Athletics of To-Day 1929

The High Hurdles the front knee and the forceful drive off the rear foot in a straight line from the ball of that foot right through the body. Bear in mind these points: (r) Let both arms, or the opposite arm, go forward, palms downwards, with the leading leg. Let the lift of the leading leg dominate the pick-up from the rear leg, or the hurdle will be jumped instead of taken in the stride. (2) Shoot the body forward in the dip as it falls to meet the rising thigh. (3) Do not hurry the pick-up of the back leg ; but, when it does rise, pick the knee up and out with plenty of snap. (4) Get back to earth as fast as you can and as close to the hurdle as possible, especially if you are long-legged. (S) As the front foot snaps down for the ground pick the rear knee right up to the shoulder and let the lower part of the rear leg fall into a straight down position for the next stride forward. (6) Land on the ball of the foot and pitch forward into the true sprinting angle. (7) Bring the back leg through and pick the knee up high as the first forward stride after landing begins. (8) Make all your actions straight ahead. (9) Keep the chin continuously in advance of the knee of the leading leg. (ro) Run a hurdle with the eyes fixed on the top rail of the next hurdle to be cleared. This will prevent you from hitting the hurdle you are clearing. (rr) oncentrate on your own hurdling and running in a race. A glance aside to see how others are faring will spoil your smoothness and most likely bring you down. (rz) Two hurdlers, working on form, will find it helpful to go over together, running slowly with 5 strides between flights, seeing who can come down to ground more quickly the other side of each hurdle. N.B.-All these points are shown in the illustrations to this chapter. L