HOUSTON TEXANS STRENGTH & CONDITIONING PROGRAM ...

Listed below are the techniques we emphasize to improve your start:
rapidly move the down arm rearward (scrape the ground hard and fast)
rapidly rotate the bent arm forward (throw fist in the direction you are running)
gain as much ground as possible on your first step
step forward in a straight line (the first step many players take is away from
the
centerline of the body)
each succeeding step must be in a straight line
reach the torso erect position as soon as possible (get up and out of your
stance)
Running Fast!
Kevin McNair, a respected speed development expert, states, “You don’t get speed
through the air, you get it through the ground. Speed is down hard, back, and
prolonged. Everything is behind the body.”
When McNair says speed is down hard, he is referring to the front leg driving down
toward the ground. Once the foot touches the ground it drives rearward, propelling the
body forward. The longer (prolonged) the foot stays on the ground the greater the
opportunity to propel the body forward.
Speed is gained from the point the foot touches the ground until it leaves. The longer
it stays on the ground behind you the better. Stride length is increased behind you, not in
front of you.
Vertical Displacement
Any vertical lift will force you to spend more time in the air, less on the ground, and
slow you down. Eliminate the vertical component and you’ll increase speed.
Fast runners often appear to run effortlessly. Their heads remain level once they have
reached the upright position. The term we use to describe this condition is vertical
displacement. Your vertical displacement can be measured while you run. It is the
distance that your head moves up and down above and below your standing height. The
greater the curve, the more the vertical lift. Minimize vertical lift and you’ll run faster.
Listed below are tips to eliminate vertical lift:
* rotate at the shoulder, do not shrug as you swing the arm forward
* while rotating the arm forward keep your arm flexed at 90 degrees
* while rotating the arm forward do not bring your hand higher than the sternum
* while rotating your arm rearward do not bring the thumb beyond the hip
* throw the knee in the direction you are running (upper leg reaches a position
parallel to the ground)
* do not land with your front foot beyond your hip (over striding will force you
to pole vault up and over the landing leg)
* keep your upper body erect (run tall), do not rock forward at the waist
Rotary Forces
Rotary forces that are misdirected will slow you down. One of Newton’s Laws of
Motion states, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” You will
compensate with an equal action on the opposite side of the body if any body part
rotates away from the direct line that you are running in. This will have a negative
impact on your straight-ahead speed.
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