T test

The T Test is a drill frequently used in the world of sports and training, very simple to perform and that only requires little equipment. This test is useful to measure the subject’s acceleration and changes of direction abilities, as well as how he/she is capable to displace by varying way the he/she moves. All these factors are considered determinant from a performance point of view in most sports.

• Required Material: A flat non-slip surface, four 1-foot tall cones and marks to delimit the course of the circuit, a tape measure and a stopwatch.

• Procedure: Four cones are placed in T-shaped pattern, as shown in the illustration. The goal of this test is to complete the course (A-B-C-D-B-A) in the shortest possible time. The subject gets ready with his/her foot behind the starting line (A) in a sprint start position and on the evaluator’s signal he/she starts running at maximum speed until completion by returning back to the A cone. The sections between the cones must be run in different ways and the subject must touch the cones with his/her hand as follows:
  • A – B: running straight ahead and touching cone B with right hand
  • B – C: running sideways and touching cone C with left hand
  • C – D: running sideways and touching cone D with right hand
  • D – B: running sideways and touching cone B with left hand
  • B – A: running backwards

The test finishes when the subject crosses the finish line (cone A), with any part of his/her body. There the stopwatch will be stopped and the elapsed time will be registered. The test will be considered invalid if the subject crosses his feet one in front of the other when running sideways or if he fails to touch a cone with his/her hand during the test.

• Assessment: It is measured in seconds (sec) and the subject has a maximum of 3 attempts. In Fisicalcoach, the lowest time, as well as the mean and the median can be recorded.

• Remarks: Since in exercises that require changes of direction performance depends on the angle and speed during execution, different tests should be considered and the most specific and appropriate one should be chosen in each case. Fisicalcoach has a large set of tests available to perform.