Importance of Sprint Form By: Matt Girardin & Aaron McAndrew Fern Creek Track and Field Louisville, KY

The A-Skip The A-Skip is the base to all sprint form. From the A-skip position most all Track Form drills can be derived. When performing the A-Skip make sure, knees are up at 90 degrees. (your quad should be parallel to the ground). Your Foot is flexed and toe is pointed up. The elbows are bent at 90 degrees as well and your hands are relaxed. Skipping Forwards the foot paws the ground quick, concentrating on what is called negative foot speed.

The B-Skip Derived from the A-skip the B-skip is much like the A, except when performing the B-skip the leg goes to a 90 Degree A-skip Position and then Extends before clawing back to the ground. It is very important while doing the B-skip that when clawing back to the ground your foot is flexed and toe is up while landing underneath your hips and not out in front of or behind, thus giving you more power coming off the track.

Butt Kicks Butt Kicks are commonly done in many other sports as well, however in track it is important that when doing the butt kick drill the knees come up to 90 degrees while circling through. When your knee is in the A-position it is parallel with the ground. During butt kicks your heels still hit your butt, however when circling through the knees move to 90 and become parallel with the track.

Straight Leg Shuffle The Straight Leg Shuffle is a drill that works on clawing back to the track. During the straight leg shuffle, the knees are locked, your foot is flexed, and toe is up. Your legs and feet are out in front of you as you are clawing off the track. Heels do not touch the ground (sprinters heels should never touch the ground). You are still always using your arms where your elbows are at 90 and hands are relaxed. When teaching this drill and all the previous drills have them start slow and get the hang of it before speeding up.

More Sprint Drills… A-Lunge C-skip Power Skip Fast Leg Alternate Leg Fast Leg Karaoke (knees up to 90) A-March Backwards running Anklers

Incorporating Drills into the Warmup These Drills should be apart of your everyday warm-up. Warm-ups should last between minutes everyday, the warm-up should be most of the practice. We incorporate most of these drills in our warm-up as well as flexibility drills and different types of form running.

Flexibility Drills Basic Hurdle Drills can be used for flexibility. * Walking over the hurdles using proper form can help hip flexibility * Leg Swings whether over hurdles or on the fence can be done before drills.

Form Running A-Runs are a different type of form running often used by many college coaches. This consists of exaggerating the knee lift while running by lifting the knee to 90 still concentrating on perfect form.

Breaking down the A-Run Head up, Chest up, and hips beneath Shoulders down, elbows back, and hands relaxed Toe up, knee up, heal to butt

% Strides Another good way to concentrate on form and put the drills together is % strides. Starting the athletes at 50-60% concentrating on correct form. Then move to 70%, concentrating on correct form. Then change it up, start at 60% for 40m, Turn it up to 80%. Start at 70% for 40m, Change it to 90% for 20m. These types of drills lets you as a coach notice where your athletes lose their form and if your athlete can maintain good form at higher speeds.

Different tools used for form Mini hurdles Small cones/stick drill Hurdle drills Speed ladders

Putting it all together It doesn’t matter what event in sprinting or jumping it is, it all starts with form. Spending days especially at the beginning of the season solely on teaching correct form and perfecting these drills will pay dividends come post season. Remember average athletes can become good athletes with good form, good athletes can become great athletes with good form.