It has been a while since I have posted here, just trying to clarify some basics regarding my sprint form.
I’m playing rugby/touch rugby and I have been told that it looks like my arms are driving hard and fast when I am accelerating, but I’m not moving quickly along the ground!
It appears that my stride length is short… I don’t think it is because of poor flexibility - just very poor technique. I don’t seem to be getting the maximum push-off with each footstrike.
What cues could I use to remedy this? I am thinking of just focussing on ‘sprinting with the legs’ rather than focussing on arm drive?
How do you know you arn’t moving quickly along the ground?
Arm drive leads the legs somewhat so focusing on arms is very important. Generally the legs seem to follow because they have to stay in time with your arms or you will literally fall over!
Have you been following an acceleration program and still failed to see results?
David, on my own opinion this is the problem… it is normal for sports like rugby, soccer, handball and else who need high level of agility, quickness, stopping ability etc to have bad sprint technique… how would you perform all the neccessery abilityes if you have sprint form, and high flying phase? You should have short steps with high frequency to be able to suddenly change direction and stop… you cannot change direction while you are in air (no ground force)… so if you are not sprinter do not bother with this (if you are good at your sport), but offcourse you should have some good transfer from sprint training to you sport performance especialy doing acc… but I would rather consider SAQ (speed-agility-quickness) training to make proficient in rugby… dont bother with sprint form if it have no rule in your sport performance
Hope this helps…
I’m quite good at the close range stuff, using quick steps to create space for myself. The problem is in situations where I put myself into a clear gap and I should be striding out in a clear sprint to the line.
I think what may be happening is that I’m pumping my arms quite hard, and my legs are following in terms of frequency, but not in terms of applied force into the ground.
In the words of one of my team-mates (don’t laugh): “He makes a break and it looks like the guy is going 100 miles per hour, but he’s not moving that quickly.”
“He makes a break and it looks like the guy is going 100 miles per hour, but he’s not moving that quickly.”
I had a same problem when I was 14… to fast movements but short steps… but, infact this is good, because high movement frequency is a must for sprint and it is easyer to develop stride length than to speed up the frequency (because of high heredity), so you are lucky to have high-frequency step abilities!
Once again, this is a result from your sport… high freq, shorts step, lower CM (center of mass) because of stability and impacts with other athletes… my suggestion is:
If you want to be a sprinter then engage in sprint training and if not dont bother with sprint technique…
If you want to make a better sprint form… relax and let it happend… dont push too much on acc…
Others?