I have a few of what I HOPE are 10yd sprints using a 3 point start. If theyre 8yd or something I will be angered. The men’s hurdles are 10 yards/9.144m-ish apart yes? The dots Im using are the ones that start about 15 meters from the 110m hurdle start and about 5 meters in front of the 100m start so if those aren’t the right ones to do 10 yd runs then please tell me. The dots are blue too…if that helps…I looked this all up before but I just want to make sure.
Anyways, Ive numbered each run, theres 6 or 7 so if one is relatively good or relatively bad, please state so and why. Any comments, pointers, or critiques would be much appreciated. Thanks.
http://media.putfile.com/adam1035
On your start, your are squatting too much and you never got set. When you brought your arm back you are still moving (meaning unsettled). Also your 1st step is a little short. Try holding your start a little longer. It also looks like your sitting back (squatting) on your start. I dont mean to destroy your run but that is what I see. Personally, I think you should work on exploding out of your stance, (meaning plyos). I hope I am helping.
Highlander thanks for the reply! this is the type of stuff I need to hear.
As for squatting in the start, I have heard that its important to keep a flat back in the 3point stance. This is why I lower my hips somewhat. Would a good hip height be one where my head doesnt go up or down once I take off?
I agree with your comment on the first step. Im not gettin enough extension. I am also unsure about the standard level of relaxation at the start. I know at top speed you need to relax but at the start is this as true since alot of it requires voluntary strength? I think mostly at the start Im just thinking of staying low and almost falling into my run. This is instead of thinking of exploding. But Im also afraid that I might pop up too early if I try to explode.
As for doing plyos for exploding out of my stance, do you say this because I look slow? Or can you see explosion thats not being controlled in the right vectors? Im not my most explosive right now (I had a chain of freak injuries for 2 years including osteitis pubis) and I’ll concede Ive never been the quickest person, but as far as plyos and such, in warmups for that session I did a 2.9m broad jump and a 3-bound for 10 yards exactly. Also a month or so ago I was dunking a basketball on a 10’ rim from standing and I am 6’1ish. This is actually better than my pre-injuries standing jump but with a runup I cant dunk like I used to. 
So, my explosive strength irrespective of time is good I think. But then again, these all use a stretch reflex whereas the starts do not. So maybe I have poor starting strength? In this case, would concentric only lifts be a good idea?
What should I work on in the rest of the run? I have no idea how low to stay or when to start opening up.
Highlander thanks again.
anyone feel free to chime in please.
I thought your runs looked pretty good. Keep workin at them though. The more rehearsed, the more efficient you will be.
To answer your questions:
1- I was always taught to keep your butt up a little bit but not too much.
2-Make sure you keep your head down on the start. It should gradually come up (it’s something you might have to work at)
3-As far as you coming out, your 1st couple of steps did not look explosive but after a while you started to open up a little better. I think your stride was a little short for someone your height. I’m 6’0 myself and I also had that problem for a while.
4-Your previous injuries does explain alot about you not having any explosion. Dont worry about it, I’m currently getting over a torn ACL myself and I’m in therapy right now to get it back. It does take time so just heal up 1st and foremost
To continue, I would do concentric and eccentric lifts. The lifts that I was told to base everything around is Bench press (or dumbell press), Lat pulldown, Lunges (modified of course), Squats (again modified) and Power cleans. Keep in mind I use these lifts just as a base.
To finish It sounds like you have explosion but your injuries are limiting you. Also what event are you training for. I hope I am helping you
Take care
Highlander,
Ive spent most of the last year gettin back into the mix of things. I spent the first 6 months doing general strengthening and then I started doing sports again. So, for my injuries affecting me I think Im over them. I am just not up to my best yet, but I am actually better in some aspects than I used to be. (such as Max Strength) However, my mobility has become poor since that period of injuries. I cant even perform a bodyweight half squat without losing my lower back arch! This is why I have such short strides I think. I do lots of stretching, both static and dynamic on my tempo days. And I try to do dynamic stretching in the form of leg swings and skips and lateral crossing over almost everyday. My flexibilty is improving I THINK but Im not positive. I need to quantify improvements somehow.
So, in order to improve my stride other than increasing flexibility, are there any technique cues used to lengthen a stride without overstriding? Or am I in no danger of overstriding?
“What event are you training for?”
- Im just a recreational athlete in college so I play volleyball, basketball, and flag football though mainly bball. These all require acceleration, so I would like to get my technique down to perform a good test, which will serve as a marker of my progress.
As for the lifts, I think I have a pretty solid base but I was wondering if throwing in an extra lift to improve starting strength would help. At 6’1 195lbs, my lifts are 385 box SQ (parallel, though I know how iffy squat depths are on the internet!) 265 BP, and my DL a few months ago was 450. I dont bother with power cleans or snatches because I dont know how to do them and cleans mess up my shoulders and wrists.
So, I think Im not great but not bad in my max strength and explosive strength, but my technique and flexibility need lots of work. So the technique critique you have given me is exactly what I need! Thanks!
You are welcome. This is why I like this website so much. There is so much info on here. As far as lenghting your stride, there are a few things that you can do such as all types of high knee drills, marches, etc. Go into search and hit stride lengthing and there will be a plethera of info. I can tell you but there is sooooo much of it and besides, you need to heal up first. If you have any more questions feel free to hit me up anytime.