The objective of better hurdling is the attainment of maximal speed and maintenance, along with minimizing deceleration while running over barriers.
To improve the task of better acceleration, the athlete should improve her speed/strength abilities. Sprint speed affects the results achieved over the first 4-5 hurdles more than does perfection of technique and therefore considering the lack of significant difference in hurdling technique for world class hurdlers, it appears that the better sprinters will have an advantage over the first part of the race. This does not mean that a sprint hurdler can ignore technique. The technique/speed relationship for the first half of the distance can be reflected through the ratio 40% to 60%, with technique being responsible for 40% of the results. However, technique assumes a larger part of responsibility for success during the second half of the race, with the technique/speed endurance relationship expressed through the ratio 50/50.
I. Before The Hurdles
A. Work must begin with the basics of body movement
and awareness.
B. Basic conditioning is very important to good
hurdling, Improvement of all muscle groups
in a balanced fashion
should be the goal.
C. Flexibility is an important aspect of a good
hurdler.
D. Develop the respiratory and cardiovascular system.
This prepares the body to be able to
perform work loads
over periods of time and aids in recovery.
II. Beginning Hurdles
A. The young hurdler must be instructed in proper
technique from the beginning
B. To teach hurdles to a young athlete the use of
pizza boxes prove to be very effective.
example: place
open pizza boxes in an "A" position (/\) and have the youngster
hurdle the
boxes at a low height.
This will help the hurdler get a rhythm over the boxes. Place the
boxes about 4 meters
apart.
C. Also available now are scissor hurdles which
will allow different height on the hurdles
starting at 9 inches to
42 inches. These hurdles can also be made by someone who is handy
in the shop class.
III. Drills
A. "A-B-C-D" Drills
1. A-1 Drill
High Knees Marching - keeping the head natural and looking forward.
The arms work
at a right angle forward and backward and should not be higher forward
that the
shoulders. No head and shoulder rotation is allowed. The knee
is lifted as high as
possible with the heel of the lifting leg coming up close to the body.
The rear leg is
completely straightened. Lean slightly forward without bending forward
from
the waist.
2. A-2 Drill
High Knee Skip - The same motion as in A1 above, but with a low skip for
faster
rhythm.
3. A-3 Drill
High Knee Running (Fast Knees) - The same exercise as A1 above, but with
very fast
successive knee lifts with only moderate forward running motion.
4. B-1 Drill
High Knee Marching on Toes with Leg Extension - This is the same as A1,
but with an
active extension of the foreleg after the knee lift with an active "leg-down"
pawing
action following the leg extension.
5. B-2 Drill
High Knee Skipping on Toes with Leg Extension - The same exercise as B1
but with a
low skip for faster rhythm.
6. C-1 Drill
Long Bounding - Alternate forward (not upward) bounds similar to triple
jump drill but
with alternating arm actions and a toes (ball of foot) landing. A
more forward leaning
position is required.
7. C-2 Drill
Upward Bounding with High Knee Lift and Arm Block - Similar to long jump
take-off
drill.
8. D-1 Drill
Butt Kicks - Fast successive butt kicks with alternate heels from a slight
forward
leaning position and with moderate forward motion. Arms move in alternating
rhythm
with the legs.
B. Sprint Drills
1. Up hill sprints and bounding
2. Sprinting and bounding
up steps
3. Harness Starts
4. Down hill sprinting (3%
grade)
5. Towing using surgical
tubing or speed assistance apparutus
C. Fast leg drills
1. Running in place with
quick knee lifts
2. Begin with running in
place the begin moving forward with quick knees
D. Bounding
1. Single Leg Bounding -
Bound on one leg using a forward movement on grass or the track
2. Double Leg Bounding -
Bound on both leg with a forward movement on grass or the track
3. Alternate Leg Bounding
- Bound alternating legs concentrating on knee lift and arm position
4. Hurdle Bounding - Bound
over 5 hurdles placed five steps apart. Hurdles should be a
low enough height to allow athlete comfortable takeoff and landing
5. Depth Groups (Boxes)
- Use different height boxes to bound onto and off, when
bounding off of box rebound from ground and jump for height
IV. The Hurdles
A. Drills
1. Lead Leg - Begin using one hurdle. Walk up to hurdle lifting knees
high when one
meter from hurdle, raise body onto toes of trail leg, lift lead leg leading
with knee,
thrust lower leg to hurdle. Once leg is thrust concentrate on snapping
foot down
under body.
a. One hurdle
b. Five hurdles placed five steps apart
c. Wall Drills - place hurdle against a wall. Get into running rhythm
"1-2-3-hurdle",
after third step of running in place lift lead knee and thrust lead foot
against the wall
repeat in continous motion for designated number of times
2. Trail Leg - Begin with one hurdle. Walk up to hurdle lifting knees
high step with lead
leg foot landing in front of hurdle, push the trail leg through the hurdle.
Once the trail
leg leaves ground the foot should turn out. Also be sure the trail
foot does not go
higher than the trail knee.
a. One hurdle
b. Five hurdles
c. Pull Through with Tension - Hurdler stands at side of hurdle with lead
foot in front
of hurdle. A partner stands behind the hurdler, lift the trail leg,
the partner should
hold the trail foot while the hurdler begins to pull through the partner
then releases
the foot and the hurdler pulls it through and runs off of hurdle
d. Wall Drill - Place hurdle approximately 2 feet from wall. Stand
at side of hurdle
with lead foot in front of hurdle. Push and pull trail leg through
hurdle.
3. One Step Drill - Begin with five hurdles. Place hurdles at low
height 24"-30" five
steps apart. Run over the middle of the hurdle using one step between
the hurdles.
Concentrate on proper body movement.
4. 4-3-4 Drill - Place the first four hurdles at 7.5 meters apart for women
and 8.6
meters apart for men remove the next three
hurdles and place the fifth hurdle 30 meters from the fourth, the next
three should be
7.5 meters apart. Be sure to stress attacking the fifth hurdle.
5. Fire Drill - This is a hurdle endurance drill. Place five hurdles
at 7.5 meters apart for
women and 8.14 meters apart for men with the distance to the first hurdle
and from the
last hurdle to the finish at 13 meters. In the next lane place three
hurdles 7.5 meters
apart in the opposite direction. Place five hurdles 7.5 meters apart
in the adjanct lane
in the opposite direction. In the next lane place two hurdles 7.5
meters apart in the
opposite direction. This means in lanes 1 and 3 the hurdles are going
in the same
direction and lanes 2 and 4 are facing the same direction. Run the
hurdles continous
from one lane to the other until all four lanes are completed. See
figure #1 below.
Figure #1
Start
Finish
\/
/\
______
______ ______
______
7.5m
7.5m
x
x
7.5m
7.5m
x
x
7.5m
7.5m
x
x
x
7.5m
7.5m
7.5m
x
x
x
x
7.5m
7.5m
7.5m
7.5m
x
x
x
x
7.5m
7.5m
7.5m
7.5m
______
______ ______
______
/\
/\
6.
Twelve-Fifteen Hurdles Drill - Place 12 - 15 hurdles on track. To
begin vary the
distance between the hurdles. Hurdles number 1 through 5 at 8.0 meters,
hurdles 6
through 10 at 7.8 meters, and hurdles 11 through 15 at 7.5 meters.
Run the hurdles at
maximum speed. This also is a hurdle endurance workout.
7. Rob's Drill - Place 6-10 hurdles on track or warm-up area. The
hurdles should be
five or six steps apart (toe-to-toe steps) for women and six to seven steps
for men.
The first two hurdles should placed on a line with the lead leg the next
two should
be placed for the trail leg etc. Start with the lead leg side drill
on the first two hurdles,
the next two hurdles will be with the trail leg, hurdle number five and
six with the lead
leg and finish with the last two on the trail leg. The hurdles can
then be switched to
begin with the trail leg then the lead leg.
_____
/\
/\
/\
/\
/\
/\
/\
/\
_____
C. Strategy
1. Touchdown to first hurdle
2.15 - 2.30
2. Touchdown between hurdles .91 - 1.05
3. Last hurdle to finish
1.06 - 1.20
4. Ground time before hurdle
.09 - .11
5. Ground time after hurdle
.09 - .11
6. Air time over hurdle
.25 - .28
D. Predicting Times
1. Hurdle Effiency Rating
100 meter time divided by 100 meter hurdle time = HER (Hurdle Effiency
Rating)
example: 11.79 / 12.83 = .919
2. 100 meter Times
30 meter fly time divided by 30 = meter per tenth of a second multiplied
by 70 = 70
meter predicted time plus 30 meter time from blocks plus .24 reaction time
= 100 meter
predicted time. example: 3.24 / 30 = .108 x 70 = 7.56 + 3.99
+ .24 = 11.79
3. Stride Frequency Meters Per Second
100 divided by 100 meter time = meters per second. example:
100 / 11.79 = 8.48
meters per second
V. Check for Correct / Incorrect Technique
In the instance the athlete
demonstrates mistakes in hurdling technique she should immediately
correct the problem through
form training over one or two hurles. The action should be
stabilized before moving on
to another technical area. When working on technique the speed
between obstacles should be
moderate while speed of hurdle clearance should be maximal.
In this case the factor of
timing the technical efforts becomes very important.
A. When attacking the hurdle
push trail leg through
B. Once the lead leg leaves
ground concentrate on snapping it down.
C. When hips are over the
hurdle the trail foot should be pulled through and down.
D. Athlete must have negative
foot at touchdown.
E. Arm action between hurdles
must be the same as for sprints.
F. Three strides between hurdles.
(even if hurdles must be moved closer together for the
work
on rhythm)
G. Develop hamstring and quad
strength.
H. Dorsi-flex lead foot to
have more strength to pull lead leg down.
I. Do not break down
lead knee on landing after hurdle.
J. Keep hip moving forward.
K. Lead with knee when attacking
hurdle.