Thigh drive is a pillar in the speed development game. If you are a coach telling your athlete to run with high knees, you do not know what you are doing! Thigh drive is NOT the same as high knees. Thigh drive drills assists the athlete in properly folding their leg when sprinting. It is important to cue this movement correctly. Not only is the thigh drive itself critical, but the athlete must:
- perform proper dorsiflexion
- maintain a neutral pelvis
- embrace their abs
- employ their arm action
Here are a few examples of a day that focused on thigh drive with a college football player.
- Bounding drills
- Leg Fold Drills
- Hanging Leg Fold
- Hurdles (not higher than knee)
- Let Gos