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", or at least "beginning to get out".
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 sufficient elevation, and the hips should rise with each step as the body becomes more upright while executing good front side mechanics. A key detail is that the athlete needs to have a "set" position where the body is aligned sufficiently while poised to react and launch into the race at an adequate trajectory, and then execute the initial strides with good hip and body alignment while getting effectively up the track. The coach and athlete need to recognize the quickness, speed, and explosiveness associated with this. In my opinion, competing with training partners is a key to honing these abilities. Sometimes not having training partners can result in an athlete being too deliberate, thus slowing movements.
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 this 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. 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 rest of the race, typically requires a lot of practice. Again, read on!
Trunk Discipline and Shin discipline
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 as the athlete moves up the track. I specify "over-use" because the back does play an important part in supporting good hip extension. Core strength supports being able to separate hip extension from back extension, but more than anything, in my opinion, having the body properly positioned while poised to explode during the starting position can play a key role in maximizing hip involvement. See my blogs for specific starting positions. There should also be a shin discipline present that goes along with 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. Again, my blogs about specific starting positions go more into this.
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, the leg should be dropped back down aggressively and quickly, with the trailing swing leg called into action rapidly and linearly 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, and once again, these strides are explosive and fast. 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 position and how to most effectively negotiate that part of the race. So, in my mind this torque during the start can be stated as leading to a "falling forwards via a gravitational torque while a quad muscle helps to support the switching mechanism" (limb exchange).
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)."
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.
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.
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 block pedals can help create a low trajectory as the athlete attempts to effectively move up the track. 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 being able to elevate a little better, and maybe a sensation of a more powerful second step.
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.
Although I'm not a proponent of foot dragging, unlike many other coaches, I'm not in the "this is ridiculous" and "I just don't get it" camp. Through this blog and my others, I hope to make it plain that dragging the foot disrupts timing and positioning that could be utilized 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
In my mind it is that it is not 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).” 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.
Critical Consideration and Understanding
An athlete that does not learn to effectively start and initially accelerate from the standing, three-point, and four-point positions without starting blocks is missing out on critical fundamental aspects that can be applied when adding starting blocks.
Adding Starting Blocks
When adding starting blocks, however; 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, as is seen in the first five seconds of this video. 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. In my mind this allows the athlete to more easily learn to manage loading the legs toward and against both blocks, recruiting the glutes, and to more naturally move up the track and into the race. An ineffective or less than competent block clearance bleeds into the landing from that first stride thus effecting the ensuing strides.
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, 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 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 is to be able to use block pedals set at 45 degrees to launch into the race. My observation, however; is that far too many, including elite ones, don't successfully master this. 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
In addition, 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 likely will push into the pads sooner than if the pads were at the lowest setting. This can push the hips forward. Regardless, with practice, the athlete can learn to rise into "set" in a manner where the weight bearing is doable, but again, I think it is just simpler to have the pedals angled at the lowest setting. At least when trying to learn.
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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