(Ep060) Lee Taft - “The Speed Guy”: Developing Basketball Speed, Pitfalls to Early Specialization with Youth Athletes, ACL Risk Reduction, Agility Ladders, and More
If a high school, NBA, AAU, or college basketball program wants to make their players faster, stronger, and more resilient, Lee Taft is likely the first person they call. Over the course of his career, Lee has built up a reputation as one of the go-to coaches in basketball, born from his love of the game and own college ball days.
But as you’ll discover in this episode, Lee isn’t just “the speed guy,” but rather one of the deepest thinkers and more caring coaches in the game. One of his strongest attributes is distilling evidence-based insights into simple programs that help athletes of all ages to improve on and off the court. As Indiana Pacers strength and conditioning coach Shawn Windle said, “If your sport requires you to move fast in all directions, then Coach Taft is the one you want to coach you.”
In this episode, you’ll hear Lee talk about:
How sibling rivalry elevated his own basketball game
What made him focus on speed and quickness development
Which drills can help any basketball coach better prepare their players
Why deceleration and change of direction must be trained
How to minimize the risk of ACL tears and other injuries in just a couple of minutes
Learn more about Lee’s work on his website and via his Instagram feed.
