Hurdle Performance: lead arm technique advancement - The ...

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 Mark’s 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.
Figure 3: Latissimus
Dorsi
Figure 5: Internal Oblique
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
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
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
Figure 4: Latissimus
Dorsi (LD), Triceps (T),
Posterior Deltoid (PD) &
Infraspinatus (I)
© Australian Track and Field Coaches Association with permission from Modern Athlete & Coach vol. 50(1) 2012: 26-29
T
I
LD
Figure 6: External Oblique