20/20 drill.

[grandevaulter]

For Altius: Should the highschool / middleschool girls do the full 20m in 20 strides or should I shorten it a little? You can pm me if you'd like or post here. Thank you in advance.

[cdmilton]

This past summer Alan ran about 40 HS age kids through this drill at a camp I hosted in MN. I would say yes, do it for everyone. Most kids could only get 15-17 steps in when running properly.

[grandevaulter]

Thanks CD. If a girl has a shorter stride length shouldn't we adjust the total. I just read over pages 137,138 and 139.

[altius]

No - the objective is NOT to get athletes running at specific stride length BUT to help them learn how to control their strides over the last six steps of the run up. This is necessary because they have spent their lives extending both stride length and increasing cadence as they run faster - not a problem f you are sprinting -in fact ehe only way TO RUN FASTER. However in the vault you must not come into to take off over striding - so we have to help them relearn a running pattern . Now to run fast over the last six we increase cadence -BUT maintain the stride length of the previous stride through to take off - obviously with some minor adjustments over the last two steps that should be intuitive - not taught.

20/20 is not sacrosanct - older athletes I am mentoring are doing 20 in 25 metres and 20 in 30 metres - this is taking them closer towards the stride length of their actual run up, while still helping them learn to control their stride length.

[grandevaulter]

Okay, I think I understand that. After reading your pages 137-139, you say to set cones and start a six step claw and then proceed into a 20/20. After they establish a their pattern, should I mark the end of the 20m + or - and check it? Thank you!

[grandevaulter]

No - the objective is NOT to get athletes running at specific stride length BUT to help them learn how to control their strides over the last six steps of the run up. This is necessary because they have spent their lives extending both stride length and increasing cadence as they run faster - not a problem f you are sprinting -in fact ehe only way TO RUN FASTER. However in the vault you must not come into to take off over striding - so we have to help them relearn a running pattern . Now to run fast over the last six we increase cadence -BUT maintain the stride length of the previous stride through to take off - obviously with some minor adjustments over the last two steps that should be intuitive - not taught.

Got it Altius, I also read the pages more closely about the ten Ostrich steps and switching over to the six 20/20 pattern. We worked on this in practice today. Immediate results on the approach following drills. Your comments bring the book to life. Thanks!