start problems

hi

i am currently working on my 40yrd dash time, and have a few questions concerning my start.

  1. in the push off phase, right after the start i noticed that my heel touches the ground. Is that supoosed to happen? I guess not, but how do i fix that problem??? Does running on the heel make you considerably slower?

  2. should the first few steps be a little out to the sides? Why?

  3. how important is breathing? i tend to press and hold my breath at the start, and have the feeling that i am faster when i fprce myself to “relax” and breathe on the first few steps!

Any help is greatly appreciated!

sebastian