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The Start is Actually the First Three Steps!

johnmakell

Updated: Jan 22

In his book, The Mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling, Ralph Mann said he considers the first three steps to be the start because, "the magnitude of the change in Horizontal Velocity generated during block clearance and the first two steps of the Sprint race is radically different than any other portion of the race." Meaning that the athlete goes from being basically stationary, to moving really fast. I like to refer to these three steps as "getting out". More specifically, I believe steps two and three both help the athlete to "get out" as well as blend into the "driving" portion of the race.


When reading Mann's materials concerning the start, it is important to note that he refers to the first step out of the blocks as “Block Clearance,” and the next two steps as “Step One,” and “Step Two.” Although these three steps occur quickly, executing them successfully can begin certain effective patterns and sequences that continue throughout the race. Having said that, efficiently moving to achieve an effective top speed (max velocity) is the priority! In other words, the objective of a good start is not to jump out to a lead and then try to hang on to it, but rather to execute a start that will help lead to running the best race.


Overview


Even without much coaching or instruction, athletes may exhibit many key fundamentals of running and the various traits explained below to some degree. This includes what was described under "Flexibility" on the Home Page. A coach's basic challenge is to help the athletes to enhance or maintain what is already being executed well, and to improve what is not performed very well.


Some Fundamental Aspects


Ralph Mann, very importantly notes, that the amount of vertical and horizontal forces produced during these first three steps is virtually the same. It may surprise many to hear about the importance of vertical forces being applied to the ground at the start, because this may seem to imply the "popping up" during the start that we know is not what we want our sprinters to do. This video does a good job of showing how horizontal and vertical ground forces combine to take a runner from a starting position toward an upright running position while moving up the track. In his book, Mann thoroughly illustrates and explains how vertical force is required to both, "control rotation" and to deal with "gravity", during the start.


Mann also refers to the start as consisting of "three very short air phases. These are performed to minimize the Vertical emphasis while maximizing the time on the ground and, thus, the ability to produce forces to accelerate the body down the track". Having said this, there should still be an attempt at sufficient elevation. In my opinion, examples of good cues here are, "big enough movements" and "complete movements/actions that are explosive" with "good body positions".


This is where many youths and sprinters in general come up short, especially when using starting blocks. It can be very tempting for athletes to bypass learning how to position and prepare to execute explosive movements that are big enough, but instead, settle for reacting quickly and use the angled block pedals to propel forward in too low of a trajectory, with incomplete movements, bad body positions, and fail to come close to high level combination of stride length and stride frequency that can be applied to the rest of the race. Read on for my take on how this can be accomplished.


High Post Position


It is important for the sprinter to be poised to put big enough forces into the track, and to use big enough movements, to move up and forward into what is referred to as a "high post" position (shown below). Although not having starting blocks to push off against, when coming out of a standing start, this intention can still be there in order to strive to maximize the skills related to positioning and balancing the body to move up the track while vigorously applying force to overcome inertia. My preference is for the athlete to try to accomplish effectively positioning and launching into the race from a good standing start position, as a "lead up" to adding the other aspects of starting that comprise the other starting positions. Again, check out my "Standing Start", "Three-Point and Four-Point Start" blogs for critical information.

Although the front leg contributes the most to the push off into the first step, the rear foot/leg should also contribute as both feet should simultaneously be pushing together for a brief period (double leg drive) as the body moves up the track. Reading further, you will see my explanation of how the quick side of the body (side of the rear leg) and the power side (side of the front leg) coordinate during the execution of the push off from the different starting positions.


As the front leg continues pushing, in coordination with vigorous arm action, the rear leg should continue to explosively flex into the high knee position that you see above. If sufficient hip joint mobility is present, and the body is properly launched into the race, there should be a large split at the knees as the athlete moves up the track (also seen above). Some may refer to this split as the "thighs being separated". Establishing and maintaining this split/separation during acceleration is fundamental to good sprinting and is part of good front side mechanics. This aspect is also evident in this short video.


In my mind, learning to position the body and load the joints for an effective start is not that difficult to pull off when not using starting blocks, but when adding starting blocks and the angled platform of the block pedals, things can get a lot more challenging, especially if the athlete has not yet learned how to start well without blocks. The skills of positioning the body while effectively having the legs "loading toward and against the block pedals", and the need to execute an adequate launch up the track that can then flow effectively into the next two steps and the rest of the race, typically requires a lot of practice, and again, should be led into with various "lead up" activities. So again, read on!


Trunk Discipline and Shin discipline


Although a big and explosive movement up the track with the first step is desired, it is very important to have the trunk discipline that enables a vigorous hip extension without over-using the erector muscles of the back during that extension into the first step as the athlete moves up the track. I specify "over-use" because the back does play an important part in supporting good hip extension and allowing effective force production as the athlete moves up the track with good body positions. Core strength supports being able to separate hip extension from back extension. There should also be a shin discipline present that demonstrates adequate stiffness during the explosive launch into the first step (block clearance) as well as the athlete being adequately stiff when the foot comes back down to the ground. The opposite of this is the ankle collapsing when the foot hits the ground, rolling the shins and pushing out of this to find tension while on the ground. Skillfully positioning and balancing the body to recruit key muscles, react well and explode into the run is a key.


RALPH MANN'S TAKE


Ralph Mann described the importance of controlling extension during block clearance in his The Mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling book. Mann begins with a reference to a diagram, "At the end of the push phase for both the rear foot and the front foot, note that the knee is not fully extended. This indicates that the athlete is not pushing the leg through full extension (just as will be seen in the full speed sprint). This action of actively pulling the feet off the blocks prior to full knee extension is critical for the success of the Start because it does not waste time extending (and then flexing) the knee through the last 20-40 degrees of extension when the action produces only a small amount of additional driving force. The only thing an athlete must remember is that this recovery occurs at the end of the push effort, since some take this action to extremes and fail to get the most out of the initial leg extension action."


In my mind, at the end of the day, the athlete can hone these abilities with good competition in training. Again, see my blogs for specific starting positions, and for how being fundamentally sound in the early stages of the race can yield big benefits.


In Addition


Other important aspects of the high post are, the foot of the leg that is forward is to be dorsi-flexed, and the vigorous arm action demonstrates a good range of motion. Both of these aspects are seen in the photo above. One of the most knowledgeable sprint experts I ever had the pleasure of speaking to, Remi Korchemy, referred to this arm action during a drill we did, as "bird wings".


Completing Step One and Beyond


When headed toward the ground to complete the first step (block clearance), the leg should be dropped back down aggressively and quickly, with the trailing swing leg called into action rapidly and linearly as possible as the body continues efficiently up the track. Without the "trunk discipline" alluded to above, it is more difficult to execute this rapidly. When completing the first stride (block clearance), the arms come from the "bird wings" position, and according to Remi, "during ground contact the arms should be driven down with elbows moving toward the trunk, then immediately back and forth into pumping running actions" (in coordination with the legs for the ensuing strides).


Attached to Remi's Quote in the Previous Section


"This arm drive downward increases loading momentum during compression of the supporting leg, while the swing assists in decompression and unloading the leg. The decompression also coincides with the following ground reaction forces and active hinged pull of the trunk over the foot. These forces and actions determine the speed of the second step and trajectory of the body's center of mass. The more powerful the foot torque and the faster the hinged pull (angular velocity), the more ground reaction forces are delivered from behind the forward moving body mass. This leads to a better horizontal acceleration. The athlete who executes efficient landing and hinged pull, eventually is possessed with tremendous eccentric strength in the knee joint muscles."


FYI and My Thoughts


Among the technical explanations it should not be lost that we are basically talking about creating and utilizing momentum in a very effective way to move the body through space with strides that are executed very explosively, and ideally with some reflexes contributing to the speed and effectiveness of execution (see home page). Hinged momentum is the rotary momentum the center of gravity travels from the point of ground contact to the final moment of takeoff, ie; from the landing from block clearance to leaving the ground into the next step. For foot torque, I'll give you some quotes from the Sports Biomechanics publication article, titled Runners do not push off the ground but fall forward via a gravitational torque. "Gravity is shown to cause a torque as the runner's centre of mass moves forward of the support foot", and as the title states, this torque is to lead to a "falling forwards via a gravitational torque while pulling the support foot rapidly from the ground using the hamstring muscles."


It is important to understand that the above quotes about gravitational torque seem to be referring to upright running, as it references the "hamstrings" as pulling the foot from the ground. To validate this assumption, I'll refer you to the book Running, by Frans Bosch and Ronald Klomp. "As a rule of thumb, the hamstrings either work slightly or not at all in situations in which the rectus femoris plays a dominant role, such as during the start (knee extension + hip extension) (Jacobs & Ingen Schenau 1992). The opposite is also true: when the hamstrings have an important function, such as during speed running (extending the hip + keeping the knee bent), the rectus femoris works either partially or not at all." "During speed running" is referring to being upright when sprinting.


Remi's quotes, however; are speaking of utilizing these forces from the outset of the race, where the rectus femoris, a quadriceps muscle, is an important contributor, not the hamstrings. I maintain that what was said above about gravitational torque still applies to the start and initial acceleration, but we must consider the body's forward position as the hips and torso move up the track with complete actions. So, in my mind this torque during the start can be stated as creating a sort of a "running downhill" effect, with a "falling forwards at appropriate angles and body positions via a gravitational torque while a quad muscle (in this forward position) helps pull the feet off of the blocks and off of the ground during the start and initial acceleration. and also supports the switching mechanism" (limb exchange). Stumble reflexes that I alluded to earlier likely play their role as well along with a need for adequate eccentric strength.


All this happens very fast, and through training with good partners, athletes can develop the coordination and timing to maximize performance, and as I alluded to on the home page, learning to execute this skillfully using starting blocks, is a big deal and an obstacle, so read on!


The Role of the Arms


For arm action, Ralph Mann said, "They are critical in the maintenance of balance, as well as providing a slight Vertical lift during each stride. " He also said, "Perhaps the most important contribution that the arms make is their ability to lead the entire body in its effort to shift the body movements to the front of the body during the Sprint (Front Side Mechanics)." Remi gave a cue, "body position leads and legs follow" that I believe relates to this.


In the previous section Remi spoke of arm action assisting with the loading and unloading of the supporting leg. In my mind this is in the same vein as Mann's "providing a slight Vertical lift", with the operative word being "slight". So, although the arms must be moved vigorously to accomplish the various things previously described, care should be taken to not overemphasize arm action, just as it is a mistake to overemphasize knee lift. My feeling is that overemphasizing aspects, ie; knee lift and vigorous arms negatively effects running efficiency and makes it more difficult to efficiently flow from one phase of the race into the next phase. This is explained thoroughly in other blogs.


Honing Technique


As I've stressed, we don't want to over-complicate things. When athletes are competing during training runs, coaches can help athletes identify various technical aspects as they develop the timing and rhythm that helps them move through space most effectively for the given races. Filming the athletes and comparing them to various elite athletes can help in this process also. I believe it can be especially helpful explaining an athlete's great races caught on film, as many athletes, at some point in their career will have one or more special performances where everything seemed to click. Again, assessing technique at maximum velocity is the priority, but understanding that which should lead up to maximum velocity is also very important to understand.


Drag the Foot?


Not that I'm at all in favor of intentionally dragging the foot going into the second stride, but I can see how dragging the foot can occur as the angle of the starting block pedals can help create a low trajectory as the athlete attempts to effectively move up the track with enough elevation, hip height, power, and range of motion. As well as the fact that moving the body horizontally is a priority, as has been explained above. This includes a low path the foot travels as the athlete brings the legs, hips, and torso through to start the second stride. This is shown in this video. Dragging the foot, I believe, can give the athlete a feeling of control and of again, being able to elevate a little better going into the next stride, and maybe a sensation of a more powerful second step. Again, I'm not in favor of this but unlike many other coaches, I'm not in the "this is ridiculous" and "I just don't get it" camps.


In the video from the previous sentence, both athletes drag their foot, but Bromell precedes the dragging of his second stride with a greater hip extension as he tries to elevate and move up the track adequately during block clearance. This is followed by a more extreme dragging of the foot than Coleman, I guess to gain the advantages that I described above.


Through this blog and my others, I hope to make it plain that dragging the foot is a "Plan B" remedy for less than great starting technique, and I hopefully can steer you toward more fundamentally sound methods to create and channel momentum efficiently up the track, toward the attainment of an effective top speed (max velocity). So once again, read on!


Utilizing Starting Block Pedals


Again, in my mind it is not too terribly difficult for athletes to learn to recruit key muscle groups, adequately react, respond and explode, and bring the legs, hips, and torso through space effectively, as the athlete moves up the track effectively and efficiently without blocks, given some good coaching. The big obstacle, however, is developing the skill of accomplishing these things while using starting blocks. More specifically, the angled platform that the starting block pedals provide.


Traction Without Starting Blocks


A quote from the article What is the Drive Phase in Sprinting, Part 3”, describes balancing and pushing from the ground during a standing start, “You can’t push from your toes as toes are meant to grip. The gripping toes create stability for the push off. This is the key to force application and push mechanics when starting from a standstill (traction).” A cue that also can be effective in relation to this is "curling/dorsi-flexion of the toes and feet" which can naturally occur when positioning to start. For three-point and four-point starts without blocks, one or both hands are on the ground to additionally help balance and support weight as the athlete is poised to explode into the race. I maintain that the "gripping/curling toes and feet" have a role during three and four point starts also.


Critical Consideration and Understanding


The article, What is the Drive Phase Part 2, very importantly points out the role that the cross-extensor reflex action can play in helping produce high level starts, and how to take advantage of that. Knowing this, as well other information about reflexes (see home page) in my mind, can help coaches to understand what they are looking at when athletes are performing before them at a high level, and hopefully the coaches can successfully build upon those abilities and enhance performances.


Adding Starting Blocks


In this blog I'm being general about starting block use, check out my blog that specifically addresses starting blocks for a lot more details. When adding starting blocks to the learning progression, the platform to push off against to launch into the race is now angled forward. This changes the positioning, supporting of body weight, balancing and pushing dynamics to some degree. Without overcomplicating things, the bottom line is the athlete will need to optimize the push off out of starting blocks while beginning effectively up the track. I like how world-renowned sprint coach John Smith described the start and initial portion of a sprint: “It isn’t about thrust as much as it is about balance—about each step being so perfectly placed that it sets the stage for optimizing the power of the next step.”


To simplify the use of starting blocks as much as possible, I like starting the athletes with the block pedal angles down to their lowest level. Occasionally you can find a set of starting blocks where the angle can go down to as low as 30 degrees. I like the athlete to have the option to have the front block down to the lowest setting and maybe the rear block a little higher, ie, 40 degrees if the front block is 30. In my mind, having the block pedals at the lesser angles allows the athlete to more easily learn to manage body weight and loading the legs toward and against both blocks, recruiting the glutes, and to more naturally launch up the track and into the race. Having the rear block at a greater angle than the front pedal allows the bottom of the rear foot to be further from the ground as is the case with other positions when blocks are not used. In my mind this helps the athlete more naturally position and balance the body and coordinate movements.


I believe that a common error is for the sprinter to fail to raise the hips adequately as well as position the body to launch enough vertically. Although horizontal movement up the track should be an emphasis early on, and as stated earlier, the angled block pedals tempt many sprinters to launch too much horizontally and not enough vertically, and this can lead to a failure to accomplish the angles and directions of forces to maximize the top speed and effectiveness of the rest of the race. This is where I believe failing to learn to effectively start without blocks can come back to haunt the sprinter.


I am not a believer that block pedals have to be set at 45 degrees in order for the athlete to launch the body out at 45 degrees. In addition, simply using the angle an athlete departs the starting blocks as a reference point is not enough. An athlete can simply step out of the blocks or do a short "sort of" running step and display a 45-degree angle. Check out these 40 yard dashes. Looks to me that they launch at about 45 degrees and do a good job of getting up the track without starting blocks at all.


Watch Your Athletes


Assuming that you can get your athletes to react well and explosively start effectively without blocks, see if they are demonstrating the same abilities when using blocks. Often times, instead of the glutes being primary during the initial explosion, you'll note various versions of stepping out of the blocks with the first step and/or an over-involvement from the quads. I am not saying that having the block pedals at 45 degrees is wrong. In fact, I believe that a good goal may be to be able to use the front block pedal set at 40-45 degrees and the rear pedal to 50-55 degrees. My observation, however; is that far too many sprinters, including elite ones, don't sufficiently master starting block technique, and settle on less than great methods. Reacting well and explosively launching the hips and body into the race is one thing, doing so with sufficient elevation for the given launch angle and getting up the track adequately, then landing and efficiently continuing up the track is another deal. Again, read my "Three-Point and Four-Point Start" blog that includes how to consistently incorporate blocks, and how to do so legally, ie; without a lowering movement that visibly doesn't stop prior to the gun.


Weight Bearing


As I stated previously, having the block pedals at a low setting can also make it easier to assume a "set" position where the hips are at a sufficient height without too much weight being on the hands. When the block pedals are at 45 degrees and greater, as the hips rise into the "set" position, the feet will push into the pads sooner than if the pads were at the lowest setting. This can push the hips forward and lead to more weight on the hands and arms. With practice, the athlete can learn to rise into "set" in a manner where the weight bearing is doable, when having the pedals at greater angles, but again, I think it is just simpler to have the pedals angled at the lowest settings when learning.


At the End of the Day


The objective in my mind, should be to make it easier to execute what is explained above in Remi's quotes, maximizing effective momentum up the track that can then be channeled into benefitting the following phases of the race? Again, I explain this further in my " 3 and 4 Point Start" blog. Dragging the foot, to me, is just not a "best practice", as well as many other methods of compensating for less than great technique.


Important Biomechanical Explanations


In my opinion, it takes diagrams and thorough explanations to adequately and accurately explain the relationship between the position of the foot that is on the ground, and the body's center of gravity (COG), in relation to the direction of total force, during the critical "start" and "initial acceleration phases". The book, Running, by Frans Bosch and Ronald Klomp, and Mann's book that I alluded to above, do great and very thorough jobs of explaining this, and giving insight into efficient paths that the strides should follow as they come through. I highly recommend these books to those who don't mind studying.


Summary


Being able to execute the first three steps at a high level can be a vital part of the foundation for success in the short sprints. Read my other blogs to help build upon that foundation for sprinters of all ages.












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Runners Taking Off

               The Start Doctor

The start of a race can set the table for success throughout the rest of the race. Although executing key fundamental aspects of running, and the top speed (max velocity) attained in the race are of the utmost importance, the skill of executing and managing various aspects, ie; things that affect stride length, stride frequency, running position(s), and the quality of the ground contacts 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. For sprinters in the sport of track and field, the starting blocks provide an angled platform to push off against to launch into the race. A failure to skillfully utilize the starting blocks impacts the basic elements I previously alluded to and can negatively affect the rest of the race. A problem, however; is that there must be an effective teaching strategy because using starting blocks can provide quite a challenge for athletes of all ages and stages of maturity. My suggestion is to focus on skillfully starting and accelerating from various positions without blocks before adding starting blocks. 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.

Ironically

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.

Some Limiting Factors 

Various limiting factors are critical components. Some of these factors are strength, flexibility, mechanics, 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. I believe it is important for coaches to attempt to assess their athletes early on to try to identify what mechanics are already being executed skillfully, as well as which are not, and what physical abilities are strengths, and which are weaknesses. This should allow the coach(es) to individualize instruction to some degree. When dealing with youths, age-appropriateness is an important consideration in this regard. 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!

Flexibility

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).

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. 

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 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

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. 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. 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, as well as feeling that having starting blocks to push off from is a necessity in order to get a good start. This belief can lead to a failure to develop positioning and balancing methods that can lead to maximizing performances from the other starting positions, 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. 

In Addition

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!

How Speed Development Impacts Other Sports

In a perfect world, I believe that speed training 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, 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.  

My Blogs

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.

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. 

My Availability

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.

Now Posted

The Start is Actually the First Three Steps!

The Initial Acceleration Beyond the Start

Rotational and Linear Aspects of Sprinting

Effective Recruitment and Coordination of Key Muscle Groups

Developing a Good Standing Start

The Three-Point and Four-Point Starts 

 

Max Velocity (Top Speed) in a Short Sprint

Physical Development and Resistance Training for Sprinters

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

Running the 40-Yard Dash

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

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

Applying Sprinting Skills and Speed to the Football Field

Speed Training and Basketball

Speed Training and Soccer

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

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