In modern strength and conditioning, velocity-based training (VBT) has surged in popularity as coaches and athletes look for methods to enhance speed, power, and neuromuscular efficiency. However, long before VBT became a buzzword in the strength and conditioning world, legendary Spanish coach Lluis Bruguera had already implemented velocity-based principles in his on-court training methods. His famous racquet speed drills, which emphasized maximal swing velocity with little rest between repetitions, were widely adopted in Spain and became a cornerstone of the country’s elite player development.
Bruguera’s drills weren’t just an accidental byproduct of Spanish tennis philosophy—they were an intentional way to overload the neuromuscular system, forcing the body to adapt by increasing swing speed, improving motor unit recruitment, and enhancing racquet acceleration. In hindsight, it’s clear that Spain was decades ahead of the curve in applying velocity-based training to a sport-specific context. Today, as VBT systems using linear position transducers, accelerometers, and radar guns are revolutionizing how athletes train for speed and power, it’s worth recognizing that the foundations of such training existed long ago on the red clay courts of Spain.
The Science of Velocity-Based Training
Velocity-based training (VBT) is rooted in force-velocity principles, which state that power output depends on both force production and movement velocity. In traditional strength training, power is often developed by lifting heavy loads at moderate speeds. However, research has shown that training with light-to-moderate resistance at maximum velocity can be just as effective—if not more so—for increasing rate of force development (RFD).
Key neuromuscular adaptations that occur with velocity-based training include:
- Improved Motor Unit Recruitment – By training at high speeds, the nervous system is forced to activate high-threshold motor units, which are essential for generating rapid force.
- Enhanced Rate of Force Development (RFD) – The ability to generate force quickly is crucial in tennis, where split-second reactions and high-speed racquet acceleration determine success.
- Optimized Intermuscular and Intramuscular Coordination – The muscles learn to fire in the most efficient sequence, improving overall movement efficiency and reducing wasted energy.
- Increased Fast-Twitch Muscle Fiber Utilization – Max-velocity training preferentially recruits Type II muscle fibers, which are responsible for explosive movements like serving, forehand acceleration, and recovery steps.
While VBT in the weight room often involves monitoring bar speed during exercises like squats and bench presses, Lluis Bruguera’s on-court velocity training applied the same principles directly to racquet sports, allowing athletes to develop explosiveness in their sport-specific movement patterns.
The Rise of Velocity-Based Training in Strength and Conditioning
While Spain was integrating VBT into on-court training decades ago, the strength and conditioning world only recently embraced velocity-based training as a formal methodology. In the 1990s and early 2000s, pioneering research on bar velocity tracking led to the development of tools like Tendo Units, GymAware, and Push Bands, which allowed coaches to monitor bar speed in real-time.
VBT has since gained traction across sports like Olympic weightlifting, track and field, and football, where power production is critical. By focusing on movement velocity instead of just load, athletes can train for maximal explosiveness without unnecessary fatigue. This method has revolutionized how strength and conditioning coaches program power training, and today, it is widely used at the highest levels of sport.
However, what sets Bruguera’s methods apart is that he was applying these same velocity principles without the use of modern technology. His approach was entirely practical, intuitive, and repeatable, using on-court drills to achieve the same neuromuscular overload and power adaptations that VBT practitioners now seek in the gym.
Speed-Endurance vs. Power Development
One of the most valuable aspects of Bruguera’s approach is that his drills didn’t just build pure velocity—they also developed speed-endurance.
- Power development involves maximizing force production in the shortest possible time. In tennis, this translates to higher racquet head speed and more explosive shot production.
- Speed-endurance, on the other hand, is the ability to maintain high-velocity efforts over time. Tennis players don’t just need to swing fast once; they must sustain high-intensity movements for hours.
Bruguera’s racquet speed drills were designed to train both qualities simultaneously. By performing repeated maximal swings with minimal rest, the neuromuscular system was overloaded in a way that both increased peak racquet head speed and improved the ability to sustain high-output efforts late in matches.
This is a major advantage over conventional power training, which often involves long rest intervals to maximize peak output but fails to address the repeated-effort demands of match play.
The Famous Spanish Racquet Speed Drill
One of the most well-known velocity-based training drills in Spain, created and popularized by Lluis Bruguera, is a simple but highly effective method to develop racquet acceleration.
Drill Setup and Execution:
- The coach stands in front of the player, softly hand-tossing 8-10 balls in rapid succession.
- The player swings at maximum velocity on every shot, focusing on pure racquet head speed.
- There is minimal rest between repetitions, forcing the athlete to sustain high-speed swings even under slight fatigue.
- This overloads the neuromuscular system, forcing adaptations in motor unit recruitment, rate of force development, and swing mechanics.
This drill can also be simulated with a ball machine, set to deliver balls rapidly at a consistent height and location, allowing for repeated maximal swings without external variability.
Bruguera’s drill, along with many other Spanish training methods, is detailed in my new book, Secrets of Spanish Tennis 2.0, which explores the training philosophies that have made Spain one of the most successful tennis nations in the world.
Conclusion
The Spanish tennis system, spearheaded by visionaries like Lluis Bruguera, was implementing velocity-based training principles long before modern strength and conditioning embraced them. His racquet speed drills were designed to maximize swing velocity, improve neuromuscular efficiency, and enhance speed-endurance, making them one of the most effective methods for developing explosive ball-striking.
As VBT continues to gain prominence in high-performance training, it’s worth acknowledging that the Spanish were already ahead of the curve, applying these principles on the court decades before the rest of the sports world caught on. The legacy of Bruguera’s training methods lives on in the success of Spanish tennis and in the continued evolution of high-performance athletic development.