Starting Acceleration in the Sprints
Reprinted from:
Trackcoach.com
Starting accleration is critical to sprint
success. The following drills will help teach and improve
starting acceleration:
1. Driving Sprint
Accelerations: practice accelerating
over a distance of 15-20 meters from a low standing starting
position, with hands hanging freely in front and feet approximating
a block setting, use a a driving action to accelerate over the
distance. Emphasize the following:
-
Low starting posture with body piked at the
waist.
-
Face down with neck in alignment with spine.
-
Strong, driving arms.
-
Low heel recovery on initial strides with heel
recovery becoming higher as speed increases.
-
Greater extension of the legs at the hip, knee, and
ankle joints during driving strides.
-
Keep back strong and straight.
-
Gradual raising of the torso - and focus of the eyes
- as speed increases.
-
Foot plants executed on the front of the foot and
under, or slightly behind, the center of mass.
2. Cadence Sprint
Accelerations: similar to the driving sprint
accelerations, but more emphasis on a quick cadence action rather
then a long driving action. Emphasize the following:
-
Low starting posture with body piked at the
waist.
-
Face down with neck in alignment with spine.
-
Quick arm cadence.
-
Low heel recovery on initial strides with heel
recovery becoming higher as speed increases.
-
Quick driving action of legs in which full extension
of the leg is not emphasized.
-
Keep back straight and strong.
-
Gradual raising of the torso - and focus of the eyes
- as speed increases.
-
Foot plants executed on the front of the foot and
under, or slightly behind, the center of mass.
3. Stick Drill
Accelerations: aim is to teach a smooth pattern
of acceleration from a still start to a full-speed striding.
The goal is to have each stride becoming progressively longer as
speed increases. To perform this drill lay out sticks at
increasingly greater intervals to force the sprinter to adapt their
steps to a pattern of acceleration. For example, place first
sticks 16" apart, and then add 4" inch increments to each next stick
(the stick intervals will then appear as follows: 16", 20",
24", 28", 32", 36", 40", 44"). The stick drill is performed by
having the sprinter accelerate from a standing start and over each
stick, stepping just in front of each successive stick. The
pattern of the sticks does not have to match the stride pattern of
the sprinter.. In most cases it is good to have the pattern
actually less then the sprinters stride pattern to force the athlete
to place their foot under their center of mass. The interval
between sticks increases until it reaches the maximum stride length
of the sprinter, and at which point the sprinter continues sprinting
without the guidance of the sticks.
Source: USA Track & Field Level 1
Curriculum
