Hurdles

There are many ways to learn Hurdles and the method described here is one that suits complete novices and will progress them to the stage at which they either love or hate Hurdling.....at which point they can move to an experienced Hurdles Coach who will use their own methods.

Setting out the session

Set out one or more lanes with very small hurdles - well below competition height. If the Athletes are young (10-12) or learning for the first time; you may have to use either special "Training Hurdles" or "canes on cones". Do not train anyone with any injuries or niggles, paying particular care to youngsters' heels and knees..

Start with three "hurdles" per lane and no more than four Athletes per lane. Put the Athletes into roughly equal ability groups though this is not essential at this stage. Choose an average Athlete from each lane and get them to run through evenly spaced hurdles, moving the spacing until they naturally acquire a " three stride pattern" between the hurdles. A five to ten metre lead in run with a similar amount to run after the hurdles is required to encourage proper balance into and out of the hurdles.

First Session

Run a fun session where the main aim of the session is rhythm running with a three stride pattern. Move the Athletes between the groups until they find their natural groupings and gradually move the hurdles further apart. Do not raise the hurdles on the first session.

I am taking it for granted that the session will have the normal pattern:

	Warm-up & Stretch including Special Hurdles Stretching
	Hurdles Drills
	Main Session
	Strength
	Warm-down (&Stretch for elite athletes)

Subsequent sessions

Move the Hurdle up a small amount at the start of each session and move them apart during each session. Continue to move Athletes around during the sessions to keep them with peer ability groups.

Hurdles drills

These are the most important to get right and the most often done unhelpfully by well-meaning Coaches & Teachers. They give the young Athlete confidence and Hurdles is all about confidence. The pattern that works for me is set-out below and I must stress that there is not right or wrong, merely what works!

Four sprint drills as follows

	Prancing
	Butt-Kicks
	High Knee skips
	Borzoi type drill with lead leg only raised quickly every four steps

Four Hurdles drills as follows

	Lead leg March through drills (3 -4 metre spacing at session height)
	Lead leg run through drills (1 metre below full session distance and at full session height)
	Trail leg run through drills
	Centre hurdle run-through drills gradually moving to race distance (start 1 metre below full session distance and at full session height, moving to full session distance after 3-5 run throughs)

See sample Beginners Coaching session sheet

If you wish to see the Hurdles drills on video, please refer to this Link to our Reading List

Link to reading list - try the book and video for Practice/Coaching ideas