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Three Point and Four Point Starts

johnmakell

Updated: Jan 22

Spacing of the Feet for Different Starting Positions


The suggested spacing for starting blocks—two shoes from the line for the front block and three shoes from the line for the back block—is too far from the starting line for four-point starts without blocks and is certainly too far from the line for 3-point starts. So be sure to identify a spacing that works well for each type of start.


Three-Point Start


For the three-point starts, I suggest having the front foot about a shoe length or maybe a little more from the line, and then place the rear foot far enough back and under the hip for a good base. I love the way Kevin White sets up for his 40 in this video, getting his feet positioned, and from a forward position on the ground, walks the hands back to the line while raising the hips and loading his joints. This method can be used not only when doing three and four point starts without blocks, but when also practicing starts from blocks using both three-point and four-point starting positions. Raising the hips while walking the hands back can make it easier to aim and direct the hips and body up the track for a good launch. Since one hand is on the track it shares in the bearing of weight (not too much though) as well as helping achieve the effective total body lean, I've described previously. In the "Four Point Start" section below, toward the end of the Tom Tellez video, he demonstrates how the hands accept body weight when in a good "set" position. This can also be applied to the single hand that is on the ground during the three-point starting position.


Athletes should be on the balls of the feet as seen in the video. As with all starts, the weight is centered more on the side of the front leg, especially when the athlete is in the "set" position. The joints should be properly loaded, with the athlete poised to react well and explode down the track with big enough movements. With the three-point start, in order to center the weight toward the front leg, the athlete will feel pressure over on the hand that is on the ground. More specifically, the hip/glute area of that front leg will likely be a focal point of where the weight is centered.


For the three-point start, when in the "set" position, with the hips up and torso angled downward, and before running, there should be that effective total body lean that will allow for a good reaction and movement up the track. This lean should be done with the hips high enough and torso and head angled downward with eyes looking down and back. Athlete is poised to explode up and out and down the track with a good acceleration posture. The body should be at about 45 degrees when extending into the first stride. It is a mistake to place the hands down on the track, spaced as they would for a four-point start, then lift up one hand. This will result in a balance problem. The hand on the ground needs to be positioned closer to the center of the body for effective balancing. During the fast reaction to the starting stimulus, ideally, the action of the hand that is on the ground during the starting action should be a sweeping back and up in coordination with the downward, forward, and upward movement of the other arm. A common mistake is for the hand on the ground to be basically just picked up, instead of the arms properly coordinating with the legs. Although football players using the three-point stance when getting timed in forty yard dashes are allowed to start without a command or signal, I suggest learning to position and balance to react and respond well as I described for the standing start. It is just a matter of being accustomed to that particular position.


Four Point Start Without Starting Blocks


For the four-point start without blocks, I suggest having the front foot about 1 1/2 shoes from the line and then place the rear foot in place accordingly. A common mistake that I see when watching high schoolers, is that in the preliminaries of a sprint, they may not be allowed to use blocks, but when blocks are allowed in the finals they try to use the same spacing as when they didn't use blocks. The result is a position that is too close to the line and cramped.


"On Your Marks"


When assuming the "On Your Marks" position, there will be a slight moving forward of the hips and upper body to prepare to aim and direct the hips and body up the track. Both feet should be somewhat curled against the ground with the front foot likely curled more than the rear one. The arms then should be perpendicular to the track and the athlete's center of mass is close enough to the line. Even in this position, I believe there is the aspect of the hips being at a sufficient height as the athlete places hands at the line and eases the body forward. (I am referencing the start where one knee is on the ground when "on your marks") The weight needs to be evenly distributed between the feet, the knee on the ground and the hands. Hands should be placed wide enough apart in anticipation of supporting some of the weight when in the "set" position. Hands should not be placed too far apart, however. This Tom Tellez video is very thorough and goes through aspects of the whole start.


"Set" Position and Weight Distribution


When rising into the "Set" position do not allow too much weight to be on the hands. This should be done trying to keep the arms perpendicular to the ground, not significantly angling the arms forward. Like with the other starts, 2/3 of the weight is toward the power side, and like when in the three-point start, in order to have most of the weight toward the front leg, the athlete will feel more pressure in the hand opposite of the front leg. The joints should be adequately loaded, and when at the top of the "Set" position, as Tellez said in the video, there should be a bit of a lean in anticipation of pushing off to start. It is important to control this by keeping the arms perpendicular to the track, and as Tellez also said, the pressure on the fingers may shift from the middle of the hands to the fingers closest to the starting line along with the thumbs. Once again, being prepared to maximally involve the glutes/hips in a push off that is to bring the limbs and body through space as has been previously described. Like mentioned before, having a good hip height, angles the torso and head downward, and requires that the eyes be focused appropriately downward and backward. The hips and body should be positioned to launch up the track.


As alluded to above and described in the "Standing Start" blog, the athlete needs to be poised to react well and explosively includes effectively coordinating the actions of the quick-side and power-side of the body.


Four-Point Start with Blocks


Basic Set-up


This short video shows the basics using starting blocks. A critical aspect is that with starting blocks, there is the aspect of having the feet against the blocks adequately, and the legs loading against both blocks that must be done effectively. My suggestion is to not over-emphasize trying to press the feet into the blocks. When "on your marks", I believe the athlete should absolutely feel the feet touching the ground as well as the area close to the balls of the feet touching the blocks. As with the three and four-point starting positions without blocks, there is some dorsi-flexion of the feet and maybe even curling of the toes during the "on your marks" position.


When going to the "set" position, the loading back into the blocks should occur, with the feet going toward the blocks, and once again, preparing to launch up the track. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I believe it is very important to begin practicing with the front block pedal angled down as low as possible, and to have the rear pedal maybe 10 degrees or so greater, to allow the same dynamic as with the other starting positions where the bottom of the front foot is lower to the ground that that of the rear foot. I believe this helps the carry-over of the natural positioning, balancing, and coordination of loading.


As with the other starting scenarios, the athlete is to have the joints adequately loaded and be poised to react well and to primarily use the glutes for the push off. The block pedals present an angled platform. The objective is to adequately load the legs against the blocks while getting in position to launch up the track at a good trajectory. A common mistake is to not adequately load and position and then need to noticeably drop the hips just before or after the gun in order to recruit the glutes for a push off at a good trajectory. This is one aspect that can be addressed to some degree while doing starts without blocks, as the positioning while being poised to explode into the race can minimize the dropping of the hips. With blocks, good positioning can result in a feeling of the heels sinking toward the block pedals while poised to launch. Having said that there still should be an effective stretch-reflex dynamic during the pushing off into the race. Stretch-reflex is explained in the first minute of this video.


Despite the starting blocks allowing more of a launch into the race, in my mind, being overly concerned with the legs loading against the blocks can prove to be ineffective. On the other hand, not adequately loading the legs against the blocks, often results in the athlete doing some form of stepping out of the blocks or a noticeable hip drop before or after the gun to apply force. In addition, if when loading into the blocks the rear leg becomes straight or almost straight, I suggest moving the rear pedal forward some so that there is adequate bend in the rear leg.


The athlete should be able to execute the same skills described above in the Set Position and Weight Distribution section above in order to be poised to react well and to start explosively. With the angled pedals, however, trying to achieve the effective total body lean I've previously described, along with the legs loading against the pedals, can create a lot of weight on the hands as well as a feeling of being ready to fall on the face and/or head. The weight should be shared between the hands and the feet, without too much weight being on the hands. Part of adequately loading should also include avoiding a noticeable flexion in the elbows and legs when in the "set" position, so that the eccentric loading (tension) will assist leg muscles in their concentric efforts during block clearance. This is a fundamental aspect of effective starting that can be honed during starts without blocks and then progressing to having the block pedals at low angles before raising the angles. Once again, in order to center the weight over toward the power side, more pressure will be felt in the hand on the other side.


Below I explain some important things that should be accomplished during all starts. I probably need to do a blog that just focuses on the start from the blocks that include more details of the step-by-step process that is to result in maximizing effectiveness out of the blocks.


First Two Strides


Along with being poised to explode into the first step, the hips need to be high enough for the hips and body to launch adequately into the race, and this includes the rear leg, hips, and torso moving through and upward sufficiently for the first stride, with the body being elevated and moving up the track adequately. (Explained previously) This sets the athlete up for a landing that should appropriately continue the "getting out" and blend into the "driving" efficiently up the track with hips that are rising. Again, the angled platform that the block pedals present can facilitate a lower than ideal trajectory/block clearance flight path.


For those that don't think getting some elevation during block clearance is important, I like to point to what many may consider to be an extreme example, Ben Johnson's 9.79 in the 1988 Olympics. I know he was caught as being under the influence, but regardless, it showed how he maximized the abilities at his disposal, and I believe that we can learn from that. It doesn't mean that is what we should teach but rather, in my mind, it shows performance on another level. At least showing that it is good to test the boundaries of elevation and hip height during block clearance while, of course heading down the track. At about the 12 second mark of this video is Ben at competition speed. Go to the 3 minute and 46 second mark for slow motion views. FYI - If the hips are not rising as the body moves adequately up the track during the early strides, the athlete likely will not have the ability to have the hips rise as they should for the rest of the sprint. The hips rising should be a part of good front side mechanics.


Again, in my opinion it is important for the sprinter to first learn to accomplish what was described in the previous paragraph in the three-point and four-point positions before much of a focus on using starting blocks, and as I explained previously, in my opinion, developing standing start skills are important as well.


Movements of Hands and Arms


Properly involving the arms during block clearance is demonstrated at about the 2-minute 20-second mark of this video, featuring Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin and Coach Brooks Johnson.


Don't Do This but Do That


A less than great technique that I see used a lot to help the hands and arms handle body weight is having the hands placed really wide when they are on the track. This can cause the shoulders to rotate inward, which is not a good thing. Having the thumbs somewhat under the shoulders, with hands far enough apart and distributing the weight as I've explained, should be good enough.


Conclusion


Repetitiously practicing starts from the various positions is necessary for the athlete to become familiar enough with the positions to allow explosive starts that seamlessly flow into the ensuing phases of the sprint.










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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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