Acceleration wall drill
Leaning into a wall at about 45 degrees on straight arms, you drive one knee up and punch the foot back down under your hips, first one leg at a time and then fast, rehearsing the body angle and leg action of a sprint start without moving. A 3-count wall drill opened an 8-week speed and agility programme that improved 20 and 30 metre sprints in young female footballers more than their usual training (Lee 2024).
Movement guide
Acceleration wall drill
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Make it easier or harder
Choose a version that fits your control and comfort.
Easier option
Practise this same drill at a comfortable pace for less time, keeping its technique. NHS strength exercises
Harder option
3D demoOverhead dumbbell swingIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebellSimilar move, intermediate grade.
Source-researched guide. Clinical review is pending.
How to move
- Stand a long step back from a wall and lean into it on straight arms at about 45 degrees, hands at shoulder height, body in one line from head to heels, feet together on their balls.
- Drive your right knee up quickly until the thigh is nearly level, the heel tucked under the hip and the toes pulled up, and hold for a moment.
- Drive the foot straight back down to the floor under your hips, then do the same with the left leg, then the right again.
- As the third foot lands, switch legs as fast as you can for a few seconds, keeping the lean and the straight body line.
Form cues
- Keep the ears, hips and ankles in one line.
- Strike the floor under your hips, not in front of them.
- Avoid: bending at the waist or letting the hips sag.
Practice and cautions
3 to 4 rounds of the count (3 single drives, then 3 to 5 seconds of fast switches), resting about 30 seconds between (our editorial starting point).
Use a solid wall and shoes that grip so your feet cannot slide back; the lean puts weight through the hands and wrists. This is movement education, not an assessment or treatment prescription. Stop for sharp or increasing pain, dizziness, numbness or tingling; seek individual guidance for symptoms, injury or restrictions.
Sources and review status
Sources support the educational description; they do not establish that this exercise is suitable for you.
- Lee 2024 · An 8-week speed, agility and quickness programme that opened with a 3-count wall drill improved 20 and 30 m sprints in under-20 female footballers (trial, PLOS ONE) ↗
- Haugen 2019 · Training sprint performance: drills are slower and easier to control than sprinting and sit in the warm-up; acceleration runs of 10 to 50 m from a crouched or three-point start, with full recovery (review, Sports Medicine Open) ↗
- Free Exercise DB · community text ↗
Unlicense · Free Exercise DB contributors; derived from wrkout/exercises.json. Text import; no photographs or media. · Revision f00c92c7dcf1216a928a52c3706c7ce8e2f71ed5
No variation is labeled clinically validated.
What it works
Muscles
Main: Hip flexors, Glutes, Hamstrings. Also: Calves, Quads, Abs.
Anatomy: Iliopsoas, Rectus femoris, Pectineus, Gluteus maximus, Piriformis, Obturator internus.
Equipment
A wall
Level
Beginner. See the easier and harder options above.
Workouts that use it
- American football warm-up: run, move, land and accelerate · 15 min
- Sprint speed workout: drills, accelerations and flying sprints · 45 min
- Lacrosse warm-up: run, move, land, cut and rehearse · 15 min
- Sprint and hurdles warm-up: drills, hips, build-ups and starts before training or a race · 20 min
- Sled workout: pushes, drags and rows for speed or fitness · 40 min
Guides that use it
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Questions people ask
What muscles does the Acceleration wall drill work?
Mainly the hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings, with help from the calves, quads and abs.
What equipment do I need for the Acceleration wall drill?
A wall.
Is the Acceleration wall drill good for beginners?
It is graded beginner, so it suits most people starting out. When it feels easy, try the Overhead dumbbell swing.
How do I make the Acceleration wall drill harder?
Progress to the Overhead dumbbell swing or the Bench jump-over. Follow that guide’s technique and any stated timing.