60

In training you should always run "overs" so for the 60 it has been recommended to my son to run 100's. You will be breaking down your body in the process so I would run 5-10, 2x per week for a couple of months and cut down your activity when you get close to your event. Don't forget to work on your starts also, most baseball players don't realize you can set your feet in the direction you are going to get a little better jump in timed runs.

Why do you think you are running slower? Twice 3.9 is 7.8. 1.5 * 4.9 is 7.35. Your 60 time is 7.1 to 7.2 which seems about right for those 30 and 40 times. You are running faster over the last 20 yards. If you are saying that you should run the last 20 yards in 2 seconds because of the 3.9 vs 4.9 I gotta tell you they just aren't that accurate at 30 and 40 yards.

johnny,
I think your times in the 60yds correlates to your 30/40 pretty well. Older son runs 6.38 60yds with around a 4.45 40 while younger son runs 6.8 60yds with a 4.55 40. To work on their 60 we always run 75's hard. Also work on your starts from the leadoff position gradually coming up as you accelerate from a crouched position. Keep arms swinging in a piston motion straight at the sides without outward swinging. I see so many guys at showcases doing this wrong with a lot of motion side to side. Amazingly, I see a lot of guys not running in a straight line of all things too. You can chip off a .1 or .2 here and there just by using proper mechanics. And lastly, always do intense stretching before running and practice your starts.

Three Bagger,
I thought I'd read that static stretching of the hamstrings prior to sprinting predisposes sprinters to injury. I'm not sure that intense stretching prior to running is a good idea without some specifics as to what that stretching entails. Generally speaking stretching is a good thing to do after running when there's time for the "damage" from the stretching to be repaired prior to subjecting the legs to the stress of sprinting again.

I admit this is way too small a sample to be meaningful but when I played competitive tennis I never stretched before playing. I simply warmed up gradually and didn't go hard for the ball until I felt ready for it. I never pulled a hammy. Lot's of people I played against stretched like crazy and pulled hammies.

My understanding is that the same doesn't go for arms and that stretching before throwing can be beneficial.

I ran track in high school, and we always stretched before a race - don't know what is meant by "intense" stretching. This was along time ago, don't know if conventional wisdom has changed.

From what I've heard from people that know, static stretching before intense physical activity (running, playing) makes the player slightly less explosive for a certain time period (I think roughly an hour) and increases their risk of pulling the muscle. The new thought is that dynamic warmup (high knees/butt kicks along with walking stretches, such as toe walks) loosens up the muscles without pulling on them and straining them right before running.

baseball 168, you've learned well. Dynamic stretching is thought to take the individual through the limit of the range of motion and to develop optimal flexibility.

Most of what you stated about about static stretching is true. Current research does show decreased muscle performance after static stretching for a period of time afterwards. It is currently not recommended to perform static stretches 30 to 60 minutes before the start of a practice,training session or competition. Static stretches are not sport specific so the role they play is limited in improving performance.

With that said doing static stretches after a practice or game may still help in the body's recovery if the muscle tissue is still warm. Static stretching is still used to safeguard against deficiencies in flexibility in problem areas.

Just something else to mull over.



30 minutes to

Don't know what research says, but my boys ran track and did long jumps as well as the triple jump and they always stretched first. All I know is the results 6.38--60yd--multiple 6.4 to 6.5's, 23 foot long jumps and 43 plus foot triple jumps and a 49.5 to 50.5 quarter with very little work on the jumps since the practices were during the high school season. They also do high knee and side to side that they call kareoke for some reason.

CADAD, the reason I think I am running slower is because the first let's say 10 yards is getting to max speed. I find a flaw in just doubling my 30 and assuming that should be where my 60 time is. I find that my 50-60yd split is not as fast as my 30-40 yd split (I haven't actually measured this out, just feels that way).

Bagger, that is my point. Your son runs a 4.45 and his 60 it stays right in that area. Look, your son 4.45 - 6.38 that shows that he maintains top speed throughout the whole run. Whereas your other son is 4.55-6.8, it would seem to me that your other son could run his 60 faster if he were able to maintain the speed throughout the whole 60 yards. That is the point that I am trying to make. Tell me what you think.

Johnny,

It could have something to do with their relative ages or strength. Older son is 19, 5ft91/2inches around 170lbs who benches 335 and squats 455(last year) while younger son just turned 17 a couple of days ago and is 5ft9 inches but somewhat lean at 140lbs. He benches 225 and squats 325. Upper body strength to me as well as lower body strength helps speed. Just look at the musculature of the top sprinters. I think as the younger son fills out and increases overall strength, the 40 and 60 times will match up better. Don't know if he will be quite as fast as the older brother who has a goal to get his 60 time into the 6.2's over the next year or two. I admit I haven't done research like some guys on maximum efficiency of warmups or even technical running but if you can get with someone who does train sprinters you can probably improve quite a bit. Just do your part by getting stronger and I think your speed will hold throughout the 60. At the last MLB camp that we attended a few weeks ago, older son seemed to be accelerating even faster as he ran through the 60yd point, as he was leaving the other two guys farther and farther behind. Don't know if this was really occurring. I don't really know how long a sprinter is increasing his speed during a 60 or a 100 meters for that matter.

quote:

I thought I'd read that static stretching of the hamstrings prior to sprinting predisposes sprinters to injury.

As others have chirped in above, that is correct. The CDC has published their findings confirming. Stretch as part of the cool down. Dynamic warm-ups are beneficial. The principles apply to all movements, not just sprinting.

quote:

Originally posted by johnny appleseed:
CADAD, the reason I think I am running slower is because the first let's say 10 yards is getting to max speed. I find a flaw in just doubling my 30 and assuming that should be where my 60 time is. I find that my 50-60yd split is not as fast as my 30-40 yd split (I haven't actually measured this out, just feels that way).

Bagger, that is my point. Your son runs a 4.45 and his 60 it stays right in that area. Look, your son 4.45 - 6.38 that shows that he maintains top speed throughout the whole run. Whereas your other son is 4.55-6.8, it would seem to me that your other son could run his 60 faster if he were able to maintain the speed throughout the whole 60 yards. That is the point that I am trying to make. Tell me what you think.

This sounds like you have a imbalance in your quads/hamstrings...

Hamstring dominant runners tend to start better than quad dominant.

Strengthening your rectus femoris (top of the quad) and your hip flexors should ignite some better acceleration at top speed.