What Research Tells Us About Step Strategy
by Melinda Burris

Kinematics is a specific category of biomechanics that hurdling coaches and researchers use to qualify and quantify a hurdler’s individual abilities and identify types of movement that need improvement to enhance capability.

Chris Parno, who has received multiple honors from the NCAA in recognition of his work as an assistant coach in track and field and currently serves as the associate head coach for the sport at Minnesota State University acknowledges that the study of kinematics, commonly referred to as the ‘geometry of motion’, is the gold standard for evaluating key factors in hurdling and other sports, giving insight into “the pattern and speed of movement sequencing by a body segment,” and is invaluable in the assessment of athletic coordination.¹
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Should You Take Seven or Eight Steps on Takeoff?

Parno emphasizes the importance of establishing the correct number of steps a given hurdler should take on their approach to the first hurdle, stressing the need to discuss, rehearse, and modify the chosen technique over time, as necessary. While the eight-step method is most commonly used by male hurdlers competing at the high school and college level, Coach Parno states, “When the velocity being created overcomes the ability to productively use an eight-step approach, the athlete may move to a seven-step approach.”¹

Elite athletes may employ the seven-step method for various reasons. Coach Steve McGill points out that “The obvious advantage is that it gets you to the first hurdle faster, enabling you to put pressure on your opponents to catch you. And we all know that when other hurdlers are trying to catch you, they’re more prone to make mistakes.”² It’s widely recognized that psychological pressure can cause a competitor to panic. Fear of losing can often cause individuals to overcompensate and overcorrect, leading to poor decision-making.

McGill goes on to explain that while “The seven-step looks slower because the legs aren’t turning over as quickly…it’s actually faster because of the one less stride.” To determine whether the seven-step approach is helping you hurdle more effectively, McGill recommends closely analyzing  “your touchdown at the third hurdle, not the first hurdle.”² This analysis will let you know if using a seven-step takeoff is allowing you to continue hurdling in a fluid, natural rhythm and increasing your rate of speed or not.

Parno agrees that choosing the proper takeoff distance is essential for optimal performance, as those first steps determine your ability to run your best race. As the coach explains, “Not reaching the proper take-off mark may cause stuttering at the first hurdle, jumping airborne to clear the hurdle, lead leg mix-ups, etc.”¹ According to Parno, athletes who experience these issues “likely will not recover and will rarely be in the race after these anomalies occur.”¹ In essence, it is difficult to overstate the importance of good takeoff and its implications for the hurdler to be able to succeed.

The decision to transition from eight steps to seven should not be taken lightly, Coach McGill warns, noting that sometimes difficult adjustments must be made to lose that additional step and perform successfully. Specifically, he highlights the need to switch feet in the starting block. “That will feel odd at first,” he cautions, and then continues to explain that “it will take a while to develop the power out of the blocks that you had with your feet the other way.” A hurdler switching to a seven-step takeoff must also get used to their arms swinging in the opposite direction. These changes to technique and body movement will take time to feel natural.²

The Need for an Individualized Approach to Hurdle Training

Coach Parno underscores the fact that training for hurdles must be customized to the athlete, stating, “Ultimately, the hurdle coach must have a large toolbox and an understanding of the goal of each drill in order to address any issue within their athlete. Each coach will have their own ‘everyday’ drill sequence within the warm-up and, hopefully, another set to help diagnose and fix issues as they arise.”¹ Acknowledging that there are standard warmup drills used throughout the sport, Parno emphasizes the need for adaptation “as coaches learn deficiencies within their athletes.”¹ Recognizing the need for individualized training enables coaches and trainers to hone in on specific deficiencies and adapt training methods to address these issues more effectively.

In an article published by the scholarly journal Sports Biomechanics, L.J. Rowley et al. cite the findings of research studies from 2000 to 2011 in their conclusions on the importance of takeoff in every aspect of hurdling, surmising that “Take-off directly affects the success of the hurdle clearance, the touchdown phase, and the inter-hurdle steps.”³

The researchers go on to discuss the significance of “the deviation angle,” explaining that “this is a measure of the absolute position of the body’s center of mass (CoM) in relation to the metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joint of the take-off foot and a line horizontal with the ground from the MTP towards the hurdle.”³

Why does this matter? Rowley et al. point to findings in previous investigative studies which  suggest “that this angle is a key parameter which defines the success of the take-off phase, defining the trajectory of the CoM and the hurdle flight time.” It is asserted that “Better hurdlers have a deviation angle which is less than 70°.”³

Conclusion

The evidence shows that experts working within the sport and those conducting research studies all agree that proper takeoff is essential to mastering hurdling. It is noted that no scientific studies have focused explicitly on comparing first hurdle clearance and the degree of deviation angle between seven-steppers and eight-steppers. As is so often the case, additional research into step strategy options and their effects is necessary to achieve a more comprehensive understanding.

References:

1. Parno, C. (n.d.). Hurdle Technical Drills Simplified.
2. McGill, S. (2008). Seven Steps to the First Hurdle?
3. Rowley, L. J. et al. (16 November 2021). Effect of Hurdling Step Strategy on the Kinematics of the Hurdle Clearance Technique.

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