Track and Field Lab Articles

ISSUE 2

The first 30 meters

Everyone thinks sprinting is about who can run the fastest. It's actually about who can get fast the fastest.

ISSUE 3

Hurdle rhythm - the 3-step approach

The hurdles don't slow you down. Bad rhythm does.

ISSUE 4

Long jump approach consistency

The best jumpers do not look at the board. They do not need to.

ISSUE 5

Shot put power position - the foundation

Every full throw ends in the same place. Master it standing still first.

ISSUE 6

Relay exchanges - go-mark science

The baton does not slow down. Your system makes sure of that.

ISSUE 7

High jump curve approach

The J-curve isn't decoration - it's physics doing half the work for you.

ISSUE 8

800m race modeling - when to kick

The 600m mark is the moment of truth. Know your plan before you get there.

ISSUE 9

Triple jump rhythm and phases

The hop-step-jump is a rhythm problem, not a power problem.

ISSUE 10

Discus - from power position to full turn

The full turn is just a faster way to arrive at the same place.

ISSUE 11

The most important 0.3 seconds in track and field

Everything that happens in the air is determined before the pole hits the box.

ISSUE 13

The multi-event athlete toolkit

Your best athlete does three events. Here is how to keep them healthy and competitive in all of them.

ISSUE 14

Season review - what the data tells you

The season was one long experiment. Now we analyze the results.

ISSUE 15

Summer training - building the base

The engine you build now is the speed you'll race with later.

ISSUE 16

The off-season lab - setting up next year

Every PR next season is being built right now. Your lab notebook is open.

ISSUE 17

The 400m - the hardest race in track

Your first 200 meters determines your last 200 meters. Here's why going out fast costs more than it gains.

ISSUE 18

Sprint starts - the first 3 steps

Block settings matter less than you think. What you do in the first three steps matters more than almost anything else.

ISSUE 19

Discus release and follow-through

The throw happens in the last 0.1 seconds - here's how to make them count.

ISSUE 20

Triple jump - saving the step phase

80% of high school triple jumpers lose their distance here. The fix starts upstream.

ISSUE 21

Pole vault safety and teaching progression

The most technical event requires the most careful approach.

ISSUE 23

The warm-up lab - building a proper warm-up routine

The first 15 minutes of practice determine whether the next 90 minutes are productive or dangerous.

ISSUE 24

Ask the Lab - your top coaching questions answered

We dug through the mailbag and pulled out the questions coaches ask most often. Here are the answers.

ISSUE 25

The 400m game plan - building a race model

Every successful 400m race is won before the athlete steps on the track.

ISSUE 26

Block starts for beginners - the first day sequence

Before an athlete ever touches starting blocks, they need to master three skills they can learn in tennis shoes.

ISSUE 27

Hurdle rhythm - the five-step to three-step transition

The jump from five-stepping to three-stepping is the biggest technical leap in a young hurdler's career - rush it and you'll create habits that take years to fix.

ISSUE 28

Medicine ball training for sprinters and throwers

The most versatile tool in your equipment room works for everyone - if you know how to use it.

ISSUE 29

The runway approach - why your long jumper keeps fouling

Most foul problems are not takeoff problems. They are measurement problems disguised as technique failures.

ISSUE 30

800m pacing - the first 200m trap

The fastest 200m split of your race should be your last one, not your first. Here is why.

ISSUE 31

Javelin for beginners - it's not a baseball throw

If you're teaching javelin like you'd teach a baseball throw, you're building bad habits from day one.

ISSUE 32

The javelin approach - crossover steps and the block

Your approach speed matters more than your arm strength. Here's how to use it.

ISSUE 33

High jump bar clearance

The bar doesn't care how high you jumped. It cares where your body was.

ISSUE 34

Relay strategy and order selection

Issue 006 covered how to pass. This one covers who runs where.

ISSUE 35

Set up the hurdles closer