Run Falling Drill | tell, show, do, check

• Objective: To teach athletes to use a forward lean, engaging gravity to help drive forward movement, rather than pushing through the legs inefficiently.
• Starting Position:
• Have the athletes stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
• Encourage them to stand in a neutral position—head up, shoulders back, and core engaged.
• Arms should be relaxed by their sides or slightly bent, mimicking the natural arm swing during running.
• Controlled Fall
• Instruct the athletes to slightly lift onto the balls of their feet (no need to come up too high).
• Now, ask them to lean forward from their ankles, maintaining a straight line from head to heel (no bending at the waist or hips). The idea is to keep the body as a rigid plank.
• Tell them to fall forward slowly and allow gravity to pull them forward, not forcing the motion.
• Catch and Drive
• As they fall forward, they should wait until they are about to lose balance, then take a step forward to “catch” themselves.
• The first step should be small and quick, and the other leg should immediately follow to keep the forward momentum.
• Continue with a few running steps, focusing on short, quick steps as they maintain the forward lean.
• Have athletes work through a couple of these drills, working on picking up the speed each set.