Speed, Strength, and Conditioning -
Answer To Question #11
Question #11:
I have watched the video a couple of times and read thru
the book. I still am a bit confused regarding the
technique for sprinting. When a sprinter starts they are
in crouch position, and when they start they
stay low and leg drive gives them their acceleration, at
watch stage do they get upright, and is it at this stage
they start with the step over drive down.
When do they start stepping over?, I cant see how they
can do it when they are low and in the acceleration
phase???
- Greg Mott
Answer by Latif Thomas:
Great question.
How quickly a sprinter gets upright is entirely an issue
of physical strength and force application. Many coaches
cue sprinters to 'stay low' coming out of the blocks.
This is a poor cue to use. Athletes can't 'stay low'
because how 'low' they are is based on their shin angles
to the track. A stronger athlete will be able to maintain
lower shin angles and will therefore have a longer,
smoother drive phase as they accelerate to full speed.
The problem is that the vast majority of young sprinters
don't have this strength so coaches try to fake it with cues that only make matters worse.
Athletes will try to stay low but the reality is they are completely vertical (again, vertical or not vertical is dependent on the athlete's shin/lower leg angles and nothing else) but it looks like they are 'staying low' or 'extending their drive phase' because they have their head down looking at the ground or they are bent over at
the waist (aka breaking at the hips). The latter causes a significant drop in power transfer and acceleration.
So, don't teach athletes to 'stay low' out of the blocks. Get them stronger and teach them to drive out of the blocks at a 45 degree angle so that they have triple extension before the back leg in the blocks hits the ground in the first step.
During acceleration athletes should be pumping their legs like pistons, up and down, as opposed to focusing on 'stepping over, driving down'.
Once they reach full speed, then the emphasis is less driving down and back and now stepping over, driving down.
Learn more here:
http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com
About Latif Thomas:
Highly regarded as one of the top speed coaches in the country, Latif is the Co-Owner of Athletes’ Acceleration, Inc., a leader in sports performance consulting, coaching and training resources for fitness professionals.
A former All East Sprinter while attending the University of Connecticut on a track and field scholarship, Latif is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is USA Track and Field Level II Certified in the Sprints, Hurdles and Relays. In 2005, he was voted the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year for his success in developing countless champions and record holders at the conference, division and state levels.
The former Director of Sports Performance at Mass Premier Courts, Latif has run numerous successful speed development programs and clinics for coaches and athletes of all sports and age groups. This includes the Speed Clinic Empire Mentorship, a program designed to teach coaches how to run their own profitable speed camps and clinics. Co-creator of the internationally acclaimed Complete Speed Training Program, Latif has excelled at simplifying program design and technical improvement in order to facilitate greater results in his athletes. |
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