BY: WAYNE CLARK
M-F ATHLETIC
YOU CAN MAKE
HURDLERS, BUT IT
AIN’T EASY
 PRETTIEST EVENT
(OR UGLIEST)
 DO DRILLS WITH
BOTH LEGS
 4 STEPPING IS OK
(LEARN TO
ALTERNATE)

USE YOUR BEST
SPRINTER
 BEST ATHLETES
 TALL
 TOUGH/COMMITTED
 WARM BODY

Include
hurdle stepping in warm
ups for all S-H-J
Do hurdle drills early in work
out (fresh)
Do quality straight away
hurdling early in work out
Do 300MH as your workout or
conditioning part of work out

HOW TO:



7 Hurdles set 6 inches
between bases
2-3 times through using right
lead leg then left lead leg
PURPOSE:
Hip flexibility
 High knee/toe up
 Eliminate fear
 Find hurdlers (don’t tell)


COACHING POINTS:
Stay tall
 Lead knee straight up and
straight down
 Toe up
 Shoulders square & hips
square


HOW TO:
Push hurdles together
 Same lines- same 4 reps
 All trail legs
 Alternate trail every hurdle


PURPOSE:



COACHING POINTS:


TRAIL LEG DRILL
Hip flexibility
Focus on trail leg


Stay tall
Compact width of trail leg
Knee through armpit
Knee back to middle


HOW TO:

Pull Hurdles 2-4-6 & reset with
one hurdle space between

2 rights 2 lefts

Lead and trail legs
COACHING POINTS:



Stay tall
Get a non-stop flow
going
Same lead knee/trail
leg emphasis

PURPOSE:
 - Hip flexibility
 - Now can get rhythm going
Set hurdle on 30”-33”
Pull back from
wall(fence) 3’-4. 2-25
reps
Work all trail legs
Purpose: Isolate Trail Leg
Coaching Points:
Watch from side and back
Back to middle
Knee through armpit
Stop-put foot on ground
each rep
HOW TO: Hurdle against wall
33’ – 36” height
1 step with lead leg driving it up
and over to wall
15 reps each leg
PURPOSE: Isolate lead leg
COACHING POINT: Stand to side
Lead with knee, not with foot
Drive into hurdle (not lean back)
TRAIL HOP DRILL
HOW TO:
Put hurdle at 30”. Set lead leg
hamstring on hurdle board.
Hop over hurdle pulling leg through
PURPOSE:
Quick reaction for tail leg
COACHING POINTS:
Be careful
Practice several times slowly
Only raise to higher heights if
athlete is capable of handling
Make sure athlete lands in proper
running position


HOW TO FOR “0”
 Straddle hurdle
 Lead leg is on ground in front
of hurdle, but to the side
 Pull trail leg trough
 5-10 reps each side of hurdle
PURPOSE
 Get rhythm started but still
isolating trail leg

HOW TO FOR “1”
One step back
 Lift lead knee-go over
phantom hurdle-trail same as
before


PURPOSE


Get rhythm started but still
isolating trail leg
HOW TO FOR “2”
Add one more step back
 Now-high knee, lead leg, trail
leg


PURPOSE

Get rhythm going

HOW TO:






Put hurdles at regular spacing
(may vary per individual)
3- 5 hurdles
Start 6-7 yards from hurdles
(adjust)
Start with high knee short step
action
Go over hurdle and start high
knee action to next (etc.)
COACHING POIINTS:
 Stand to side and watch that
knee leads ahead of foot
 Fast action over hurdle &
recover to a rhythmic knee
movement between

PURPOSE:

Continue to emphasize
high knees to make sure
they lead with knee and
not foot
HOW TO:
WHEN WORKING WITH SPRINTERS ON START
PUT HURLDES IN OWN LANES WITH 1 OR 2 HURDLES FOR THEM
PURPOSE:
CONFIDENCE TO HURDLE
SPEED
CORRECT STEP
IT’S A SPRINT RACE
COACHING POINTS:
OBSERVE START TECHNIQUE
STRIDE PATTERN
TAKE OFF POINT(ABOUT 6’)
HOW TO:
1st hurdle low down hurdle/on its
regular spot
Put hurdle 2 down 3’ short(put hurdle at 36”
setting & lay board on line)
Put hurdle 3’-6’ short
Etc. up to 5 hurdles
PURPOSE:
Have athlete sprint normal
through the hurdles
“3 stepping”
COACHING POINTS:
Show them hurdling is
sprinting
Power through steps
Confidence they can 3
step
Put first hurdle up,
Leave others down
Put 1 up at 33”, 2 at 30” and
the rest down
Put 1 up at 36”, 2 at 33”, 3 at 30”
and the rest down
Put them all up at 30”
Set at normal height & pull out 2 & 4 and go over 1-3-5
(should get 7 steps-may have to cheat hurdles in 4-6”) GO
FAST!
Obviously you have prepared them by
doing all the drills with both legs.
We always use 300’s as conditioning
phase to finish workouts (always do
these somewhat tired).
Use 300 hurdling to be efficient with
both legs and be in great shape –
explain why
Regular spacing but
usually 3” lower
Have a lane for girls
and boys
Sometimes sprinters
go outside of each
hurdle to push them
Conditioning
“Decision
Hurdling”
Confidence
Watch steps to see
they attack and go
with closest lead
leg(no chopping)
Make sure they go
hard enough to get
tired so they have to
hurdle tired
 BLOCKS

HOW TO:


Go from blocks through 1 hurdle
PURPOSE:


TO 1
Confidence, endurance, teach go hard to 1st
COACHING POINTS:

No chopping, normal sprint pattern, hurdle
clearance
 BLOCKS
TO 2: SAME
HOW TO:
• We usually put 4-6 hurdles on the curve
• Spacing doesn’t matter
• Athletes run through set & we change spacing on
every hurdle (change every set)
PURPOSE:
• Confidence to go over with whichever leg comes up
COACHING POINTS
• ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK (no chopping)