Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at the University of Iowa;
4x All-American; Silver Medalist in the 2003 World Championships
Joey Woody explains why the key to having fast relays is developing fast sprinters. You'll learn his philosophy behind team strategy and training for successful relays, as well as how you can build a winning team, or program, from the relay out. At the University of Iowa, their whole philosophy is to build from the relays out. This mindset has led them to back-to-back Big 10 Championship 400-meter relay titles (2013-14). Proof that his system works.
Finding The Right Fit
All relays should be practiced at 100% effort to improve the passing of the baton. Moving your athletes around in all legs will help you determine which athlete is best suited for each position. Coach Woody stresses the importance of the speed of the baton and placing athletes in positions where they can move the baton most effectively.
Included is an in-depth look at the incoming and outgoing runner responsibilities in the 4x100. Coach Woody does a great job showing you the exchange of the baton, as well as hand-off drills and 4x100 strategy. Instruction on what to look for when placing athletes in each leg of the relay is covered in the classroom and on the track.
Longer Distances
The difference in 4x200 and 4x400 relay coaching strategies are also covered, with emphasis put on proper body mechanics. Coach Woody also goes through drills designed specifically for 4x200 and 4x400 relays.
Finally, you will learn Coach Woody's acceleration drills, including the resistance run with a partner, resistance run with a sled and the line drill. Coach Woody uses the line drill to teach greater acceleration mechanics for sprints. This drill is designed to set the sprinter up from start to finish with proper body and shin angles to create maximum ground contact force.
Proper block set-up is also discussed, giving you insight to prepare your runners for a great start.
Coach Joey Woody is one of the best `classroom' coaches with his detailed explanation of running the relays. Not only will you get tons of great drills and techniques for sprints and relays, you'll also learn the "how" and "why" behind each teaching point.
80 minutes. 2016.
TD-04908B: with Joey Woody,
Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at the University of Iowa;
4x All-American; Silver Medalist in the 2003 World Championships
Without a doubt, teaching hurdling is one of the toughest tasks for track & field coaches. Coach Joey Woody has created a unique educational tool and does an outstanding job of explaining foundational information that can be used as building blocks toward making a more competitive hurdler. Coach Woody simplifies proper hurdle technique from A to Z. He covers:
- The athletic qualities required, and how to develop them (speed, strength, endurance, power, and sprint mechanics).
- Block setup and block starts.
- Hurdle drills to fix faulty technique, improve stride frequency, and rhythm.
Training Plan
Using a classroom lecture format with on-screen graphics, Coach Woody does an excellent job of explaining the progression of learning the hurdles. You'll get a detailed list of coaching cues that are used to help improve your athletes' hurdling technique.
Coach Woody not only provides sample training slides, but also real-time drills like hurdle walk overs, stationary drills (including lead leg specific drills so the athlete does not lead with a bent knee) and movement based drills.
Additionally, Coach Woody talks about his weekly and yearly training plans, which work on proper mechanics and keeping athletes fresh, while also having them work hard enough to build strength and power.
Sprints
In the 100/110M hurdles, controlled speed is the key to success, and the central nervous system needs to be firing at all times. Coach Woody explains why being a "trail leg hurdler" is the key to faster times. He also breaks down the components of proper hurdle mechanics into three distinct phases: into the hurdle, over the hurdle and off the hurdle.
You'll learn the importance of running with a consistent rhythm during all drills and keeping the feet moving at all times. Having the upper and lower body working in unison is paramount for developing a champion hurdler.
400M Hurdles
Focus on the 400M hurdler is dependent on a few key qualities: above average speed, great endurance capability and the willingness to train hard. The ability to hurdle with both legs efficiently is a skill most successful 400M hurdlers possess.
Coach Woody describes his philosophy, workout examples, training concepts, and training progression that serve as a good foundation for the developing distance hurdler. He likes to compare 400M hurdle training to medicine. Over-training can have the same negative effect as over-medicating. Remember to train the athlete, not just the event!
This video is a no-brainer for the track & field coach that works with hurdlers. Coaches are constantly seeking new drills and techniques to make their programs and athletes stronger competitors. Coach Woody presents his methods in a way that are easy to understand for coaches and athletes of all levels.
110 minutes. 2016.
TD-04908C: with Joey Woody,
Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at the University of Iowa;
4x All-American; Silver Medalist in the 2003 World Championships
Many track & field coaches know their athletes need to become faster and stronger, but they don't know how to make those two essential skills a cohesive unit. Joey Woody lays out the necessary framework to develop your athletes' speed and power at the same time.
Coach Woody uses science, experience and observation to give his athletes a clear-cut advantage over the competition. Now, you can benefit from his knowledge. This video is bursting at the seams with coaching philosophies, training models, periodization models, scientific progressions, drills and exercises to elevate your coaching knowledge to new heights in the areas of sprints, relays and hurdles.
Knowing Your Athletes
Coach Woody believes that you develop an athlete from the ground up, with their sport-specific skill in mind. Whether your athlete sprints, jumps or throws, you need to develop those skills through practice and repetition of movement.
Coach Woody highlights both velocity and force demands associated with the sprints and hurdle events. Next, he lays out his personal road map to building up athletes and their athletic qualities. He stresses that tailoring training components to fit the individual needs of the athlete will better the outcome. Understanding each athlete's background and fitness level will determine the length of your general preparation period at the high school and college levels.
Plyometric Development
Sport demands are extremely high, and in order for the athlete to become more successful, their body must be able to withstand high velocity forces. Coach Woody breaks down how to use plyometric progressions to build better athletes. He explains the science behind implementing plyos to prevent the breakdown effect on the athlete's body, which gives them increased power output for the entire length of the race. This is the secret that leads to building a more competitive sprinter and hurdler.
Next, he uses plyometrics to develop explosiveness in his athletes. Everything from stand-still jumps, to ballistics and depth training is covered, while Coach Woody explains the progressions behind each concept.
Speed Development
Coach Woody goes over the correct angles and mechanics associated with building greater levels of acceleration speed specific to the sprinter & hurdler. He places specialized emphasis on higher knee and thigh lift to increase force velocity upon ground contact. This will lead to less time on the ground, plus more distance covered, with less effort.
You will learn bounding training, medicine ball throws and maximum velocity training that includes discussion and demonstration of the wicket drill, the art of floating, stair runs and speed endurance. Speed endurance is an extended speed rhythm at 90-95% intensity which utilizes shorter rest intervals.
He also includes a warm-up that not only prepares athletes for that day's practice, but also increases their stability and strength for the future.
Throughout the video, you'll see informational graphics related to neuromuscular training modalities that aid in the understanding of each area discussed by Coach Woody.
Coach Woody eliminates all of the guesswork when comes to building a high performance athlete. His instruction covers real-time science and some of the most successful practices implemented by one of the top collegiate track & field programs in the country. If you are an improvement-minded coach, this video will increase your ability to build faster, stronger, more powerful sprinters and hurdlers ranging from high school to the collegiate level.
164 minutes (2 DVDs). 2016.