Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

How do you get lower on the hurdle...do you work to increase your flexablity, or just over time with drills you’ll get better???? This is refering to the 100 hurdles

You can takeoff further away from the hurdle and / or lower your flight trajectory. Flexibility shouldn’t even be an issue for most women hurdlers. If you’re able to really sprint between the hurdles, try to feel as if you just step over the hurdles.

Think of driving through the hurdle rather than over it, never stall with your arms, and as soon as your heel has cleared the standard you should be pushing it down for touch down.

The key to getting lower on the hurdles is driving your legs, and slightly leaning with your upper body. As for taking off further, I would suggest coming closer to the hurdle, to force yourself to drive your legs faster over the hurdle, which will eventually lead to getting lower

Getting closer to the hurdle won't get you lower over the hurdle, it will actually do the opposite.  Getting too close to the hurdle does not allow you enough time to clear the hurdle effectively.  You will undoubtedly slow down on your last step, push up over the hurdle instead of pushing out towards the hurdle, your clearance will be way too high, and you'll land too flat footed with no momentum go help you run to the next hurdle.  Getting too close to the hurdles is the last thing you want to do if you're goal is lower, more effective clearance.

i am not saying that you get so close as to slow down before you get to the last hurdle. All I am saying is that the closer you are to it, the faster you force your legs to move over the hurdle. keep the distance from the hurdle comfotable enough.

Sorry I misunderstood your meaning.  Just sounded to me like you were saying the closer to the hurdle you are, the faster you'll get off of it.  As I have found out this past year with an athlete, that is certainly NOT the case. 

tony - 15 July 2005 03:17 AM

Think of driving through the hurdle rather than over it, never stall with your arms, and as soon as your heel has cleared the standard you should be pushing it down for touch down.

Ive never been a fan of pushing down the lead leg. I was taugh the best way to get low is to start you mechanics of hurdling before you start to clear the hurdle. If you push down,the distance is comfortable for your steps might be compromised and you might have to jever stride to make up for that distance.

Well as far as i know my coach has told me to lean over the hurlde and then as soon as your trail leg touches the floor get tall
- so lean over the hurdle and you will automatically get lower but dont get frustrated keep doing it and it will come !!!

hurdlesking, just out of curiosity, where are u from.

as for the question, taking off away from the hurdle and driving through are the best answers.

The action of leaning and bringing up the lead leg should occur at the same time.  Then after the hurdle is cleared a way to help “drive” your lead leg down is to get taller.  Getting your upper body out of the lean has an opposite reaction on your leg lead forcing it down.  Hurdlesking what you are saying getting tall when your lead leg touches the ground is making the hurdler work harder by not taking advantage of the equal and opposite reaction you would get from coming out of your lean.