Your starting stance is never more important than when you are competing in a sprint race. The short distance to be covered leaves a very small margin of error, making it possible for you to lose a race even before the gun goes off. You must be mentally sharp and prepared to explode out of the blocks as soon as the gun goes off. The faster you are able to accelerate and reach top speed, the faster your overall time will be. Even professional athletes fine-tune their starting stances to save hundredths of a second from their run time.
Step 1
Put your stronger leg forward. Inexperienced sprinters may make the mistake of placing their stronger leg in the farther back of the two starting blocks. This straightens out the leg and reduces the total strength and force that leg can exert, resulting in a weaker start.
Step 2
Raise your hips so that they are above your shoulders when you settle in to the starting blocks and put your hands on the ground. The upper body will snap upward once you push off, but elevated hips will guide that initial momentum ahead of you down the track rather than up into the air.
Step 3
Place your hands just short of the white starting line, and allow your head to hang over it. This puts you as close to the finish line as possible -- you don't want to start a few inches back from where everyone else is starting.
Step 4
Focus on the track 1 or 2 meters ahead and listen for the sound of the gun. Don't use your eyes to watch for the starting gun -- this makes you more likely to false start. You also don't want to turn your head to the side or distract yourself. Listen and relax your upper body, preparing yourself for when the gun does sound.
Things You'll Need
- Starting blocks
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