Part X · Running drills
B-Skips
Skip as in an A-skip, knee to hip height, then let the lower leg reach forward at the top and sweep the whole leg down and back, so the foot lands under your hip already moving backwards. It rehearses a foot that lands beneath you instead of reaching out in front.
The one cue
Sweep the foot back under you
The lesson
- 01
Walk it first
On a flat path or grass, march: knee to hip height, toes up, then let the lower leg swing forward and sweep the foot back down under your hip. A few steps like this, then add the small hop of the A-skip.
- 02
Let the leg reach
At the top, let the lower leg swing forward until the leg is nearly straight. It looks like a kick, but do not throw it: it reaches out because the thigh starts moving down.
- 03
Sweep it back down
Drive the whole leg down and back so the ball of the foot meets the ground under your hip, already moving backwards. You should hear one light tap, not a slap.
- 04
One smooth circle
Up, out, down and back is one continuous move, with no pause at the top. Go slowly: about 30 metres in 20 seconds.
- 05
Tall, opposite arm
Chest up, hips high, the arm opposite the lifted knee swinging forward, elbows bent as when you run.
- 06
The test
Each foot lands under you, the same on both sides. If one lands in front or the rhythm breaks, walk it for a few steps, then add the skip again.
Watch for
- Flicking the lower leg out hard. The foot flies forward and lands ahead of you, so every step brakes.
- The foot landing in front of the hip. It becomes a reach to the ground, the opposite of what the drill rehearses.
- Skipping the knee lift. Going straight to the reach loses the A-skip position the whole move is built on.
- Leaning back or rushing. The timing falls apart; slow down until the circle is smooth.
What is the difference between A-skips and B-skips? Both start with the same knee lift and hop. The B-skip adds a reach at the top: the lower leg swings forward, then the foot sweeps back down under you, which makes it harder to time.
What are B-skips for? They rehearse the leg coming down and back so the foot lands under you rather than reaching ahead. Like A-skips they move far slower than running, so treat them as practice for the pattern, not a copy of your stride.
Why are B-skips so hard? Three things happen in one beat: the hop, the knee lift and the sweep back. If the timing will not come, go back to the walked version for a few steps.
How many, and when? 2 × 20 seconds, about 30 metres each, with 25 seconds of walking between, on a flat path or grass. They come third in the drills at the start of a run, after marching and high knees, so the drills themselves are your warm-up.
Next drill
High Knees Controlled→The other end of the same skill: no hop and no sweep, just the knee lift and a foot landing under you, at a running beat. In a run they come just before B-skips.
From the book
14Strong feet. Strong everything.→