Importance of Sprint Form
By: Matt Girardin & Aaron McAndrew
Fern Creek Track and Field
Louisville, KY
The A-Skip
• The A-Skip is the base to all sprint form. From
the A-skip position most all Track Form drills can
be derived.
• When performing the A-Skip make sure, knees
are up at 90 degrees. (your quad should be
parallel to the ground). Your Foot is flexed and
toe is pointed up. The elbows are bent at 90
degrees as well and your hands are relaxed.
• Skipping Forwards the foot paws the ground
quick, concentrating on what is called negative
foot speed.
The B-Skip
• Derived from the A-skip the B-skip is much like
the A, except when performing the B-skip the leg
goes to a 90 Degree A-skip Position and then
Extends before clawing back to the ground.
• It is very important while doing the B-skip that
when clawing back to the ground your foot is
flexed and toe is up while landing underneath
your hips and not out in front of or behind, thus
giving you more power coming off the track.
Butt Kicks
• Butt Kicks are commonly done in many other
sports as well, however in track it is important
that when doing the butt kick drill the knees
come up to 90 degrees while circling through.
• When your knee is in the A-position it is parallel
with the ground. During butt kicks your heels still
hit your butt, however when circling through the
knees move to 90 and become parallel with the
track.
Straight Leg Shuffle
• The Straight Leg Shuffle is a drill that works on clawing
back to the track.
• During the straight leg shuffle, the knees are locked,
your foot is flexed, and toe is up. Your legs and feet are
out in front of you as you are clawing off the track. Heels
do not touch the ground (sprinters heels should never
touch the ground). You are still always using your arms
where your elbows are at 90 and hands are relaxed.
• When teaching this drill and all the previous drills have
them start slow and get the hang of it before speeding
up.
More Sprint Drills…
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A-Lunge
C-skip
Power Skip
Fast Leg
Alternate Leg Fast Leg
Karaoke (knees up to 90)
A-March
Backwards running
Anklers
Incorporating Drills into the
Warmup
• These Drills should be apart of your
everyday warm-up.
• Warm-ups should last between 30-40
minutes everyday, the warm-up should be
most of the practice.
• We incorporate most of these drills in our
warm-up as well as flexibility drills and
different types of form running.
Flexibility Drills
Basic Hurdle Drills can be used for
flexibility.
* Walking over the hurdles using proper
form can help hip flexibility
* Leg Swings whether over hurdles or on
the fence can be done before drills.
Form Running
• A-Runs are a different type of form running
often used by many college coaches. This
consists of exaggerating the knee lift while
running by lifting the knee to 90 still
concentrating on perfect form.
Breaking down the A-Run
• Head up, Chest up, and hips beneath
• Shoulders down, elbows back, and hands
relaxed
• Toe up, knee up, heal to butt
% Strides
• Another good way to concentrate on form and put the
drills together is % strides.
• Starting the athletes at 50-60% concentrating on correct
form.
• Then move to 70%, concentrating on correct form.
• Then change it up, start at 60% for 40m, Turn it up to
80%.
• Start at 70% for 40m, Change it to 90% for 20m.
• These types of drills lets you as a coach notice where
your athletes lose their form and if your athlete can
maintain good form at higher speeds.
Different tools used for form
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Mini hurdles
Small cones/stick drill
Hurdle drills
Speed ladders
Putting it all together
• It doesn’t matter what event in sprinting or
jumping it is, it all starts with form.
• Spending days especially at the beginning of the
season solely on teaching correct form and
perfecting these drills will pay dividends come
post season.
• Remember average athletes can become good
athletes with good form, good athletes can
become great athletes with good form.