Hip height

What coaching tip can be utilized to help my athletes maintain hip height? For example, when performing A and B skips, a couple of athletes tend to not stay tall on their support leg. They bend their knee and lean slightly forward. Almost as if they are bringing their torso to their knee instead of lifting and stepping over. All help is much appreciated.

The cue i used with an athlete i was coaching was “BACK FLAT STAND TALL”. This helped a great deal. I needed to keep reminding them as they did the drill. Keep shouting it out and eventaully theyll get it.

I prefer a whistle to cue their hip height.

How would you implent a whistle in cueing hip height?

I tell them to “run tall - stay tall” when the hips drop. Perhaps going back a step and have them march and focus on staying tall and extending the hip, knee and ankle fully? Clemson, how would you use a whistle? Blow it when the hip drops?

Does anyone have any pictures of someone running with low hip height? I watched myself run and I coudln’t tell if my hips were low. My back is straight when I run and I lean a little forward from the ground, not my hips, but I do not even get close to triple extension. My knee is still bent a lot right after push off when you are suppose to be extended. I also noticed that I don’t stay in air much when I sprint, almost like my turnover is too quick.

I’ve found that many younger athletes are lazy in their general posture. We’ve had to learn how to walk upright, then march upright and so on. As their walking posture becomes straighter and taller, so does their sprinting posture. Then it is just a matter of reminding them to “stay tall.”

I was being sarcastic about the wistle…words are not allways the best cue…and the whistle joke was to explain that somethings can’t be cued unless it is a technque drill. One example is lordosis, this abnormal spine postioin will most likely cause knee lift to suffer…screaming doesn’t help, therapy/loading/and training will improve it…

Please read “Charlie on Sprinting” posted by The One.

Who?