Hurdles are a highly technical event. While great hurdlers have great speed, the must also have great hip flexibility and technique. A very common practice to work on flexibility and technique are walkover drills.
Many of you are no doubt familiar with them and already implement them in your training. However, if you are not using them, the are beneficial to not only your hurdlers but your other athletes as well. The video clip below would also be a great way to teach your athletes the how do the exercises.
In the clip below you will see 2x ACC Women’s Coach of the Year, Lawrence Johnson, demonstrate his walkover series that will not only develop basic hurdle body positioning but also build core strength, balance and flexibility.
For more information about the DVD Click the link Building an Explosive Hurdler
The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site (Some schools block access to YouTube)
Coach Johnson has his athletes perform these drills on grass or another soft surface. He as his athletes complete the exercises in their flats and generally lowers the hurdle to a height on notch below race height. He also has each athlete utilize both right and left lead legs, being sure to do equal reps on each side.