Reaction Speed Drill 1

• This drill involves participants reacting to an audible stimuli. This is particularly effective for sprinters who require a fast, explosive response upon the sound of the starter's pistol. Participants start from the blocks (in the set position), standing or lying on the ground. A coach or partner stands behind the participants to remove any visual stimuli. When the coach claps or blows his whistle, participants must react as quickly as possible, exploding into a sprint for 30m or another set distance.
  
  

Reaction Speed Drill 2

• This drill involves a coach or partner standing 5m from the participant. The participant must use the visual cue of his coach or partner releasing a tennis ball from shoulder height and react quickly enough to catch the ball before its second bounce. This is an effective, sport-specific drill for baseball, softball and racket-sport players.
  
  

Reaction Speed Drill 3

• Soccer or basketball players begin the drill dribbling the ball slowly in a straight direction. When the coach make a audible cue of "left," "right," "forward" or "backward," participants sprint in that direction over a set distance while keeping the ball under control. This drill also works using pointing to train visual reaction speed.
  
  

Overspeed Training

• Overspeed training involves training at a higher speed than your sport requires. For example, a baseball player may use a pitching machine set to 120mph. His brain begins to adapt to the higher speed, allowing him to process the visual stimuli of a slower pitch more effectively and react faster as a result.