Question

What are the first three to five steps an athlete takes when accelerating, it is referred to as what?

Answer 1

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time and occurs when the speed, direction of motion, or both of a body alters

projection, rhythm, and rise.; The skillful execution of #acceleration depends on three key concepts: projection, rhythm, and rise.

Projection speaks to both the total body angle relative to the ground at initial push-off and the idea of projecting the center of mass through space or covering ground from the very first step. The projection angle varies across individuals and settings. More powerful athletes will be able to project lower, as will athletes with metal spikes on a rubber surface who have no barriers in their way. Regarding projecting through space, this is in opposition to some commonly held beliefs that short, choppy steps are desirable. An athlete cutting their strides short is not the answer. They must produce force, they must cover ground, and they must obtain some level of horizontal velocity through the acceleration.

rhythm in terms of the sound of each ground contact. There will be a longer gap between these contacts initially and this gap will gradually close with each step as velocity increases. Rhythm is closely related to projection in that, to satisfy the appropriate rhythm of the run, an athlete will need to cover the ground with their initial strides while producing force horizontally. As the athlete progresses through the run and achieves some level of horizontal velocity, the force will be directed in a more vertical fashion, which accompanies more frequent ground contacts. It may help to think of this in relation to a steam engine train taking off from the station. As the train gains speed, it makes a steadily increasing “chugging” sound.

Rise refers to a steady increase in the angle of the entire body. Tying this back to projection and the total body angle from initial push-off, this angle will increase gradually with each step while maintaining a straight line from head to heel. A common myth pertaining to this aspect of acceleration is that it is beneficial to “stay low” for the entirety of the acceleration prior to obtaining a sudden upright posture. One major issue here is that the maintenance of front-side mechanics, which we know to be beneficial, becomes much more difficult when the transition to upright is abrupt and/or delayed. Again, the rate of this rise will be situationally dependent on team sport athletes, as they have much more visual input to be aware of (implements, defenders, etc.) than sprinters.

• Horizontal force: the key to the forward acceleration
• Braking force: deceleration while your foot is in front of your center of mass
• Concentric leg strength: the muscle-factor key to first-steps acceleration
• Phases of acceleration: different phases require different mechanics and specific training
• Acceleration training: the nuts and bolts for building improved acceleration

Acceleration lasts between one to five seconds in team-sports contests. No matter how many hours you put into every other skill required for your sport, success in your sport comes down to those seconds. Or, more accurately, it comes down to the tenths-of-a-second advantage you’ll need over your competition