Mini-hurdles have become a popular tool for iimproving both linear and lateral speed over the last few years.   However, as is usually the case, many coaches simply have their athletes run through various drills thinking that their athletes are actually improving!

Here are two cases in point:

1. I recently watched a group of about thirty freshman football players participate in a speed session hosted by a self-proclaimed 'speed expert' performance company.  In the middle of the horrific session, the coach pulled out a set of six 18" mini-hurdles and spaced them apart progressively farther between each hurdle.
   
   The coach had the players sprint full speed over the hurdles claiming to work on top in speed without any attention to mechanics.   He was telling the boys that because they could not complete the drill is the reason why their forties were bad.  As you would expect, one of the faster guys ended up injuring his hamstring because he was well overstriding, placing his foot well in front of his center of gravity on ground contact, and POW is snaped!
2. I read in the latest strength journal an article on speed training for tennis.   The authors suggest having the players run through mini-hurdles to improve lateral speed.  While this makes sense, it is the picture that tells a completely different story!
   
   The girl in the picture is COMPLETELY quad dominant going through the hurdles, almost doing butt kicks while completing the drill.  This error often goes unnoticed by coaches but in my opinion contributes to making the athlete actually slower.   
   
   Below is a short video I created this afternoon to show you my point.  If the goal is to help the athlete improve footspeed and acceleration, let's make sure we are setting them up for success and not for failure!