Run faster with proper sprinting technique. In order to maximize speed at the start of the race, you need to learn how to properly perform block starts. When done correctly, blocks starts are the best platform to apply maximum force in order to overcome inertia. This post looks at how to properly work your way down from a 3 point start to achieving the hard post and triple extension out of the blocks.

As we started teaching the start by using the high start to assemble the hard post, we’re going to work our way down to the blocks. It’s always easier to give that full extension or triple extension from a standing start standpoint or position. And as the athlete gets better at it, we start getting from a deeper angle. So a 3-point start will be a little bit deeper. Now we’re asking the athlete to fully extend and assemble the hard post. Then, as they get better at it, we’re going to work our way down to the blocks to be able to post up, get that triple extension and assemble the hard post out of the blocks.

Half Start Drill

We’re introducing the concept of the block starts. Sprinters use the block starts as a platform to produce force to overcome inertia. To help the athlete feel how to load the block starts, and how to rest their body weight on the pedals and really push, we’re going to use a half start drill.

You´re going to hold your athlete from the shoulder. They´re going to stick their butt back and rest their body weight on the pedals. You’re going to let them go and they´re pushing.

Block Start Setup

Now we’re going to talk about block setup in a position that will allow us to produce force to overcome inertia and be able to explode out of the blocks. A lot of coaches ask their athletes to stay low coming out of the blocks. They end up breaking at the waist, having too much forward rotation. They’re not really pushing out of the blocks. They’re falling down and catching themselves. So right now we’re just going to teach you the correct block setup.

• Put your feet down on the blocks.
• One of the big things we look for is we want the arms to be perpendicular with the ground.
• Relax your head down.
• Your back is a little bit rounded. That causes a lot of stretch on the back muscles and the neck muscles. This way, when you push out of the blocks, you will get the stretch reflex and be able to truly post up and assemble the hard post.
• You´re going to come up. Get your hips a little bit high and back, trying to get your hips right above the front toe.

We set the pedals down at 45º with the ground because we want the athlete, as they’re coming into the set position, to be able to rest their foot and rest their body weight on the pedals, using them as platform to be able to push and produce force.

One big deal is that as the athlete is coming up in the set position, we want their hips to be directly over the front toe. If the hips is too far forward ahead of the front toe, they’re going to fall forward out of the blocks. They’re not going to be able to really push the blocks in the correct way.

Just get their hips forward first. Then we’ll adjust it just to make our point. Watch their hips in relation to the front toe. Watch their feet getting up and back and getting rested over the pedals to be able to push. In the set position, they keep their hips a little bit forward. Now we see their hips a little bit in front of the foot. Finally they get their hips up and back, up a little bit higher.

Block start setup:

• Hips directly over front toe
• Back is slightly rounded

Bibliographic references:

• Outperform. (2017). Sprinting Technique – Maximizing Block Starts [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xXqGZamvZjw?si=k4Yb5tAYDmgu95JX