Short Sprint Hurdle Drill | FastTwitchGrandma Sprinting Tips & Tricks

Short sprint hurdle drill is an excellent drill to help promote proper cycling. It is especially useful to help with poor knee drive and heel recovery, both imperative for longer, more frequent and powerful strides.

Set up

1. 20-30m acceleration zone.
2. 8-10 x 8-12 inch hurdles evenly spaced apart.
   1. Beginners: 6 foot lengths apart.
   2. Faster individuals: 7 foot lengths apart.
3. 20m deceleration zone.

Have the athletes build up to maximum speed from a static start. They should be at top speed when they hit the hurdles. Athletes should run through the hurdles without slowing down, maintaining their speed or continuing to accelerate. Once out of the hurdles they should try to carry their speed for a few more strides before decelerating.

While the hurdles are not very tall, they trick the athlete into having to raise their knees a little more than they might normally while running. Because their legs are slightly higher and the next hurdle is quickly approaching, they have to quickly pull their trail leg through into their next stride. However, because the hurdle is under them, they can’t swing their heel through low, lest they hit it. The hurdle forces their heel to come through higher, regardless of if their natural heel recovery is high enough, forcing the athlete through a more efficient and faster heel cycle. This drill promotes a longer stride with greater frequency which is the key to running faster.

This is an excellent drill to do at the start or end of a practice and should be done once or twice a week at the start of a season and then every other week during performance phases. Athletes should run through 5 – 6 times with adequate recovery.

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