantage of their speed when they pull to lead block for a runningback. The sprint may last less than 5 seconds, but there is a lot that goes into it beginning with the stance.

To begin with you stance lets look at this picture to the left. Have your back nearly parallel to the ground with one foot (usually the left) in fron of another. Now put your oposite hand down aligned with the toes of your forward foot. Your hand should be sideways and you should be as close to the starting line as possible. To find a good spot for your back foot, first place both feet next to each other touching, facing the same way. Now turn the toes of the foot you want back 90 degrees to the outside. Now move your heek back so your feet become parallel with one foot just behind the other. Have the hand that isn't down up behind you. Swinging this hand forward at the start will give you momentum.

Now, just before you go, start to lean forwards slightly. Put so much weight on your front foot and fingers that you feel like you are about to fall, then just before you do, shoot out. Push off with your front foot as your back arm swings forward. Don't straighten out for the first 10 yards. After 10 yards, straighten out your back so it is upright and do not slow down until you pass the finish line. As you approach the finish, begin to lean forward to shave a few hundredths of a second off your time.

This is not all there is to know about how to achieve a good 40 yard dash time, but these are the essentials. The start is easily the most essential part to the 40. Also, if it is allowed, having a "bunny" or "shadow" run with you can also help. A bunny or shadow is somebody who runs in the lane next to you and start a little ahead of you. This person isn't timed, but their job is simply to be ahead of you. Most people tend to run faster when they use a "shadow" or a "bunny" because seeing a runner just in front of them motivates them to find speed that they can't find otherwise. I cut my 40 time down from 4.83-4.7 just by using a "bunny". 

Obviously, there is more to a 40 than form. If somebody runs a 5.5, there is no way they can get to a 4.5 just by improving their form. Physical fitness takes a huge role in this, but that is an article for another day.