Sprinting Mechanics & Fundamentals | Feed the Cats 

Good sprint coaches are relatively rare.

Most middle-high school "coaches" will not teach you anything if you aren't their favorite. My "coaches" got big mad when I showed up their favorites though. Was pretty hilarious.

OMG, you’re preaching to the choir! When younger, I was more highly skilled than everyone naturally, but one injury from auto accident and my coaches lectured me instead of teaching me! They didn’t properly train me because I was naturally fast, and they instead focused on those they liked. They also didn’t give me simple education. Instead, they said to me, “you know better”! No, I didn’t know better…TELL ME! Then, when I got away from those particular coaches, I tried “running at 90%” instead of full speed. I won many titles and was great, but I knew I was faster than the three people who beat and were seen above me. Well, I taught myself properly, because all I was really doing was running “relaxed” instead of tense, and one day I raced every single one of those guys with my new technique and SMOKED them! They thought they’d gotten slow…no…I’d just learned to relax. Something that simple makes a big difference, and it is imperative coaches spend more time in the classroom than on the actual track. Good luck to you, and as a knowledgeable person, I say you can ask me any questions you want, because I now know most of the answers. Sprinters are made moreso than born!

@@stevie586 thsnk you for the tips, I can't wait to try them next season. I never thought about being more relaxed before, but it makes sence.

@@calicoraven7332 my pleasure! Yes, relaxation is not a mere good thing to do…it is a MUST! The more tense you run, the more you slow yourself down and risk injury…especially in longer events. Also, run forward instead of pushing from the rear. Your steps and the power you’re generating will essentially pull you forward…getting those knees up and running tall will make this happen fairly naturally. But that requires more training. In any event, never, ever, ever flex or squint when running…even when trying to catch someone from behind, relax, be patient, trust that your skill and technique will enable you to catch and pass them. If you relax and don’t catch them, you simply weren’t gonna catch them anyhow, and no need getting injured over trying!

Glad you think so!

Most people think Michael Johnson's mechanics worked great for him, but not a blueprint for training high school kids.

Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.dd

@@staysolidshades254 Amen.

His mechanics are so controversial. He was successful with that form, but, I personally feel he was simply very talented and could’ve been much faster with better mechanics. Watching him as a teen, I always thought his form was not the best and wondered how he could be so good with those mechanics. I definitely wouldn’t recommend others to try it his way.

@@staysolidshades254 amen

No. When I refer to stiffness, I'm referring to stiffness in the tendons. Tendons act like rubber bands. Loose rubber bands don't shoot as far.

​@@coachtonyholler how important is the correct arm swing compared to foot placement on the ground. Or do they work hand in hand together.

@@samserwadda253 Fast people do it naturally. Sprinters typically have full arm motion, not restricted… the important thing is for the hand to pass the hips driving the elbow to the sky and creating a stretch reflex in the shoulder.

Usually trips are caused by trying to “stay low”. Like anything else, acceleration must be practiced.

Weight is generally anti-speed (gravity is a bitch). Weight from natural growth and weight that allows more force into the ground may be beneficial. Greyhounds would not be faster with added weight.

Don't understand your question. Acceleration is a piston-like motion, whacking the track horizontally. Getting long in stride length early in acceleration would cause a "braking effect".

@@coachtonyholler this is what many don’t understand! Driving is building momentum which will eventually help propel them forward into the acceleration. So many over-extend their hamstrings in thinking they will go more forward, but don’t realize they’re actually losing momentum and risking injury. Many also mix up the effects high knees VS longer front mechanics with feet too far ahead. Great point!

No sprint coach uses Michael Johnson as a model of sprint mechanics. Elites are professional compensators.

Train only when fresh. Microdose workouts.

Sprint more.

Might be effective for him. Could try to shorten his stride with 5.5’ wickets at full speed.

@@coachtonyholler I’ll try it. Thank you!!! My kids are loving feed the cats!!! Can’t wait to see what they do this upcoming season

Repetition. Video. Timed sprints.

​@@coachtonyholler how is the motion? You throw your arms straight down? Putting a lot of power? I always thought you should relax your arms but if i do so they are locked in 90°

@@SunOmega never locked. Downward elongation is key. Pass the hips.

@@coachtonyholler Thank you so much, i tried today to film myself and i saw this detail, then i tried to stretch my arm downwards but still it was in a kinda 90° position, a little bit better, but i already felt like i was able to strike the ground harder cause i really try to extend and strike my arms downward (dont know if its a benefit or doing this type of motion) still have to fix this tho

Your poor form is a habit. Habits are formed by repetition. Do drills, sprint, do wickets. Video. Cue yourself to "stay tall".

Useful, thanks 👍

Sprinting is only unsafe for those who never sprint.

its to know which way to run

Yeah I was wondering about that 😅

Don’t think that was the topic of the video.

For sure. That’s why we PRACTICE.

Explain

@@coachtonyholler bo jackson, Herschel Walker, Barry sanders, tyreek hill did not have picture perfect or text book form and where extremely fast. None of these guy lifted there knees high or poke their eyes out with there thumb. If your fast your fast, yes some minor technical adjustments can be made, arm swing across the body, squatting while sprinting needs to be correct, beside that put a bigger engine under the hood.

@@coachbsportsperformancecoa945 what do you mean when your said put a bigger engine under that hood? Explain

@@akshajbist1518 Oh thanks

I know what you’re talking about. I’ve seen folks with amazing form who are slow due to lack of strength and also frequency. This is especially the case with beginners, as well…they’ve “got it”, but need more time. Also, FYI, the examples you gave, I think there is a huge misunderstanding many folks have in having fast twitch and being “fast”. We see 60M runners explode out of the blocks and get way ahead, but they get smoked in the 100M. Sometimes, it’s just the build of the person. Others, simply ineffective form. It’s extremely important for a competitive sprinter to have great form not just for speed and speed endurance, but also to prevent injury. A world class athlete with slower turnover and excellent technique can absolutely smoke a person who is naturally more powerful & with faster twitch muscles with simple technique. Sprinters truly are made today.

100% correct

???

@@coachtonyholler He means that the picture you used was just him at a bad moment in time.

Down-sweep, hand crosses hip, elbow to the sky, arm snaps back with stretch-reflex.

OK

Act like they made the athlete? Tony would be the first to tell you that young phenoms were phenoms before they met their first great sprinting coach.

Mechanics are not BS, but every good sprinter is different (but the same is the importantly things.