McKinnon G, Comerford M. Hurdle Performance: lead arm technique advancement. Modern Athlete & Coach.

50(1)Jan
2012: 26-29 (reprinted with permission of the editor of Modern Athlete & Coach)

Hurdles Performance: Lead arm technique advancement for hurdle performance

Geoff McKinnon & Mark Comerford
Over the past 10-15 years we have witnessed a dramatic shift in the speed of the worlds leading
sprinters driven largely by the exploits of the current world record holder, Usain Bolt. Bolts stunning
onslaught on the 100 and 200m world records have tended to hide the considerable improvements on
the previous world records by Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay. The efforts of these three sprinters have
set new standards throughout the world in that the bar has risen well above previous targets in terms of
qualifying times for major events such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
Bolt and his Jamaican compatriots have dominated world sprinting in recent times to the extent they
have overwhelmingly overshadowed the traditional leaders, the United States. Now everybody wants to
know how this has come about. Bolt defies all the standard physical requirements of what makes a
great sprinter by the mere fact he is simply too tall at 1.95m to be the sprinter that he is.
We are witnessing advances in the standards of 400m and 800m running with the depth of talent at the
international level getting increasingly deeper as they apply more emphasis to their speed training
without losing sight of their aerobic capacities. We also appear to be witnessing a surge in hurdling
with the world record for the mens 110m hurdles event having been lowered several times over the
past five years to the current standard of 12.89sec. However, Australian standards among men appear
to have become bogged in quicksand.
Perhaps the exception in Australian hurdling are the women, with Sally Pearsons 2011 World
Championship 12.28sec catapulting her into the heady realms of currently standing tall as historys
fourth fastest ever. Other Australian women, Pam Ryan, Shirley Strickland. Maureen Caird, Glynis
Nunn-Cearns, Debbie Flintoff King and Jana Rawlinson all have strode across the worlds hurdling
stage with authority. Womens hurdling in Australia has remained consistently good by world
standards over the past 50 years.
There are some coaches around the world who are adamant the 110m hurdles should be edging towards
the realm of 12.5sec if that event was to keep pace with the improvements we are witnessing in the 100
and 200m flat races. Where will such heady improvements come from if this is to happen? These
coaches, including this writer, advocate a 12.5sec result will come from improved technique coupled
with greater management of maximum speed between the hurdles
In simple terms every hurdler takes the same number of strides between each hurdle. It is the speed he
or she generates between those hurdles which determines the winner and the fastest hurdler. Clearly the
coach and the hurdler has to come to grips with how long the hurdler spends in the air in negotiating
each hurdle, and how effective he or she makes the transition from flat ground sprinting to between
hurdle speed. In other words, its all about sprinting through all ten hurdles from start to finish.
So where are the coaching guidelines that will advance hurdlers towards that 12.5sec target? It has to
come from the grass roots level where young athletes make their choice to become a hurdler and
explore their own sense of courage and lack of fear in racing over objects which wont get out of their
way.
Australian Track and Field Coaches Association with permission from Modern Athlete & Coach vol. 50(1) 2012: 26-29

Here in Australia we are not overly blessed with so called natural sprinters who can race quicker than
10.4sec over 100m. Perhaps we should be astute enough to identify these athletes and steer them
towards a hurdling career rather than waste their time trying to emulate more speed-gifted rivals from
overseas who are disappointed if they cannot run 10.2sec or better in a picnic race.
The ideal physical makeup for a hurdler is 1.88m, and about 82kg, with a ground speed between 10.4
and 10.6sec. During the 14 years I coached Stuart Anderson he fitted these physical requirements but
his best flat 100m was 10.8sec. His best hurdles time was 13.73sec by the time he retired five years ago
which at that point made him the fifth fastest ever ranked hurdler in Australia. He was to be the
bridesmaid to Australias greatest ever hurdler Kyle Vander Kuyp on numerous occasions, simply
because Kyle could run 100m faster. Stuart on the other hand had Kyles measure in air time across the
hurdles.
Some 12 years ago I began to experiment with and encourage my hurdlers to
adopt a forearm downward drive of the lead arm from the chin area in a bent
elbow action which drove down past the hip as the lead leg began to search for
the ground without causing problems with
inappropriate hip rotation away from the
direction of flight across the hurdle.

Figure
1:
Stuart
Anderson demonstrates
downward drive of the
lead arm and good
balance across the hurdle

Many coaches today still persevere with the bent

elbow forward across the upper body and driven
outward above the trail leg, thus causing
unnecessary hip rotation; tendencies to float
across the hurdle; and as well there are those
who preach a low lead arm pushed forward and
down over the lead leg. Centre of gravity (core
stability) is virtually lost with these actions.

Figure 2: Promising junior

Anthony Collins (right) loses
upper body and arm control
across the hurdle

Our hurdlers adopted a series of pre-race drills designed to place emphasis on fast twitch fibre
movements shown to us during the Goodwill Games by USA Olympic coach, Curtis Frye, who was at
the time, also coach of two of hurdlings greats Alan Johnson and Terrance Trammel. These drills
mirror the techniques required to negotiate each hurdle in a race - with emphasis on fast hands, knee
drive at the hurdle, and most importantly the downward drive of the lead arm in co-ordination with the
lead leg and trail leg.
Stuart Anderson was one of the first Australian hurdlers to adopt the downward lead arm drive utilising
it so well he went on to represent Australia. Others emerging from our squad with this technique
included Adam Szlezak, Duncan Harvey, Jack Conway, Cedric Dubler, Anthony Collins, Amanda
Drew and Emma MacTaggart. With the exception of Emma and Duncan, all of them have won
Australian hurdling titles or represented Australia. Another squad international, John Burstow, has
struggled to adopt the downward lead arm drive, but he continues his endeavors to make the change in
his bid to achieve a sub-14sec result.
It was all very well of me to extoll what Alan Johnson and Terrance Trammel were doing with coach
Frye; I needed to understand better the physiological and biomechanical stream of internal movements
to put the stamp of authority on what I was trying to teach.
Australian Track and Field Coaches Association with permission from Modern Athlete & Coach vol. 50(1) 2012: 26-29

I found the answers when I met the noted Australian physiotherapist, Mark Comerford, who spends
several months of his year lecturing throughout North America and Europe, as well as assisting
organisations such as the Chicago Bulls, West Side Dance (New York City Ballet), and athletes such as
the former British Olympic triple jump gold medalist, Jonathan Edwards.
Mark quickly warmed to my lead arm concept and provided me with a series of images which serve to
demonstrate the differences between the downward arm drive and the traditional hand or elbow
thrust forward technique.
Due to the asymmetry of the hurdling action, the natural balance response whilst in the air over the
hurdle is to lift the lead arm forward and out to the side. To change a natural response, the athlete
recognising the value of the downward lead arm drive will need to learn and train to adopt this new
skill, supported by superior hip rotation and core sidebend control.
It is Marks view that the downward arm drive is biomechanically advantageous for increased forward
power over the hurdle. However, the athlete with less efficient core strength or stability (especially in
rotation or sidebend control) will struggle with the challenge to develop a more power advantageous
downward arm action. He says that elbow drive out to the side, along with the leg asymmetry, produces
significant rotation and sidebending forces at the spine, pelvis and hips that have to be controlled and
counterbalanced. But he agrees it is the elbow thrust down to the side which creates a greater degree of
increased power, efficiency and forward movement off the hurdle.
The major muscle coming into play to achieve this downward arm action is the
Latissimus Dorsi (Fig. 3) which supports the down and backward drive of the
shoulder with the wrist being driven down and the elbow
driving backwards rather than outwards.
PD

Figure 3: Latissimus
Dorsi

The triceps also aids the down and backward drive. The
latissimus dorsi and the triceps also produce an inward
rotation twist at the shoulder, which requires coordinated
activation of the infraspinatus and the posterior deltoid at
the upper shoulder which provide an outward rotation
counterbalance. (Fig. 4)

The rotation forces in the trunk of the more power

efficient downward arm action have to be
counterbalanced at the trunk by core strength in the
rotation stabiliser muscles. Athletes who already have
good core strength for rotation and sidebend control will
automatically do this well. Athletes with poor core
control will have a tendency to demonstrate unwanted
lateral movement (zigzag) in the first few steps as they
leave the blocks and the first 2 or 3 strides after landing
over the hurdle. This unwanted lateral movement is
Figure 5: Internal Oblique
controlled by the rotation stabiliser muscles.
The abdominal internal oblique muscle (Fig. 5) provides control for sidebend
and rotation of the trunk as it acts from a position just above the pelvis.
Another rotational controlling factor is the external oblique (Fig. 6) which

I
T
LD

Figure 4: Latissimus
Dorsi (LD), Triceps (T),
Posterior Deltoid (PD) &
Infraspinatus (I)

Figure 6: External Oblique

Australian Track and Field Coaches Association with permission from Modern Athlete & Coach vol. 50(1) 2012: 26-29

especially controls the degree of rotation. The external oblique controls rotation and sidebend of the
trunk, as well as excessive back arch (leaning back) coming off the hurdle.
Two other key players in this process of rotation and sidebend stabilisation
are the gluteus maximus (Fig. 7) and the gluteus medius at the hip. The hip
muscles also control the pelvis and thigh during weight bearing and
propulsion. The gluteal muscles (buttock) in particular control thigh and
pelvic position over the foot.

Figure
7:
Maximus

Knee lift from the hip flexor muscles is important to drive the lead leg over
the hurdle and to bring the trail leg through. If the deep hip flexor (iliacus) is
weak or inefficient, the pelvis rolls backward, causing dropping the chest or
causing the pelvis to rotate excessively over the hurdle.
Gluteus

AB
B
AM
M

Figure 8: Iliacus (I), Pectineus

(P), Adductor Brevis (AB),
Adductor Magmus (AM)

Other key components include a range of muscles in the groin and upper
leg region including the pectineus, the adductor brevis, and upper adductor
magnus in the stabilising compartment of the
adductor muscles (Fig. 8), while the gracilis,
adductor longus and lower adductor magnus
make up the mobiliser compartment of the leg
adductors (Fig. 9). The gracilis is the long
muscle connecting the groin to the knee.
AL

The gracilis and adductor longus are muscles

that do not sit well with hurdlers, especially
those who tend to hurdle with a straight lead
leg. It is these muscle which connect with the
pubic area and if torn can take many months to
recover from. Sometimes surgery is required.

Figure 9: Adductor Longus

(AL) & Gracilis (G)

In summary, the downward arm drive has a lot of potential benefits in improving power and speed over
the hurdle. The athlete who has good core strength and the ability to control spine and pelvic rotation
and sidebend will find this technique skill relatively easy to learn and integrate into their natural action.
However, athletes with poor core strength or inefficient rotation or sidebend control will find this new
skill difficult to acquire. They will require additional training of their rotation and sidebend stabiliser
muscles to improve their core control. Mark has observed that uncontrolled rotation and sidebending in
the spine, pelvis and hip are the major contributors to recurrent injuries in hurdlers.
Key points to watch:

The gluteals control lateral shift and rotation of the pelvis

They stabilise or stiffen the pelvis for leg propulsion.
The gluteals also control the knee from rolling in across the foot and foot pronation. If the foot
stays pronated too long as the body move past the foot the athlete loses propulsion off the
ground.
In efficient iliacus contributes to uncontrolled rotation of the pelvis which in turn affects
balance and efficiency over the hurdle.

Australian Track and Field Coaches Association with permission from Modern Athlete & Coach vol. 50(1) 2012: 26-29

Iliacus deficiencies further result is poor knee lift rolling back of the pelvis and this will be of
major concern.
Uncontrolled rolling back of the pelvis is linked to dropping the chest on approaching the
hurdle and is asking for trouble.

Great examples among current world class hurdlers adopting this downward thrust of the lead arm
coupled with good core stability can be seen in the performances of Sally Pearson (Australia) and Liu
Xiang (China).
Pearson dominated the recent European season with her considerable consistency leading up to her
World Championship win, and she did so beating several rivals who have faster flat speed times than
she has over 100m. In the World Championships you will observe how Pearson literally ran and raced
over the hurdles as if they did not exist. Her lead arm downward drive clearly gave her the impetus to
drive off each hurdle without impeding hip rotation which helped her nullify the best efforts of her
rivals, who now have 11 months leading up to the London Olympics to figure out what she has done to
become one of the genuine greats of world hurdling.
One further comment here: Hurdlers consistently training with sprint specialists to enhance their speed
between hurdles will soon learn they will quickly lose their hurdles speed, even if they do improve their
100m flat speed. Kyle Vander Kuyp at his best was a 10.4sec flat sprinter, While Stuart Anderson try
as hard as he did could not get past 10.8sec more than twice in his career. Towards the end of this
career, Kyle worked with a specialist sprint squad and Roy Boyd continued as his technical coach in
the hurdles.
The speed requirements in these two events are diametrically opposed and require different techniques.
Hurdling aspirants would be best advised to spend more time improving their speed between the
hurdles. They will eventually be rewarded.
The ability of Pearson to demonstrate her speed endurance, seemingly drawing away for her rivals after
five hurdles indicates she has the ability to sustain her special hurdling speed through superior core
strength, spine control and pelvic rotation - she literally sprints through the hurdles.
Both hurdlers have adopted the downward drive of the lead arms and it is this writers view that this
tends to provide an added benefit - economy of energy outlays over the entire race simply because the
various muscle components that come into play are working in alignment with each other - almost like
a chain reaction.

Australian Track and Field Coaches Association with permission from Modern Athlete & Coach vol. 50(1) 2012: 26-29