Coaches Clinic Topics
Principles of Downhill Hurdling
—make the hurdle small
—create the illusion of running downhill.
—run on the balls of the feet, ankles dorsi-flexed.
—emphasize push off the track.
—emphasize knees up, high heels up.
—A marches, A skips
—slight forward lean from the waist, pushing the chest forward.
—hands up and down, cheek to back pocket.
—aim is to create fluid motion, ease of motion, effortless motion, high level of adaptability.
Hurdling Mechanics
—lead leg
—trail leg
—lead arm
—trail arm
—hips
—torso
Hurdle Drills
—wall drill trail leg
—wall drill lead leg
—marching popovers
—cycle drill
—quickstep drill
—lane-line drill (for advanced athletes)
Preparing to Race
—3-point starts over one, building up to three at lower heights.
—same as above at race height.
—block starts over one, building up to three at lower heights.
—same as above at race height
—repeat block starts over 1-3 with an opponent
—add hurdles
—Hurdle spacing is always discounted by at least one foot
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Bread & Butter 400H Workouts
—100/110m back & Forths
—Curve Hurdling Drill (to teach angles on the curve).
—5×200, 1×150
—2×500, 1×150
—3×300, 1×150
—300m time trial over first 8
—2×500 over first 2, last two
Alternating drills for 400H
—2-step drill
—4-step drill
—8-step drill
—5-stepping at 100/110h race spacing, leading with weaker leg
—3-stepping from falling start at 100/110m race spacing, with all hurdles after the first hurdle moved in a foot or two.
—for all drills, start a click below 400h race height before moving up to race height.
Rhythm Development for 400H
—block starts over the first hurdle. Add a second hurdle, a third hurdle, etc. up to five hurdles
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Conducting a Hurdle Practice Session
—know what you want to accomplish, but be ready to adapt
—know all details of the workout (amount of reps, etc.) but be ready to adapt.
—“If they can’t do it, don’t do it.”
—be present; don’t say “hurdlers go hurdle”’and walk away. Hurdlers need attention.
—don’t allow hurdlers to ingrain bad habits. If you focus too much on getting to a certain number of reps, and not enough in efficient mechanics, even a “good” session can hurt more than it helps.
—cut your losses and allow for technical mistakes ONLY when there’s not enough time to correct them.
—for advanced athletes, be more of a co-collaborator than a dictator. Have conversations, don’t give orders.
—constantly ask, “How did that feel?” Get them to trust their bodies and to trust their instincts.
—be a stickler for details; don’t settle. Pretty good isn’t good enough.
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Bread & Butter 100/110H Workouts
—out of the blocks over first 3-5 and sprint to finish line.
—Jamming workout for advanced athletes.
—competitive block starts over 3-7 hurdles
—drill mixes as a workout (popovers, cycle drill, quicksteps).
—block start pairs of 30m followed by over the first three hurdles.
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Coach’s Role on Race Day
—the more hands-off you can be, the better.
—monitor the warmup only as much as you need to. Put older athletes in charge of younger athletes.
—make sure details are taken care of – bib numbers, hip numbers, check-ins, carry extra spikes and a spike key with you.
—make sure they’re dressed appropriately for the temperature, that they gave easy access to water, Gatorade, snacks
—Converse with athletes about the wind, about the opponents.
—always exude an aura of quiet confidence. Don’t try to pump athletes up. Keep all talk practical.
—don’t over-coach. Don’t be giving technical advice or reminders.
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Frequently Asked Questions
—how to teach athletes to 3-step
—should 100/110m hurdlers ever be taught to four-step?
—what should the spacing be for drills?
—should hurdlers also participate in other events?
—how to identify potential hurdlers, how to teach beginners
—how to help an advanced hurdler to advance even further
—pros and cons of 7-stepping
—how often to hurdle per week
