Last Updated on November 17, 2012 by Jimson Lee
Click here for more information on Hip Height and Sprinting.
One of the most common mistakes sprinters make is not coming high enough in the SET position.
The indoor 60 meters in Lievin showed a good example on contesting the differences.
There are 2 factors here. One is the height of the athlete. The second is the length of arms. I have unusually long arms (plus large chest and narrow waist) where I have to buy my dress shirts tailored.
In the video below on YouTube, we have Lerone Clarke and Christophe Lemaitre running 1-2 at the indoor 60 meters in Lievin (6.50 and 6.57 respectively)
First, note the height differences of the 1 athletes when they stand side by side.
Second, note the hand positions on the track.
By spreading your arms, you lower your shoulder, and thus produce a higher hip height.
If you are not steady in the ON YOUR MARKS and SET positions, then consider adding Bench Press and “finger tip” Push Ups to your routine if you haven’t done so already. These will keep you steady and not false start.
UPDATE: Sorry, the video is no longer on YouTube.
Ben Johnson Revisited
When you think of the wide arm positions in the starting blocks, one has to immediately think of Ben Johnson.
But that doesn’t mean you have to copy him, unless you are the same height, same arm length and the same power output as Ben Johnson!
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