Introduction to the One-Step Drill
by Hector Cotto

In the article below, coach Hector Cotto provides a preliminary discussion of the one-step drill — a drill used by many hurdle coaches and that he finds particularly effective for addressing various technical issues. The drill involves setting up a series of hurdles — at least five, and as many as ten — spaced anywhere from seven to ten feet apart. The athlete will get the knees up in front of the first hurdle and get a little momentum going into the first hurdle. From there, he or she will clear the first hurdle, land off the first hurdle, take only one step, and then clear the next hurdle, etc. For this drill, the hurdles are usually set at low heights so that the athlete can focus on the technical issues and avoid bad habits like raising the hips and jumping too vertically. In the video at the end of the article, Coach Cotto provides detailed analysis of how he is currently using the drill to help him improve his lead-arm mechanics. –Steve McGill
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“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee

The absolute #1 benefit of the one-step drill is that it allows you to do a lot of volume.
Simply put, you can replicate the proper movements over and over and over again, with very little space needed (in relation to an entire stadium).
As a hurdler, you want to execute the same exact hurdle clearance every single time.
But if you only ever practice hurdles at full speed, then you greatly limit the amount of technical mastery possible (in your given timeframe for results).

Imagine you perform 5 repetitions over 5 hurdles at full-speed.
That’s 5 reps over 5 hurdles, or a total of 25 hurdles cleared in the session.

Now even if the technique was 100% perfect during this particular session, it’s still only 25 reps with perfect hurdle technique. Could you realistically ask your hurdler for another 5 reps at full-speed over 5 hurdles?

I sure hope not; 2-3 sessions like that and you’re nearly guaranteed injury.

The human body can only handle so much 100% intensity repetitions.
Can you max out on the bench for 10 reps in a row?
Of course not, the muscle fibers would begin to turn off, and you would find yourself able to lift only 50% of your max by attempt #10.

It is the same with sprinting and hurdling; 10 reps over 5 hurdles at 100% intensity is borderline overkill for an Olympic Gold medalist, 2 months prior to breaking the world record. But some coaches, unfortunately, don’t know any better.

A better approach, and safer approach (given you stay in sneakers and on a softer surface) is to one-step.

• 5 Hurdles at 30 inches
• 2 sets of 5 reps = 50 hurdles cleared
• rest 5 minutes,
• perform a few 3pt starts,
• repeat a 3rd set of 5 repetitions for a total of 75 hurdles cleared.

And we did not come anywhere near stressing the nervous system, like we would have performing jammed hurdle sessions.

In this first article we are introducing you to the one-step drill. But we will be covering the very many ways that you can use this simple drill to improve upon many aspects of the race/technique/rhythm/position.

In the video below you can see how I am currently using the drill (as of June 15, 2021), for the sake of improving the Lead-Arm swing through hurdle clearance, and we will take a look at a full workout in the next issue of The Hurdle Magazine.

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