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Running the 40 Yard Dash

johnmakell
Apr 24, 20244 min read

Updated: Mar 2



Stance and Start


If you read my other blogs, you'll see that I'm a proponent of creating leverage and momentum via skillful positioning, balance, coordination, and timing. A big part of that is learning how to be poised to react well and explosively out of a standing start, and to then be able to carry those skills over to the other starting positions. So, I suggest that you read my blogs pertaining to starting and accelerating, including max velocity.


A major difference for the 40 is that the athlete is able to decide when to start, as opposed to waiting on a starter's gun. In a typical sprint, where there is a starter giving commands, when at the top of the "set" position, in anticipation of needing to propel forward and upward, it is normal for the athlete to have a slight lean (described in previous blogs) to take the weight forward a bit. This lean, however; needs to be controlled, and the athlete needs to be coiled and poised to react quickly and to move explosively as I described in other blogs.


When running the 40, since the athlete can choose when to start, this can lead an athlete to lean too much, "overly load up", and try to "over-power the start". This results in a force application that is not as explosive. The objective should be for the athlete to take advantage of being allowed to choose when to start yet still do so explosively.


Learn How a Good 100-Meter Dash is Run


I think it is valuable to acquaint the athlete with how a 100-meter dash should be run. The 100 is a race where, if run skillfully, can allow the athlete to build to the maximum velocity that he/she is capable of.


For the start and initial acceleration for the 100, skillful sprinters will try to utilize as much power as possible, while at the same time trying not to unnecessarily burn energy. Energy conserved can be applied toward continuing to accelerate over much of the race. A max velocity is reached, maintained, and hopefully minimizing the inevitable deceleration.


A major challenge presented when running the 40, of course, is being able to come close to the athlete's max velocity potential for a significant portion of that short distance, obviously not having the luxury of as gradual an acceleration as compared to the 100-meter dash. Doing so without tightening up/tying up, does require skill!


The Start Defined


My, "The Start is Actually the First Three Steps", "Developing a Good Standing Start" and "Three-Point and Four-Point Start" blogs are must reads for laying the groundwork for an understanding of what starting is, but my other sprint blogs are very important as well, for maximizing starting and overall performance.


Similarity to the 100-Meter Start


Because the aim is to be poised for a pretty much maximum explosion that is directed up the track in an optimal fashion, the first three steps for the 40, in my opinion, will be very similar to the 100-Meter Dash. This includes having an appropriate elevation and a hip height that will progressively rise through each step, but very importantly, even this is impacted as there is just not the time to be very gradual and patient during acceleration. My "Start is Three Steps" blog I quoted Ralph Mann in summing up the start as "three very short Air Phases". Regardless of the shortness of the 40, I believe that rushing these three short air phases is a mistake and can lead to tightening up.


Initial Acceleration After the First Three Steps


Beyond the starting three steps, there is not the time to accelerate as gradually as is done for the 100 meters, so the rhythm of the run will need to be a bit quicker during the projecting and rising of the body. This includes a quicker rhythm for the all-important, rest of the first 10 meters after the starting three steps. As I quoted Ralph Mann in my "Initial Acceleration" Blog, the first 10 meters is where “the production of Horizontal ground force is of critical importance”. After the first three steps is the initial portion of what is commonly called the "drive phase". Being in touch with the effects of the Horizontal ground forces early on, will allow the athlete to best apply them later in the race. Check out my "Initial Acceleration" blog for details.


Beyond the 10-Meter Mark


Mann stated, “The maximum velocity that the athlete can produce is dependent upon how long productive Horizontal forces can be applied. As long as the Total Horizontal force created during ground contact is positive, Horizontal Velocity will increase." With the shortness of the run, this should not be a problem, however; once again, being in touch with the effects of these forces, as well as the rhythm needed, will allow the athlete to use them skillfully as vertical forces become more and more prevalent as the run progresses.


Cues for the Athlete


For powerful athletes, beyond the 10-meter mark, there may be some drive phase left as the hips and body continue to assume a taller position. Velocity should be increasing as the body becomes more upright and there is the "pelvic repositioning" described in previous blogs to transition into the top speed gear. This transition occurs sooner in the 40 than in the 100-meter dash. A key is for the athlete is to be able to attain high velocities soon enough to be able to use them over as much of the 40-yard dash as possible as I stated earlier. See my Max Velocity blog.


In the 100 there is a noticeable bounciness to top speed, as learning to apply vertical forces effectively is critically important. For the 40, with the adjusted rhythm, there won't be quite the bouncing. See my "Max Velocity" blog for details of applying vertical forces.











 
 
 

Comments

Runners Taking Off

               The Start Doctor

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The start of a race can set the table for success throughout the rest of the race. The top speed (max velocity) attained in the race is of the utmost importance, but the skill of executing and managing various aspects during the start and initial acceleration, not only impacts performance during the early portion of the race but also can put the athlete in position to maximize the quality and effectiveness of the top speed. So, for sprinters in the sport of track and field, failure to skillfully utilize the starting blocks can negatively impact the entire race. There must be an effective teaching strategy because using starting blocks can provide quite a challenge for athletes of all stages of maturity and ability levels. My suggestion is to focus on skillfully starting and accelerating from various positions without blocks before adding starting blocks. Pushing off from the ground obviously involves some differences when compared to starting from the angled platform that the starting blocks provide, but there are key aspects that are more easily mastered without blocks, that then can be applied to using blocks. Conversely, focusing on using starting blocks without mastering some of the key aspects that I'm alluding to can prevent the athlete from ever maximizing their performances. Read on for the learning progression that I use to develop fundamentally sound starting block use. This teaching method can also be used to enhance the abilities of starting, stopping, changing direction, and achieving top speed effectively during other sports where prowess in these areas is important.

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Ironically

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This is not to say that athletes need to spend an inordinate amount of time throughout the year practicing starts. As a matter of fact, in the sport of track, many training runs, are not done by starting and accelerating very explosively in order to save the legs from excessive wear and tear, and as I said above, it is the top speed (max velocity), that is the primary consideration. In my opinion this includes the top speed attained in sub max training runs, as the athlete can demonstrate the ability to react and respond effectively and coordinate movements, along with the timing and rhythm to maximize efficiency at the various speeds and intensities, with the idea being for the athlete to develop the ability to maximize running efficiency and effectiveness at any pace. I also maintain that even when moving into starts, ie; with a roll, hop, etc..., or otherwise starting and accelerating in a lesser intense manner, that these reps can still support the development of body control and the maximizing of performance that I just alluded to. When in sufficient condition, and during an appropriate time in the training period, it of course, is beneficial to get reps starting explosively and moving toward and into top speeds in a similar manner that is done during competitions. Doing so allows the athlete the opportunity to master operating with the body and its parts moving through angles, paths, trajectories and applying force in ways that correspond with competitive intensities. When not in sufficient condition, however; repeated intense sprinting can lead to injury. Check out my blogs for my take on maximizing sprint success.

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Some Limiting Factors 

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Various limiting factors are critical components. Some of these factors are strength, flexibility, mechanics, coordination, and conditioning. Much of the information in my blogs pertain to mechanics, but I hope to make it clear how technical aspects are supported by various physical abilities and often go hand in hand with these abilities. I believe it is important for coaches to attempt to assess their athletes early on to try to identify positive physical qualities, as well what mechanics are already being executed skillfully, along with those which are not. This should allow the coach(es) to individualize instruction to some degree. As coaches, we love to find athletes with a lot of raw ability, but it takes a lot of skill for the coach to effectively nurture those abilities and help to effectively steer the athlete. When dealing with youths, age-appropriateness is an important consideration. Coaches need to be able to recognize various limitations athletes may have at the varying levels of maturity and developmental stages as they are trying to accomplish various tasks. Read my blogs for my take on these matters. This very importantly includes recognizing and understanding elite level performances, and identifying areas that even the elite athletes may need to improve upon as well!

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Flexibility

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It is important not to underestimate the importance of flexibility. For child athletes, their flexibility is most often very impressive, but with maturity, as the muscles and tendons strengthen, flexibility inevitably lessens. According to Ralph Mann," The biggest non-genetic factor affecting flexibility, however, is neglect." He explained the critical role flexibility plays, stating, "If a sprinter is not flexible enough in their pelvic area to shift their hips forward at Touchdown, then they are forced to "sit back" at foot strike. This position not only shifts the body center back (insuring more braking forces) but also presents a "soft" (less rigid) body position which leads to time consuming hip flexion, as well as requiring the hips to move through a longer range of motion (both time and energy wasteful).

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In my mind, gaining an understanding of the movements described in the previous Mann quote, and recognizing their part in the athlete's movement up the track from the start of the race, through initial acceleration and top speed is foundational. There are varying degrees of flexibility and ranges of motion demonstrated by successful sprinters. Understanding what Mann explained can help coaches identify various methods of compensation athletes may use, as well as help coaches consider strategies to address root causes of various movement issues. Left unaddressed, some issues not only can hamper performance, but also can lead to injury. It is important to realize that athletes at all levels exhibit compensatory actions related to body structure/development, previous injuries, etc... Although I certainly am not an expert in this area, I hope to provide helpful information in some of my blogs. I participated in the Altis Apprentice Coach Program this past summer in Atlanta, and it made a huge impression upon me when I saw the attention the athletes got on the therapy tables, getting massages and other forms of body work meant to address various issues that if untreated, could have been problematic. 

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Strength/Conditioning

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There is obviously a significant genetic component to strength, but a major challenge for the coach is to adequately address the static, dynamic, and elastic strength needs, as well as getting the athlete to apply these abilities effectively when sprinting. As with flexibility, being able to identify various functional strength needs can be very valuable, and as with flexibility, various functional strength aspects support good technique, ie; joint stability. My "Physical Development" blog covers this as well as conditioning. 

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Important Aspects of Starting Positions Are Shared to Some Degree 

 

Learning to position, balance, and coordinate movements to react quickly and get out and up the track effectively includes recruiting key muscle groups and utilizing reflexes to start explosively while utilizing good ranges of motion while moving up the track with good body positions and applying forces affectively. Learning to do this from the "standing start" position not only can carry over to other sports where movements are initiated from a standing position but can also provide valuable carryover abilities to the 4-point and 3-point starting stances used during sprints. First without blocks, then with blocks. A key issue in my mind, is that many athletes don't feel they are able to react well and move explosively and effectively up the track from the standing position unless allowed to cheat, ie, roll or otherwise move into the start. This leads many to feel that putting one or two hands on the ground is a basic necessity for getting a good start when not allowed to cheat. Also common among sprinters is the feeling that having starting blocks to push off from is a necessity in order to get a good start. Again, this belief can lead to a failure to develop positioning and balancing methods that can lead to maximizing performances, not to mention that many sprinters cheat during block starts also, and as I've said, an effective start and initial acceleration, makes it easier to flow into an effective max velocity. ​​

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In Addition

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Check out this reflexes link also (other link in previous paragraph). Forming an understanding of the roles that reflexes play, as much as anything, can help coaches better understand the high-level performances that they are looking at, and help them to better build upon and enhance these athletes' successes. At an elite or close to elite level, most of the sprinters exhibit impressive reflexes and powerful movements that occur at 4.5 - 5 strides per second, yet some sprinters are obviously consistently better than the others. I hope to be able to describe in my blogs a learning progression that can help identify areas that even elite athletes can improve upon and lead to an improvement in their sprint performances. Read on!

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How Speed Development Impacts Other Sports

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In a perfect world, I believe that speed training that introduces new aspects to the athletes should occur in the off-season where the athlete doesn't have to be overly concerned with quickly seeing results on the field, court, pitch, etc... Having said that, I do believe that the balls, implements, sport specific movements, etc..., need to be adequately incorporated in the speed training even in the off-season, ie; dribbling a basketball, soccer ball, defensive movements, etc... My blogs on incorporating speed into specific sports include videos of how some of the fastest athletes in those sports looked during game play. Once again, athletes should not lose sight of the primary objective still being to effectively execute the fundamentals of the sport. An example is how basketball players are to jump off of one foot under control to shoot a layup after dribbling down the court very fast. A fundamental of jumping events in track applies here. The speed needs to be under control enough to execute the jump effectively, and the last few steps are important for executing this. In my " Speed Training for Basketball" blog I go into the details. There is also the aspect of preparing the joints, tendons, and musculature for the stresses that an improvement of speed may have when starting, stopping, changing direction, jumping/landing, and achieving top speed during play. My blogs address this as well.  

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My Blogs

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Below are the titles of a series of blogs where I go in depth into particular topics. Most of the blogs, however; are less than a 5-minute read. The exception is my The Start is Actually the first Three Steps blog, which is a 9-minute read and pretty much lays the foundation for the rest of the blogs. In regard to sports that feature jumping, pivoting, and changes of direction, I suggest first reading my Care for the Knees blog, as it includes valuable information about the possible susceptibility to non-contact ACL Tears and how possibly to help prevent them. Even if you first read my Preparing Athletes for Sports That Feature Starting, Stopping, and Changes of Direction blog, you will see how it is necessary to get the information from the other blogs.

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That aside, my suggestion is to read the blogs in the order you see below.  You'll notice that I have numerous blogs listed before the blogs that describe the particular starting positions. This is intentional, in order to give you a good overall view before considering the starting positions. You can easily access the blogs using the "Blog" button at the top of this page, then click on each blog that you want to read. You will probably have to scroll down to the "Start is Three Steps" blog. If viewing this on your phone, click on the three lines in the search box at the top of the page, then click on "Blog". I welcome your comments, but I admit, this being a new site, I'm not sure how easy it is to post a comment. I plan to check and respond periodically. 

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My Availability

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I am located in Lexington, South Carolina. The school where I teach Physical Education and coach Track is in session, so, of course, I am occupied with that. You may contact me at youthspeedcoach@gmail.com to see when I am able to consult with groups, ie; track teams/clubs, football teams, soccer teams, basketball teams, etc..., as well as with individuals and small groups for training.

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Now Posted

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The Start is Actually the First Three Steps!

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The Initial Acceleration Beyond the Start

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Rotational and Linear Aspects of Sprinting

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Effective Recruitment and Coordination of Key Muscle Groups

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Developing a Good Standing Start

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The Three-Point and Four-Point Starts 

 

Max Velocity (Top Speed) in a Short Sprint

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Physical Development and Resistance Training for Sprinters

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Sample Early Season Training for Your Sprint - Jump - Hurdle Groups

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Running the 40-Yard Dash

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Care for the Knees During Sports That Involve Jumping, Pivoting, and Cutting

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Preparing athletes for Sports That Feature Starting, Stopping, and Changes of Direction

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Applying Sprinting Skills and Speed to the Football Field

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Speed Training and Basketball

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Speed Training and Soccer

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Contact me at youthspeedcoach@gmail.com for other topics you would like me to address

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