Electric Hurdles
Hub / HURDLING / 7

up-DOWN and Straight Lines

The fastest way from A to B is a straight line. Up, then DOWN, with the emphasis on down.

Founder method
Teach this lesson T Trackside cues
01Teach from here

DOWN Is in Capitals

up-DOWN.Up and then down. Down is the emphasis.

“Down is in all caps. You can put up in lowercase, but it's up and then down, up and then down, down is emphasized.”
SourcesWALK · b7
Coach notes
  • The founder nominated up-down as a capitalized concept of his own and specified the typography: up in lowercase, DOWN in capitals.
  • At the ABCs, "down" becomes the only cue.
SourcesWALK · b7
02Teach from here

The up-DOWN Shape

Wrist in line with the elbow.Knee in line with the ankle.Good forward lean. Straight lines.

Coach notes
  • Going over the hurdle the foot is not curled to the inside or swung wide to the outside. The whole action is attempted in a straight line.

Open on this screen

  • Ambiguity The transcript reads "Your wrists aren't together, and your elbows are poking out" inside the list of what the shape is; whether that describes the fault or the form is not clear from the wording.
SourcesWALK · b7
03Teach from here

Not Swirling, Not Twirling

The fastest way from point A to point B is a straight line.Make straight lines with the body: up-down-up-down-up-down.

“We're not swirling, we're not twirling, and we're not hurtling.”
SourcesWALK · b7
Coach notes
  • "Hurtling" is preserved exactly as spoken.
SourcesWALK · b7
04Teach from here

Discipline

Discipline is the up-DOWN shape.The athlete is not allowed to lose it, at any speed.

Keep your discipline.
Response
Hold the shape while going faster
Meaning
Shape integrity under speed
SourcesWALK · b7
Coach notes
  • Discipline is the founder's name for shape integrity held under rising speed. It is how a shape survives the trip into the race.
SourcesWALK · b7

Related

  • 7-14-21 -- Three phases, three themes. One-step overs for power, electric overs for speed.
  • Stiffness, Pop and Bounce -- Stiffness is the hurdler's superpower. Pop is good, jump is bad, and the bounce goes forward down the track.

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