Announcement
I would consider myself a pretty fast runner. I'm no 2.6 to first but I'm quick. It wasn't until about two years ago that I actually learned how to run "the right way."
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| Amanda explains that techniques she learned while with the National Team has helped improve her running form... and speed. |
Yes, unfortunately just like everything else we do, there is a right way to run. I say unfortunately because no one ever wants to come to the realization that you've been doing something wrong for so long. Especially running... I mean, how fundamental can it really be right?
I'll admit, if you're fast, your fast, but how great would it be to get just that much quicker. Think of how many times you've been thrown out on a bang-bang play. And if you're not fast, this won't make you a 2.6, but it'll definitely improve your speed!
Before we get into the "right way", think back to the running drills you do, or used to do. I don't know about you, but one of the drills I remember doing was standing with the fence to the side as we cycled our foot down to the ground, around, and back up to practice leg speed.
An onlooker would probably think we resembled a prancing horse in some sort of parade, the way the dirt kicked up behind us. Or, maybe a mime riding an invisible bicycle?
If you take that running form onto the base-paths it might look like your legs are moving fast, but you won't be getting too far too fast. You have to generate power down into the ground, and do that at a fast rate in order to get maximum speed. Now, let's break it down...
Our National Team strength and conditioning coach, Brandon Marcello, would run us through training sessions purely consisting of drills meant to improve our running form.
He wasn't directly trying to make us faster, but he was improving our posture, which directly affected our speed.
POSTURE
Make sure you tighten your abs and check to see that your rear-end is tucked under, allowing your back to be strong and flat. When running at full speed your body should be at about a 45 degree angle.
When you bring your leg up, your thigh should become at least parallel to the ground and your calf parallel to your straight back leg. Every time you lift your leg to stride forward make sure your toes are pointed up, not down like a ballerina.
Here's how to practice the posture… Face a fence and lean up against it with your arms straight out for support. Get up onto your tip-toes and bring one leg up to create the posture you see. Make sure your back is straight, your knee is parallel to the ground, your calf is parallel to your back leg, and your toes are pointed up.
Now hold that pose for about 30 seconds and switch legs. Do that a couple of times and slowly begin to pick up the speed at which you switch legs. Eventually you should be switching in mid-air while still maintaining that posture throughout each switch.
When you are running, your arms should be at a 90-degree angle and should be swinging in the direction of your target, not across your body.
I know you have all heard that before but I get a kick out of how many girls I've seen run side to side with their arms!
STRIKING THE GROUND
Now that we've covered the posture part of running, it's time to get moving, literally. When you strike the ground with your raised leg, you want strike down slightly behind your front knee. Imagine attaching an arrow to the end of your raised leg. That is where your foot should strike the ground, NOT DIRECTLY UNDER OR IN FRONT OF YOUR KNEE.
I'll admit, if you're fast, your fast, but how great would it be to get just that much quicker. Think of how many times you've been thrown out on a bang-bang play. And if you're not fast, this won't make you a 2.6, but it'll definitely improve your speed!
Before we get into the "right way", think back to the running drills you do, or used to do. I don't know about you, but one of the drills I remember doing was standing with the fence to the side as we cycled our foot down to the ground, around, and back up to practice leg speed.
An onlooker would probably think we resembled a prancing horse in some sort of parade, the way the dirt kicked up behind us. Or, maybe a mime riding an invisible bicycle?
If you take that running form onto the base-paths it might look like your legs are moving fast, but you won't be getting too far too fast. You have to generate power down into the ground, and do that at a fast rate in order to get maximum speed. Now, let's break it down...
Our National Team strength and conditioning coach, Brandon Marcello, would run us through training sessions purely consisting of drills meant to improve our running form.
He wasn't directly trying to make us faster, but he was improving our posture, which directly affected our speed.
POSTURE
Make sure you tighten your abs and check to see that your rear-end is tucked under, allowing your back to be strong and flat. When running at full speed your body should be at about a 45 degree angle.
When you bring your leg up, your thigh should become at least parallel to the ground and your calf parallel to your straight back leg. Every time you lift your leg to stride forward make sure your toes are pointed up, not down like a ballerina.
Here's how to practice the posture… Face a fence and lean up against it with your arms straight out for support. Get up onto your tip-toes and bring one leg up to create the posture you see. Make sure your back is straight, your knee is parallel to the ground, your calf is parallel to your back leg, and your toes are pointed up.
Now hold that pose for about 30 seconds and switch legs. Do that a couple of times and slowly begin to pick up the speed at which you switch legs. Eventually you should be switching in mid-air while still maintaining that posture throughout each switch.
When you are running, your arms should be at a 90-degree angle and should be swinging in the direction of your target, not across your body.
I know you have all heard that before but I get a kick out of how many girls I've seen run side to side with their arms!
STRIKING THE GROUND
Now that we've covered the posture part of running, it's time to get moving, literally. When you strike the ground with your raised leg, you want strike down slightly behind your front knee. Imagine attaching an arrow to the end of your raised leg. That is where your foot should strike the ground, NOT DIRECTLY UNDER OR IN FRONT OF YOUR KNEE.
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| When you strike the ground with your raised leg, you want strike down slightly behind your front knee. |
I think this is one of the hardest running concepts to grasp. When we're running from home to first, or stealing a base, we want to reach out because we see our goal and we just want to get there!
Think up and down through the ground, not around and around. Strike with the ball of your foot down through the ground, extend through, and then immediately back to knee up, toe up. The quicker you can move your legs through this motion, the faster you'll go.
Here is one of the drills we used to do over and over, but helped a ton. Get up on your toes, into that running posture and hold there. After a couple of seconds, strike down on the ball of your foot as quickly as you can and bring it back up to the original position. Remember you want to strike down parallel to your back leg, not below or in front of your knee.
Make sure as soon as your foot leaves the ground to come back up, your toes are raised. Strike again and lift back up to the posture pose. Do this multiple times working on where you strike and the speed at which you strike down and return up. If you are kicking back dirt as you strike, there is a good chance you are cycling over the ground instead of pushing down through it.
Are you feeling a little faster yet? If you're thinking in your head, "Ya, I already run like that." I can almost guarantee you that you do not, and even you can get a little quicker. Your first step should be explosive and driving your body immediately into high speed running form. Like anything else, it takes practice for it to become habit but, believe me, it's worth it!
I wish I would've learned proper running techniques earlier in my career. So take this information and do what you want with it. If I were you, I'd take it for what it's worth and run with it!
Think up and down through the ground, not around and around. Strike with the ball of your foot down through the ground, extend through, and then immediately back to knee up, toe up. The quicker you can move your legs through this motion, the faster you'll go.
Here is one of the drills we used to do over and over, but helped a ton. Get up on your toes, into that running posture and hold there. After a couple of seconds, strike down on the ball of your foot as quickly as you can and bring it back up to the original position. Remember you want to strike down parallel to your back leg, not below or in front of your knee.
Make sure as soon as your foot leaves the ground to come back up, your toes are raised. Strike again and lift back up to the posture pose. Do this multiple times working on where you strike and the speed at which you strike down and return up. If you are kicking back dirt as you strike, there is a good chance you are cycling over the ground instead of pushing down through it.
Are you feeling a little faster yet? If you're thinking in your head, "Ya, I already run like that." I can almost guarantee you that you do not, and even you can get a little quicker. Your first step should be explosive and driving your body immediately into high speed running form. Like anything else, it takes practice for it to become habit but, believe me, it's worth it!
I wish I would've learned proper running techniques earlier in my career. So take this information and do what you want with it. If I were you, I'd take it for what it's worth and run with it!
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