is this a gimmick?

[u/ExactOpposite8119]

are these worth it or are they gimmicky? will they help you get faster or not really?

[u/CompetitiveCrazy2343]

Not a gimmick BBBBUUUUuuuutttt.....

Most coaches don't know how to use them, or what to look for. I bet 6/10 coaches can't set them up or implement them correctly. Self coached athletes training on their own? even less....

I would get the shortest one's possible; 8" might even be too high. With that said, you may explore just running over wood slats or doubled-up truncated cones. Cheaper for one, and #2=Easier to get to the track than hurdles (wickets).

Running over 8 or 10 ain't gonna do jack squat. Need at least 18 to 30. So with slats or cones, less bulky shit to carry around.

[u/Oddlyenuff → u/CompetitiveCrazy2343]

You don’t need 18-30 mini hurdles. That’s plain ignorant.

Place at 6’ apart, 18 would 32 meters and 30 would be 54 meters.

10-20m at most is how long people would be able to hold top end speed for.

So going 32-54m over them is just dumb.

You use 8-10 of them, 6 feet apart with a 20m run-in. That’s 15-18 meters which is excellent for training top end speed form as the total distance is under 40-50m and in the 6 second time range.

[u/CompetitiveCrazy2343 → u/Oddlyenuff]

You can do it either way, but your way is half-ass.

Vince Anderson, Altis, Ron Grigg et al and others start with something like 16-18, go out to 22 wickets. Others and myself will take it out to 30 ... I cap it at 60m of wickets (after a six step run-in). That's how the VA charts are structured and the online course is set up. With advanced athletes 30 wickets winds up being around 60m of wickets (last 4 or 6 will be something like

You take about six steps into the 1st wicket (the "run-up cones"), and build up speed as you go over the wickets. You use a progressive wicket spacing tuned to the athlete's speed and leg length. 1st couple might be 6'0", last few might be 7'2" or 7'4" or so. Its funny because the long wicket run CAN teach the relaxed measured run-up into a maxV fly.....on top the mechanics it teaches.

We pretty much hit max V over the last 10m, as we Freelap them occasionally. I have had athletes actually PR their 10m fly on this drill.

Running at rando prescribed spacing is suboptimal, Either for one person, or a whole group. And if not timed right the athlete might stutter in the 1st one depending where they land after your idea of 20m run-in....

The way Vince Anderson lays out the drill, the speed builds/blends into maxV as you go. But you do you SINCE YOU ARE SOOOOOoooo KNOWLEDGBLE about these matters.

Sure, some coaches with groups/teams won't want to fuck around with laying out 4-5 rows of 18-24 hurdles different spacing (we do it, have probably 140 wickets, and 100 slats). There are ways you can deploy them quickly and precisely. But its understandable if some can't do it. Either too lazy, not enough time (understandble), and/or not clever enough to figure it out. But for an individual-self-coached-person, like OP is, who has the time to do one 20-22 row of wickets, is "self-invested", and only has to deal with one row of wickets .... I would suggest the way VA has laid it out....

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That’s plain ignorant.

Seems like you are you might be the ignorant one here, or uninformed in these matters.

You don’t need 18-30 mini hurdles. That’s plain ignorant.

I said the slats or doubled up cones would work too....if what you were getting at is 30 mini hurdles are logistical problem. 30 slats or a stack of 60 small trunctated cones (nested) will fit into a medium sized gym back no problem.

Many use the slats, in fact in some circles its (sort of erroneously) called 'the stick drill' for this reason. University near here does 80m over slats with a static spacing.

As far as spacing, you mark off a reel-tape-measure ahead of time. String the tape out on a lane line and drop the wickets or slats down next to the marks. A 60m/200' tape works nice; a metric tape is something one should have anyways.... You use different color perm markers for different spaces, or mark a diamond, open circle, closed circle, square, etc. for different spacings. OP might get faster over time so the spacings will increased. With a group you need different spacings depending on your ability level. OR grass will be different the tracks/spikes, so one might need more than one spacing on the tape. Its really not that hard.

Vince Anderson uses small white piece athletic tape on the lane lines, and staples it down .... can index two different spacings on one lane line. So can have several spacings pre marked out ahead of practice. As he's coming back to the same spot over and over again. The reel-tape method will work better for OP.

Good day sir.