By: Mark Strasser

Introduction

Many athletes possess high levels of skill in their sport but do not have the speed to pull away from the opposition. These cues provide a comprehensive package that, when used by a motivated athlete, will make the athlete a faster and an improved performer.

Techniques Involved In Sprinting

Foot Placement
The sprinter does not run on the toes. Ideally, the foot should make contact with the ground on the outside edge and rotate inward with and outside edge, heel toe movement. The foot makes contact with the ground slightly ahead of the center of gravity to allow the sprinter to push off into the next stride.

Knee Lift
Knee lift in sprinting is natural. It is an extension of proper foot placement and lift off of the track. The knee should be lift only high enough for maximum stride length. Be careful not to only stress knee lift as this will result in the upper body becoming upright which is highly ineffective. Proper foot placement and drive from the ground results in proper knee lift.

Trail Leg Lift
The trail leg is also very natural in its movement. It is in reaction to the drive of the opposite leg. The harder the drive, the greater the bend will be. Strength and flexibility will also influence the fold of the leg.

Arms
The arms are used to counteract the twisting and untwisting of the trunk caused by the leg action so that the sprinter will stay properly balanced. Concentrate on the backward movement of each arm. If one arm is swung back the other will go forward naturally to conteract its movement. The hands should be about level with the shoulders when in front of the body and the upper arm almost parallel to the ground when in its backward movement.

Hands
Do not clench the fists or let the hands flop at the wrist. Have your sprinter loosely curl the fingers with the thumbs resting lightly on the index fingers. Keep the thumb and index finger contact light. So light in fact that the sprinter should be able to carry a potato chip between them and not break it.

Body Alignment
Faster speeds require a greater body lean. The lean will come automatically with acceleration. The sprinters lean will vary according to their normal posture, flexibility, speed at the time, physical condition and wind and weather conditions.

Head
The head is held in a natural position with the eyes focused straight ahead. The head and back are in alignment with the face, jaws, and neck as relaxed as possible. Relaxation at top speed is the key to maintaining correct form. This is only accomplished through quality sprint workouts under simulated competitive conditions.

Have a great workout!

Train Smart.