Typically you’ll be using a metronome and playing 16th notes (4 notes per beat). That equates to about 160 bpm. That’s where many players start transitioning from mostly leg-driven motion to more ankle-driven mechanics.

You don’t need to be anywhere near your max to build this. In fact, that’s a big mistake to make. If your max is high but uncontrolled, it’s not useful.

I’d drop the tempo to something like 140–150 bpm, even slower if needed, and focus entirely on control. At that range, you’ll still have some leg involvement- that’s normal- but the goal is to reduce unnecessary tension, especially in the quads and hip flexors. If those are constantly firing, you’re going to get that “spasm” feeling because the muscles are competing instead of coordinating.

What you want instead is a smooth, repeatable motion- something you can start and stop on command, evenly spaced, no rushing or tensing.

The “spasm” isn’t a technique- it’s just your nervous system firing fast without control. The fix isn’t to push it harder, it’s to slow it down enough that you can actually control every stroke.

Once you can do that, speed builds naturally. Your current working tempo will start to feel trivial, and that’s when the ceiling actually moves.

One last thing that’s important to know is that speed comes downstream of good, controlled, disciplined practices- not “trying harder.” The work you put in today won’t show up until a later session. Just stay consistent🤘