Part X · Running drills
A-Skips
Skip forward on the balls of your feet, driving one knee to hip height with the toes pulled up, then bring that foot straight back down under your hip. It rehearses a tall body and a quick, springy step that lands beneath you, not out in front.
The one cue
Knee up, land under your hip
The lesson
- 01
Walk it first
Stand tall and march. Lift one knee to hip height, toes pulled up towards the shin, opposite arm forward. Put the foot down under your hip and lift the other. A few steps like this, then add the skip.
- 02
Hop and lift together
The rhythm of skipping in a playground, with a higher knee: a small hop on the standing foot as the other knee rises, in the same beat. Thigh about level with the ground, standing leg long. Go up, not out: you travel slowly, about 30 metres in 20 seconds.
- 03
Toes up
Keep the lifted foot pulled up towards the shin, on the way up and on the way down. That keeps the ankle firm, so the foot lands on its ball with a quick contact instead of a slap.
- 04
Bring it down under you
From the top, drive the foot straight down so it lands below your hip, never ahead of it. Push it down rather than letting it drop. The quick contact is the point of the drill, more than the knee height.
- 05
Opposite arm, tall body
Right knee up, left arm forward, elbows bent as when you run. Chest up, hips high. Leaning back to get the knee higher means it is too high: lower it.
- 06
The test
Quick, quiet taps, the same on both sides, each foot landing under you. If one side feels clunky, slow down until it matches the other.
Watch for
- Leaning back to lift the knee higher. The hips sit back and the foot lands in front of you.
- Toes pointing down. The ankle goes soft and each landing turns heavy and slow.
- The foot landing out in front. It brakes every step, the opposite of what the drill rehearses.
- Long, bounding skips. You chase distance, lose the rhythm, and it turns into a different drill.
What is the difference between A-skips and high knees? An A-skip is a high-knee movement with a skip added: a small hop on the standing foot each time the other knee rises. High knees switch straight from one foot to the other, like running, so they are quicker and leave less time to place each foot.
What is the difference between an A-skip and a B-skip? The A-skip lifts the knee and brings the foot straight down. The B-skip adds a reach at the top: the lower leg swings forward, then sweeps back so the foot lands moving backwards under you.
What are A-skips for? They rehearse a tall body and a quick step that lands under you, slowly enough to feel each part. They move far slower than your running stride, so treat them as practice for the pattern, not a copy of it.
How many, and when? 2 × 20 seconds, about 30 metres each, with 25 seconds of walking between, on a flat path or grass, at the start of a run. Gentler drills come first, such as marching and ankling (small, quick ankle steps); the drills themselves are your warm-up. When A-skips close the drills, jog straight off into your run.
Next drill
B-Skips→The same skip with the lower leg reaching out at the top. Learn to land under you here first.
From the book
14Strong feet. Strong everything.→