Potetial i the 4x Relay Preseted by Bria FitzGerald Rio Mesa High School 19 FACA Track & Field Cliic Jauary -12 Daytoa Beach Maximizig A Review of Relay Basics Basic Premise: Get the bato safely aroud the track as fast as possible. Because they ru turs, the 1st & 3rd legs ru i the left (iside) half of the lae, ad they receive / hold the bato i the right had The 2d & 4th legs ru i the right (outside) half of the lae ad receive / hold the bato i the left had NFHS Relay Measuremets Meters New Relay Measuremets Comig Soo! m m meters ELIMINATED!!! Typical Curve 4x - Etire Race 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Bato Speed i 1 1 1 1 Ideal Bato Speed Ruer 1 Ruer 2 Ruer 3 Ruer 4 EARLY MIDDLE IDEAL 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 Cardial Rules of the Relay 1. Outgoig ruer always sets up at the very begiig of the. 2. The bato exchage should occur as late as safely possible i the zoe. Determiig Whe to Go Measure 16-26 heel-toe steps back from the start of the & mark spot. This poit varies so that ruers mesh at the proper poit i the. This is the ONLY variable i relay placemet Measure back four more steps & mark to create the Go Patch. Outgoig ruer leaves as icomig ruer hits the Go Patch. 4 Steps 16-26 Steps Go Patch The Outgoig Ruer May stad or crouch with feet poitig dow the track, left foot forward--right foot back The Outgoig Ruer Always lies up o the outside of lae* cotiued Starts with cofidece whe icomig ruer hits Go mark Accelerates smoothly ad powerfully Exteds soft, steady had o verbal or visual cue Grasps bato after it is placed i his/her had Never looks back! 2
The Icomig Ruer Must push through the zoe & catch outgoig ruer, ever slowig (max. speed edurace) Gives verbal cue at appropriate time* Exteds bato at appropriate time Maitais speed i zoe after pass Stays i lae util all other teams have completed their passes The Psychology of Ruig i the The three exchage zoes are the most critical areas of the relay. The goal i these areas is to have miimal decrease the liear horizotal velocity of the bato. The icomig ruer must eter the zoe with the idea of catchig (ad eve ruig past) the outgoig ruer. S/he must realize that ay slowig will result i a iferior exchage. Maximum speed edurace becomes critical. Do t relax metally. Attack & push through the zoe! The outgoig ruer must accelerate smoothly ad powerfully, without hesitatio. Ay iterruptio i the acceleratio process will result i a decrease of bato velocity as the ruers mesh. How Far Does Each Ruer Ru? 1st Leg 2d Leg 3rd Leg 4th Leg Poit Mid- 3/4 - Mid- 3/4 - Mid- 3/4 - Mid- 3/4 - Accel. Ruig w/bato 5 95 Total Meters 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 Persoel ad Placemet Cosideratios 1st Leg: good starter, good tur ruer, trouble receivig pass, shorter, fastest (?) 2d Leg: good bato hadler, taller, lefty, well-developed speed edurace, faster tha 3rd leg (?) 3rd Leg: good bato hadler, good tur ruer, shorter, welldeveloped speed edurace, slower tha 2d leg (?) 4th Leg: ot ecessarily fastest, aggressive, resiliet, hadles pressure well, possibly slowest (?) Teachig & Practicig the Relay Progressio for teachig the pass mechaics 1. Statioary with receivig had back 2. Statioary with arm swigs & verbal cue 3. Joggig with (ad w/o) verbal cue 4. Staggered spritig with (ad w/o) verbal cue Practicig the exchage Must simulate racig speed to be accurate -use spikes -have adequate ru-i Practice 1st ad 3rd exchage together o same tur, ad the practice 2d exchage (maybe o aother day) Coachig poits Warm-up with batos View from a distace Vary laes ad coditios Time the bato through the X-zoe to determie efficiecy Potetial i the 4x Relay - SESSION 2-19 FACA Track & Field Cliic Jauary -12 Daytoa Beach Maximizig 3
I Sessio 1, we covered: Relay Basics Relay Theory Aligmet of Ruers Cardial Rules of the 4x Sessio 2 will cover: Methods of exchagig the bato Types of Relay s Overhad Dowsweep Pass - most popular pass util after - formerly used by all U.S. atioal teams - Advatage: supposed Free Distace Push Pass - variatio of overhad, used by the USA, Jamaica, GBR - Advatages: less alteratio of sprit mechaics supposed bato acceleratio Uderhad Upsweep Pass - used by Japa (ad formerly Frace & GDR) - Advatages: sprit mechaics maitaied safe ad easy The USA Push Pass The Uderhad Upsweep Pass Disadvatages of the Overhad Dowsweep Pass Proper sprit mechaics are sigificatly altered A good pass requires exact timig More chace the bato will be dropped More chace the iitial pass attempt will be missed The cocept of Free Distace is flawed The Myth of Free Distace Gais made through lea ad full arm extesio are more tha offset by slowig due to altered sprit mechaics FREE DISTANCE 4
The Myth of Free Distace cotiued Sice the overhad pass caot occur without free space, it is ecessarily maufactured by the icomig ruer by decreasig velocity i the most critical jucture of the race. Advatages of the Upsweep Uderhad Pass Missed iitial attempt does t break sprit rhythm Does t require exact timig or precise spacig Palm dow had is a better target Disadvatage: The Shrikig Bato -must be rotated up i had Advatages of the Upsweep Uderhad Pass Proper sprit mechaics are maitaied, esurig smooth acceleratio ad miimal deceleratio of the bato i the zoe. A Really BAD Upsweep Pass but, the pass was made becuse the method allows for error. 5