You should know your max speed with a divided focus.
You know your max deadlift, your best mile time, and your squat PR. Objectively measuring and improving your speed with a divided focus is important to know too.
Why?
Because your performance relies heavily on the ability to move with speed and precision under conditions of divided focus.
Objectively measuring how much your speed changes when adding a divided focus gives you the opportunity to improve it. Training this with intention gives you a distinct advantage, particularly when in visually complex conditions.
A divided focus increases the demand on your visual system.
In environments with little visual stimulus your visual system will help with your balance and precision of movement, but when the visual system has a more complex task your other sensory systems (somatosensory and vestibular) need to step up.
Watch videos of athletes performing ladder agility drills, they are almost all staring directly down at their feet.
But are the conditions that require the greatest speed and agility the ones where we can look down at the ground?
No.
Speed, precision, and agility are most needed in visually dynamic environments.
These are not conditions where you can afford to slow down, especially as a tactical athlete.
That’s why you should train this skill with intention to maximize your capability in this area. As you do you’ll elevate your performance under chaos, and become an even greater asset to your team.
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