Performance Doc

FOR THIS WEEKS RUNNING ANALYSIS I'M STAYING CLOSE TO HOME! LOOKING AT THE SPRINT TECHNIQUE OF ONE OUR OWN, SHELS & REP. OF IRELAND INTERNATIONAL 🟢⚪🟠
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There's a constant discussion around the role of arm mechanics when it comes to sprinting, something I've highlighted before in these posts. There's no absolutes & my belief & my approach in coaching athletes how to run is simple: what works for one, may not work for another. So once someone isn't sprinting with both hands in their pockets then we have something to work with OR work around.
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Starting with the upper body, Saoirse has a unique sprint start, dropping her head forward & facing the ground in the early stages of acceleration. This is something I noticed very early in pre-season; her sprint start is alike a sprinter bursting out of the traps with a bent body & forward lean with head parallel to the ground. If you've watched Dortmund at all, you may notice than Haaland does something very similar which is often attributed to his height.
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This quick hustle potentially forces Saoirse's centre of mass forward, angling towards the ground, which in turn brings about the need to keep moving & keep balanced...otherwise, it's face of the dirt!
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Back to the arms! Saoirse keeps a firm lock of both elbows through forward & back swing with shoulders quite hunched. Considering the demands of top level County GAA, in which Saoirse has also played for a long time, when you have the ball with 2/3 opposition players around you, your job is to protect it & not give it away. Watch a GAA player stick to a firm squat position using one hand to grip the ball against his/her chest, while the other fights off interference from flailing arms. And what happens when he/she tries to eventually get through the crowd? Head down, forward lean, shoulders tightened...ball protected. Everything is connected.
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With Saoirse's arm mocement, tightness around shoulders or back makes for a wide swing away from the body (see above pic) as this is the easiest path for the limbs to take. This isn't wrong. It's the body making itself work whatever way it can.

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