Some block starts

[nycjay01]

@NumberTwo

There are still some issues here that have probably been ingrained over time. I’m not a big fan of the backward swinging arm driving up so high off the initial stride. It can negatively influence posture (drive angle) on successive strides and result in the knee driving up too high. You have to think of cyclical activities as finite in terms of the range of motion travelled. If that back arm drives too far back and up high, it delays the next stride and arm cycle. A backside arm mechanic moves your center of mass backwards. This in turn results in your foot strike on touchdown to land much further in front of your center of mass, creating a braking effect.

It is obvious you have a tendency to slam your arms backward. This will happen automatically. This is why I’m encouraging you to think only of an arms swing from eye level to hip level (hand range) for your acceleration phase – resulting in a more front-side arm mechanic. This will shift your center of mass forward and prevent you from over-striding out front. This is why Charlie always had his athletes perform standing starts with both arms out in front of the body. They should cross at a point in front of your body, not at your hip.

It is a hard concept to impart, but it will make a difference in your acceleration abilities. Try doing a start with only front-side arm mechanics (i.e. not passing by your hip). It still will, but not as dramatically as it is now.

Also, can you set your camera perpendicular to your lane right in line with the start line? Your are shooting from an angle behind the start line which makes it harder to see how your set position lines up (as well as your knee angles).

Good insight on this issue no2…

HJ 10,

Are going for a specific number of strides for the first 10m or are you just going for power?