Improving Running Speed-Back to Basics
By Cheryl Coker
Part One of Three

Speed training is not restricted to track and field anymore. Greater emphasis on speed can be found in a number of sports-and softball is no exception. To win in softball, you have to get more of your players around the bases than your opponent How many losses can be attributed to getting thrown out by just half a step?

To a certain degree, speed is dependent on genetics. However, speed and baserunning ability can be improved by increasing the efficiency of an individual's running mechanics through an appropriate training program. To accomplish this, a basic understanding of running mechanics is necessary.

Posture

The athlete should always run relaxed. Muscles have an elastic property that allows them to contract with more force than a voluntary contraction. Straining in sprinting is not productive and decreases the ability of the muscles to function efficiently and elasticity, resulting in slower speeds.

The athlete should maintain good body posture throughout the sprint. The back should be flat, the stomach tight, the legs and hips should be underneath the body, and the ankle should be very elastic.

Arm Motion

The arms should be at approximate at a 90 degree angle and should not cross the mid-line There are several portions of the run of the body. The arm swing is initiated by driving the elbow backwards not forwards. Allow a natural forward arm recovery.

Running Machine

Sprinting can be broken down into three phases: the drive phase, the recovery phase, and the support phase (see Figure 1).

The drive phase is the segment of the running stride that results in the forward propulsion of the body. This phase is characterized by the powerful extension of the drive leg and flexion of the non-support leg. As the non-support leg flexes, the heel is actively lifted towards the buttocks. During this motion the heel and toe are up allowing for the active recovery of the non-support leg.

Once the foot of the drive leg has left the ground, the runner has moved into the recovery phase. Here, the drive leg recovers such that the lower leg is tucked close to the thigh. The non-support leg opens by extending once the foot has cleared the knee of the drive leg. After extending, the foot then actively pulls back towards the mid-line of the body in a pawing motion.

The non-support leg now prepares for the support phase (the point in the running cycle where the non-support leg prepares to contact the ground -also known as ground preparation). It is important that the ankle remains cocked (toes up) while pawing at the ground, The ball of the foot contacts the ground under or behind the center of the body. The cycle then repeats itself.

Potential Problems

There are several portions of the unnning stride beyond "the basics" that commonly break down resulting in the loss of efficiency and consequently speed.

1. Failure to keep the toe up, heel up, and knee up once the foot leaves the ground will result in increasing the length of the leg which decreases the efficiency of its recovery. A familiar example of how limb length effects speed can be found in figure skating. When a figure skater wants to spin faster, she pulls her arms in close to her body. Likewise, when she wants to slow down, she extends her arms. Here, the skater is taking advantage of the fact that when the length of a rotating limb decreases, rotational velocity increases. This principle also applies to sprinting. By pulling the heel up to the buttocks so that the lower leg is tucked close to the thigh, and by keeping the ankle cocked, the leg length is decreased allowing it to swing through faster.
2. Breaking" is a problem that occurs when contact is made with the ground in such a way that it impedes forward propulsion thus slowing down the runner. In ground preparation, the foot pulls backwards as fast as possible, pawing at the ground. The foot must contact the ground under the center of mass while pawing. The farther ahead of the center of mass that the foot lands, the more breaking action and the greater the effect on speed.
3. Failure to keep the toe up throughout the running cycle causes similar problems. Running with pointed toes decreases ankle elasticity, reduces the "pawing" effect, and results in an increase in "breaking" due to the toe contacting the ground further away from the center of mass.

Several problems have been discussed here that can hamper speed and base-running. The greatest problem, however, is that most athletes have never been taught how to run properly. In order to "reteach" athletes how to run, form running drills are used. These drills will be presented in Part II of this series.

Cheryl Coker is a Speed Consultant for the University of Virginia Athletics Department