Sprint Technique Drills

Sprint Technique Drill #1 – A’s

This is a simple drill to help the sprinter achieve high knees and toes when the leg is up in front of the body during the sprinting motion.

Begin by simply walking forward slowly, while staying up on the ball of your foot. As your toes leave the ground to step forward, dorsi-flex the ankle or pull your toes upward toward the knee and hold them there. While holding your ankle in this position, flex the hamstring and pull your heel upward toward your buttocks.

Then, using hip flexion, pull your upper leg and knee forward and upward parallel to the ground. Note, at this position, your ankle should be underneath and slightly behind your knee with your toe still flexed upward. Then simply extend the hip and knee and put your foot back on the ground.

When you start doing this drill, begin by repeating the same leg for several repetitions before switching to the other leg. Once you become more comfortable with the motion, alternate in a normal walking gate, then speed up to a skip, and finally perform this drill at a slow running pace.

The “A” drill helps to improve both stride frequency and stride length. Flexing the tow upward and pulling the heel directly to the buttocks shortens the leg, thus allowing it to be pulled through the range of motion more quickly and will help to increase the speed or frequency of the stride. While holding the lower leg in this position and flexing the hip to raise the knee parallel to the ground helps to assure the stride length is optimal.

Sprint Technique Drill #2 – B’s

“B” is simply a continuation of the “A” drill. To perform this drill, begin by doing the “A” drill, once your knee is parallel to the ground, flex the quadriceps muscles and swing the lower leg forward and upward. Similar to when you are kicking something. By doing this, you are simulating the leg swing that naturally occurs when running.

Remember, at this point, you are performing this drill at a walking pace. As you progress with more speed, the lower leg will extend on its own because of forward momentum.

When your knee is fully extended, use your hamstring to pull the entire leg backward and downward toward the ground. Think of this as a pawing action. Pulling the leg back with this movement causes the foot to touchdown nearly under the body’s center of gravity, and allows the force of the next stride to be applied at the proper angle and direction so speed can either increase, or at a minimum, be maintained.

Conclusion

Start practicing this drill just as you would with the “A” drill. Begin by repeating the same leg for several repetitions before switching to the other leg. Once you become more comfortable with the motion, alternate in a normal walking gate, then speed up to a skip and finally perform this drill at a slow running pace.

There are other factors that play a part in the production of speed. However, stride frequency and length are the most crucial and most difficult to maximize. Practice these drills, perfect them, and apply them when you are sprinting at full speed. You will become faster!