You guys are always so helpful. Here’s another request. I am coaching a hurdler (female, age 16) who has good potential. But I cannot get her to hurdle off the ball of her foot rather than flat-footed or sometimes even heel-toe. She sprints on the balls of her feet. Any ideas for me?
Do you have her working over low hurdles? (much lower than normal). It’s a great way to get beginners moving right away.
We should get a thread going about coaching hs girls.
Thanks, Charlie. I have her going over 30". If I just smash them down as far as they will go, I might get down to 27 or 28. Maybe that will help. For what it’s worth, she is 5’6" and runs the flat 100 in 12.9. She has been running the 300 hurdles for 1 1/2 seasons (46.8 PB) and we are just starting on 100 hurdles. Goals for next year are 45.5 and 15.8. She runs the flat 400 in 60.0 ±.
Get some collapseable hurdles or anything to go even lower than the the 28 1/2 to 29 that most hurdles can only get down to.
I’ve seen people use things as short as propping up large pizza boxes like this ^. You can also use pairs of traffic cones with small sticks sitting across. I’d personally not try to teach hurdles with anything taller than about 15-18(or shorter if necessary) inches to start and then progressing as necessary. Keeping the hurdles so low allows the athlete to maintain(if they are able to achieve it in the first place) proper sprint form as well as the sense that it’s still a sprint and not simply running and jumping. If they can get into good sprint form, using such short hurdles can allow them to maintain the tech. since early on they realize they don’t really have to lower their COM to get over the hurdles. Otherwise, early on, a beginner sees the 33’s as huge obstacles. They feel like they need to jump rather than the proper way of accommodating for the hurdles.
Over time you can bring the heights up gradually and they can then more easily adapt their form over even slightly higher heights.
I agree! Move the spacing in too. Gets that frequency up to what you need right away
Yep, I forgot to mention the spacing- definitely move those hurdles in-LOW hurdles.
I’ve got the hurdles moved in, so she is comfortable 3-stepping. I’ll go lower. Thanks.
I would suggest taking the hurdles and lying them on their front so that their is a small hurdle top run over - about 16 inches high
Also step in each hurdler try 3 steps each hurdle until she is very smooth and comfortable than move each one back out one step and slowly raise the hurdles
In relation to my hurdlers, we never train at race height, always at one lower - ex. men are at 39"
Hope this helps
Thanks, Luc. We have only three more training sessions until she goes away for a month. By the time she gets back, I will have some collapsible hurdles that can go very low.
I know of some very good hurdles coaches who start the seasons low to medium heights and progress up. Some of them do actually have athletes, late in the season, train over the comp. heights but I usually prefer to stay(after possibly taking some time to get there) just under comp. heights for training.
Regarding lying them over… real stupid question: do you just keep raising the laid over hurdle as a progression? Does cause any unwanted modification at takeoff or landing?
Should you move the hurdles in immediately to get them to 3 step right away or do you work your way up to 3 stepping? Thanks.
Establish the three step rhythm first(with the reduced spacing) and then move the hurdles out, gradually, while maintaining the same three step rhythm.
After some time, you’ll probably NEED to move them back out since the athletes will be running faster and getting very close to the hurdles at takeoff. The goal should be to eventually move the hurdles closer to the the actual spacing.
If after much time the athlete cannot come close to hitting a three step for at least near normal spacing, I’d actually consider having them four step. I know this goes against the beliefs of many hurdle coaches but if you can teach them to properly lead with their other leg(if they also run the intermediate hurdles they should be able to alternate anyway) they are better off/can run faster alternating than bounding to hit three steps.
You should spend quite a while working with an athlete, though, before you commit to doing this-going with four stepping, that is.
I find lots and lots and lots of drills help. Lots of low hurdles working the lead and trail individually/in isolation. Also get some drill hurdles and get her going down the line knees up (plyometrically) - she’ll have no choice but to use the balls of her feet otherwise she’ll tried pretty dam quick. Scissors are also good (over usual height hurdles for 80m) because of the height you have to push off on the ball.
Drills drills drills!