Some 7-Step Advice

Introduction

Though I’ve written several articles in the past on the 7-step approach to the first hurdle, it seems to be time for another one, as this approach is becoming more and more common. Not only at the elite level, but also at the collegiate level, and even at the high school level. And it isn’t restricted to males. More and more females are taking the 7-step approach to the first hurdle as well.

Back around 2008, when Dayron Robles was winning gold medals and dominating the men’s 110 race, I predicted that 7-stepping could become a trend, since Robles’ start seemed to give him such a big advantage. Back then, it seemed that the only way anyone had a chance to beat Robles was to be with him at hurdle one, and that the only way to be with him at hurdle one was to adopt his 7-step approach.

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Sure enough, his closest rivals began switching to the 7-step, and it has continued to trickle down to younger and younger hurdlers, to the point where it’s no longer surprising to see a 7-stepper at any level.

Back in 2008 I thought such a trend would be a good thing, but negative consequences have also resulted. In my estimation, too many hurdlers are 7-stepping because they’ve seen someone else doing it, but they have no real understanding of its benefits nor its pitfalls. Too many of them are reaching, lunging, stretching their strides, setting themselves up for a sloppy race the rest of the way.

So even though I don’t really consider myself an expert on 7-stepping (the experts are those who actually do it, and do it well), I want to take some time in this article to provide some tips on making the 7-step approach work. Keep in mind though, 7-stepping is not for everybody. Reading this article should give you a clearer indication of whether it’s for you. And if so, how to execute it with consistency.

Push

The big difference between 8-steppers and 7-steppers is that 8-steppers don’t need a big first step. For many 8-steppers, as a matter of fact, too big of a first step can cause crowding at the first hurdle. Seven-steppers, on the other hand, need a big first step. They’re trying to cover the same distance to the first hurdle in one less stride. Too short of a first stride can mean disaster for a 7-stepper, whereas it’s a relatively minor error for an 8-stepper.

A big first step begins with getting a big push off both pedals. Eight-steppers can get away with pushing off just the front pedal. A 7-stepper wants the stride to be no different than that of a 100m sprinter: a big push off both pedals and a wide sweep of the arms, accompanied by a huge exhale. I emphasize the phrase “big first step” as opposed to “long first step.” Yes you do want the stride to be long, but if you think in terms of being long, you’ll be tempted to reach with the foreleg, which will cause you to pop up instantly out of the blocks. And if you do that, you’re toast. Instead, the emphasis should be on the push, the arm swing, and on getting full extension with the back leg. This way, your first stride will still land under the hips, you’ll maintain your forward posture, and you’ll be able to keep driving.

Be Patient

Again, like 100m sprinters, 7-steppers need to be patient when driving out of the blocks. That might sound like a backwards thing to say when talking about being fast, but 7-steppers can’t afford to be “quick” with their early strides. They need to be powerful, and to keep pushing, continuing with the wide sweep of the arms.

Seven-steppers, especially when they have 8-steppers lined up on either side of them, will be very tempted to quicken their strides to match the cadence of their opponents. And one quick stride for the 7-stepper – one stride that is too short – can force you to need to overstride as you get closer to the first hurdle in order to compensate and make it to the hurdle in seven steps. So for those first four strides, it’s all about pushing and driving, being powerful, getting full extension.

While it’s important to also keep the head down while driving, it’s also worth noting, even if somewhat parenthetically, that experienced 7-steppers can look up as soon as they want to. Usually, when hurdlers look up, they pop up. But it is very possible to drive and look up at the same time. For those just learning to 7-step, however, I would suggest keeping the eyes down for at least the first two strides, ensuring that you get the necessary push, arm swing, and extension mentioned in the above paragraph. Then, when you do look up, make sure it’s only your eyes that are coming up. Instead of jerking up, allow your upper body to rise gradually.

Transition

At step 5, the 7-stepper wants to transition into the 3-step rhythm that will be continued for the rest of the race. Here, quicker is better. Keep in mind, if there was not enough of a drive in the first four steps, then you must continue to maintain a more open, bounding stride in order to reach the hurdle.

A lot of 7-steppers who don’t really know what they’re doing like to assume that they will drop time just by taking one less stride, no matter how they get to hurdle one, no matter what position their body is in when they get there. But the key is to have your momentum going into the hurdle the same as an 8-stepper. That’s why 7-stepping is high risk, high reward. One misstep and you’re screwed. But if you get it right, you gain a distinct advantage over all but the very best 8-steppers, and you can pretty much keep up with any other 7-steppers.

But getting back to my point, the four power strides at the beginning allow you to be quick for the last three, setting up the cadence that you will maintain between the rest of the hurdles.

Cut Step

The last step before every hurdle is supposed to be shorter than the previous step. You essentially want to “cut” the length of the stride so you can push yourself through the hurdle. The most noticeable flaw of faulty 7-steppers is that they have no cut step. This flaw is caused by mistakes made earlier on, but it is the one that is most visible to the untrained eye because the hurdler won’t have much velocity going into the hurdle and will generally float over the hurdle. If the seventh stride is too long, the lack of momentum going into hurdle one will cause rhythm problems throughout the race. You will be forced to work a lot harder between the rest of the hurdles. The other hurdlers will get to hurdle two much sooner, so you’ll be playing catch-up the whole time, which will most likely lead to even more mistakes. Which brings me back to the point that, for the 7-stepper, if your first step is too short, it can mess up your entire race.

Study Robles

The best 7-stepper ever is undoubtedly the aforementioned Dayron Robles of Cuba. There are plenty of 7-steppers you can study nowadays, but for my money Robles is the most precise and most consistent, and therefore serves as the best model.

In this YouTube video below, Robles is filmed 7-stepping while warming up prior to a race. The slow mo vid allows you to see all phases of the start, including all the topics discussed in this article.

If you want to master the 7-step start, study Robles, study others who do it well (Aries Merritt, Pascal Martinot-LaGarde, etc.), and work together with your coach so you can figure out together how to make it happen successfully, with consistency.

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