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The Relay Push Pass: Let the Driver Drive!

You are here: Home / Track & Field / The Relay Push Pass: Let the Driver Drive!
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May 2, 2016 by Jimson Lee Leave a Comment

After watching highlights from the Penn Relays, especially the 4x100m relay, there are two things evident to ensure the “stick goes around the track”, and that is:

  1. Don’t take off too early (or too late)
  2. In the Push Pass, it is the incoming runner’s responsibility (with the baton) to get it to the outgoing runner.

2016 Penn Relays USA vs The World

If you are the outgoing runner, KEEP YOUR ARM AND HAND STEADY.  Do not have it flailing all over the place.  Granted, this is not easy as your legs are moving anywhere from 10 to 12 meters per second. So it’s natural to have your arms swinging in oscillation with the opposite leg.

Here is a video on YouTube that shows the Botched pass analysis on the Final Exchange at the 2016 Penn Relays “USA vs. the World” Men 4x100M.

The commentator (Carol Lewis?) has the right words of wisdom: Let the Driver Drive!

Don’t Take Off Too Soon

One of the biggest mistakes for the outgoing runner is “don’t take off too soon”.  But when the incoming runner hits the GO mark, you have to go.  No holding back.

In a perfect world, that “Go Mark” is about 25 “steps in your spikes” behind the acceleration zone.  (this is about 7-8m behind the acceleration zone hash mark, or 17-18m behind the acceleration exchange zone)

If you are privy to advanced timing equipment, you would be measuring 50m splits, ideally from the 70-120m segment of the incoming runner. (with the exchange occurring between the 90-110m marks or zone)

A lot of coaches worry about baton speed in the exchange zone, but at the end of the day, it’s leg speed all the way that matters.  The legs will carry you to a sub 38 second 4×100 relay and the baton is just bonus.  Just execute the fundamentals, get 3 crisp exchanges, and the 50 meter segment above will speak for itself.  In ideal conditions, you are looking at 4.62 seconds.

See also  A Systematic Approach To Developing Individual Success Within A Dynamic Team Culture

Why 4.62 for 50m? 

Since 8x50m = 400m, and 4.62 x 8 = 37 seconds, add 1 second for acceleration out of the blocks, which makes 38 seconds in a perfect world.  See Valeri Borzov – Training Procedures in Sprinting that uses the 1.0 second rule from crouch to flying.

And a sub 38 for the men’s 4x100m will probably be good enough to medal.

If you can get the stick around.

Most Popular Relay Articles:

Ato Boldon’s How to Coach the USA 4x100m Relay Pool

Complete Guide to 4x100m Relay Statistics

Complete Stats of 4x100m Fastest Anchor Leg Splits

Exploiting your 4×100 meter Relay Personnel (Dennis Best’s guest post)

Calculating 4×100 meter Relay Potential

Category iconTrack & Field

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

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