Terrence Trammell: Teaching and Coaching the Sprints

with Terrence Trammell,
USATF National Track & Field Hall of Fame: Class of 2021;
Pace Academy (GA) Associate Head Coach;
3x Olympian & 2x Olympic Silver Medalist (110 M High Hurdles);
3x World Silver Medalist;
6x NCAA Champion (University of South Carolina)

Teaching explosiveness on the track is the key to training sprinters. Two-time Olympic Silver Medalist Terrence Trammell provides coaches and athletes the opportunity to develop new skills for novice sprinters and reinforce and enhance commonly used drills for experienced sprinters. He begins with detailed demonstrations and coaching points that allow athletes to develop mechanics in sprinting to execute the drills "perfectly first, then perfectly faster."

Running Form and Explosive Power

Foot placement and foot strike are essential for good sprint technique. The key is to find a balance between stride length and frequency, which will lead to fast times. Trammell shares a series of foundation-building drills that focus on the specifics of running form. You'll see a detailed tour of the benefits and execution of the A-Skip, B-Skip, Flutter Kicks, Tight High Knees, and High Skip drills that sprinters commonly use in their warm up and mechanic development.

Coach Trammell relates each of the skills to the specific component of efficient sprint mechanics and how they relate to the overall sprinting process.

How To Use Starting Blocks

One of the most important aspects of sprinting is clearing the starting blocks. However, at the youth and high school levels, this is one of the most inconsistently taught and coached parts of sprinting. Trammell provides a detailed description of starting block technique, including set up, leg angle, upper body position, and use of the blocks and track to generate the most effective start for power and mechanical efficiency.

Segmenting the Sprint

Trammell breaks the sprint into three distinct phases: Transition Phase, Top Speed Phase, and Maintenance Stage. He thoroughly explains how to teach athletes to drive out in order to set themselves up to run in the most efficient manner possible. He also discusses how to finish a sprint.

The conciseness and multiple angles of the drills provided by Coach Trammell reinforce efficient sprinting mechanics to allow for maximum success on the track!

25 minutes. 2018.