Some Fundamental Aspects of Sprinting

Technique

Ralph Mann described two different factions in track in regard to starting. One he says, "advocates a powerful, explosive start that seeks to jump out and make steps as long as possible (Jump Start), and one that believes that the action should be a quick turnover action that makes the steps as short as possible (Shuffle Start)." He said that both starts can be effective. I say this to recognize that there is a bandwidth of acceptability, and I'm sure that many athletes that start effectively fall somewhere between Mann's two descriptions. In some of my other blogs I'll get more into the differences Mann points out in regard to the two factions.

Another very important description of two different styles of starting can be found in the book Running by Frans Bosch and Ronald Klomp. It states; "At the start of a sprint, the upper body is leaning forward. This position is achieved either by bending the spinal column quite far combined with a slight pelvic tilt forward, or by tilting the pelvis far to the front combined with little or no flexion in the spinal column." Very importantly, it is explained how the "little or no flexion" choice allows the erector spinae muscle group to be better utilized than is the case when the spinal column is bent quite far, and how this advantage can facilitate more effective force application and various superior movement dynamics.

Forward to the 45 second point of this video and you will see the young lady in lane one assuming the starting position with less bend in the spinal column, and in my opinion, more forward pelvic tilt than the young lady in lane two. In my mind, an important aspect is identifying this when the athletes are in the three- and four-point starting positions, of course, including when starting blocks are used.

Forward to the 3 minute and 25 second point in this video, and I feel this is also the difference in "set" position of Tate Taylor, lane 4, as opposed to the "set" position of Brayden Williams, lane 5. In my mind, Taylor exhibits less spinal flexion and more forward pelvic tilt, and Williams rolls into the position that features more spinal flexion and less forward pelvic. For a sprint as short as a forty-yard dash, my belief is that both styles often can yield similar times. For the 100 and 200-meter dashes, with the importance of getting the most out of max velocity, I feel that the "little or no flexion in the spinal column with more pelvic tilt" works best. In some of my blogs I get deeper into this, but in regard to using starting blocks, I maintain that my method of teaching starting block use, especially with using my Level One Blocks, make it a lot easier for athletes to more naturally develop the starting style best suited for them! 

Having Said All of That

Many training runs for sprinters are initiated in a manner that spares the legs some wear and tear. Athletes are allowed to roll into the start in some fashion or otherwise start less explosively than they would if they were competing. Sometimes there is some type of exaggerated push off followed by long strides, etc... A related issue is that most training runs are done from a standing start, and it is more difficult to execute a really good start from the standing position unless the athlete is allowed to roll into it. When doing a standing start and not allowed to roll into it, the dynamics of the coordination of the "quick side" (side of the rear foot) of the body and the power side (side of the front foot) is a vital component. One visible thing that is seen is that the front foot will have a slight movement prior to combining with the rear foot for the double leg push off. This is part of a loading mechanism. Rolling into the start changes force application and the direction of that application. In my mind it is perfectly fine for athletes to save the legs from wear and tear, but athletes and their coaches need to recognize how this affects technique.

What next becomes valuable is for the athlete to maximize coordination and performances during training runs from the other starting stances. When one or two hands are on the ground sharing bodyweight, although the slight movement of the front foot won't occur, it still makes a difference if the athlete is allowed to roll into the start as opposed to learning how to maximize a legal start.

In Addition

Adarian Barr describes some key aspects of movement in this video. He references gravity and the two falls an athlete should experience with each stride while running. Coaches and athletes must also understand that reflexes are an important part of the deal. Three reflexes often identified as important contributors during successful sprinting are the stumble reflex, crossed extensor reflex, and the stretch reflex. In my mind, a good choice coaches can make, is to do a lot of studying to gain a deep understanding of their craft and possibly develop their "coaching eye" to the extent that they can identify the falling athletes exhibit, the contribution of reflexes, etc..., when they are looking at sprinting, jumping, hurdling, etc..., at full speed, and learn to give appropriate cues to help facilitate successful execution.  This video alludes briefly describes the stumble and crossed extensor reflex, but I suggest checking out the book Running by Bosch and Klomp for a more thorough explanation. This awesome video does a super job in regard to the stretch reflex.

In my experiences, less than skillful wording and cues given, and/or a coach's misunderstanding of subject matter can be counterproductive. Sprinting, ideally, occurs with a very high stride rate, I often qualify what I'm telling my athletes by telling them that they will best work things out when competing with others, and I add that at times, after the fact, they may say to themselves, "wow, I felt what coach was talking about that time", but again, things should happen fast through sufficient ranges of motion, with an effective use of power, timing and rhythm. Many times, I like to use general terms like "moving well", "moved away from competitors", etc..., to keep things in the proper perspective when talking to athletes about technique.

Some Details of the "On Your Marks" and "Set" Positions During Starts

The "On Your Marks" position is characterized by what I call "dynamic positioning and balancing" to coordinate body parts to prepare to move into the "Set" position. Visible movements typically cease as the sprinter settles into a position that has the right degree of tension in his/her system and pressure on the ground/blocks to be able to efficiently move into a good "Set" position. There is a favoring of the side of the body of the leg that is forward, as that side is often referred to as the "power" side, with the other side being called the "quick" side. Forward to the 4 minute and 30 second mark of this video for Tom Tellez"s description of what transpires at the establishment of the "Set" position. The "lean" he describes along with having adequate weight over the feet, is found in successful starts from all positions. In order to have adequate weight over the feet during the establishment of the "Set" position, often there is, for lack of better terms, a slight "rocking" or "pressing" back in conjunction with the "lean" Tellez described. For a good example of this, forward to the 2 minute 45 second point of this video and look at Trayvon Bromell (lane 5) go up into the "set" position. I could be mistaken but he seems to execute his step after block clearance without dragging a toe. In my mind a good thing!

Rhythm and Timing

As you read the following blogs, be sure to note the progressions in stride rate, stride frequency, time spent on the ground verses time spent in the air, and how the hips, ideally are to progressively rise. These are important ingredients to the rhythm and timing the sprinter experiences.

Some Limiting Factors 

For sprinting, 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 that often go hand in hand with these abilities. I believe it is important for coaches to attempt to assess their athletes early on in regard to their physical qualities, and execution of fundamental aspects. 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.  

FLEXIBILTY

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 (rest his soul)," 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).

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. The summer of 2024, I participated in the Altis Apprentice Coach Program 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. ​​​​​​​

STRENGTH/CONDITIONING

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 to help maximize performances when sprinting. Deficiencies in the needed specific power and strength can manifest themselves as collapsing hips, knees and/or ankles during movement up the track. Poorly conditioned bodies are also prone to injury. 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, reinforcing the way muscles should fire, etc... My "Physical Development" blog covers this as well as conditioning.