Coaching Young Athletes

Use This Analogy to Teach Young Athletes How to Hold Their Hands When Sprinting

Over the years I have had a number of young athletes ask me how they should hold their hands whilst sprinting – open, closed or in-between?

I tell them what I have heard the great Australian sprinter Melinda Gainsford-Taylor say to young athletes:

1. Pretend that you are holding a potato chip in each hand.

2. You don’t want to drop the chips nor do you want to crush them.

In other words, the fingers are lightly curled (not squeezed shut) with the thumbs resting on top. This encourages a relaxed arm action and avoids unnecessary tension in the hands, which can extend into the arms and shoulders.

You can ask young athletes to imagine their favourite potato chips in their hands whilst they are practising their arm action. You can even encourage them by announcing that they can “eat the chips” if the chips are still in their hands in one piece by the end of the drill!

Can you add to this discussion?

I would love to hear if you have another way to teach young athletes how to hold their hands when sprinting. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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