⚡️SSL #011 The “INVISIBLE TECHNIQUE” Explained

Oct 15, 2022

In today’s issue of the “Saturday Sprint Letter” I’m going to talk about the “Invisible Technique” To Run Faster.

Some of my recent Tiktoks have gone semi-viral where I talk about this “invisible technique”.

(I just gave it a cool name in order to try to teach an advanced concept to a mass audience, it’s not a new concept.)

It’s based around the “figure 4” position that coaches with decades of experience such as Stuart Mcmillan from Altis have already discussed publicly.

Since then, there have been a lot questions on this concept such as:

What is the “invisible technique” exactly?
Can everyone learn it?
Should everyone learn it?
How can you learn it?

#1 What is the “invisible technique” exactly?

When I say “Invisible Technique” I’m referring to the figure 4 position which you can see in the image above.

This is when your weight is fully loaded on one foot meanwhile the knee of the other leg is at least parallel.

Specifically when the body is upright, so after drive phase.

At the most elite level, some sprinters have the swinging knee ahead of the leg on the ground creating nearly perfect “figure 4”.

To be clear your knee does not have to be ahead of the leg, if your knees are at least parallel in this position that’s already enough to run insanely fast.

For most athletes I train, parallel knees are the benchmark that we aim for.

This position is an indication that you are recovering your leg very fast because once you are running at high speeds a fast leg recovery is the only way to achieve this technique.

(side note: The only reason I called it “invisible” that name is because elite sprinters do it all the time but if you don’t know what to look at then it’s basically invisible).

#2 Can everyone learn it?

The thing about this technique is that this is not something that you train, it is a result of developing other areas of your sprint.

What I mean is that to achieve the Figure 4 you must first increase the speed of your leg cycle.

Nearly everyone can increase their leg cycle.

A few ways you can do this are:

shortening your ground contact times
improving the speed of your hip extension
finding a rhythm that allows you to recover your leg quickly

This topic of increasing your leg cycle speed is something I probably should make an entire video on.

However as usual I won’t make you wait until then and give you actionable advice later in this newsletter.

#3 Should everyone learn it?

Okay here’s the thing about this technique.

Although nearly everyone can increase the speed of their sprint cycle, not everyone should focus on developing the Figure 4 position.

Here’s why:

There are concepts of speed that apply to everyone and then there are concepts that vary based on the sport.

This is a concept that applies mainly to track.

If you compete in a team sport, such as football, baseball, rugby, or basketball to name a few…

You don’t have to worry about this technique and right now I don’t believe you need to learn it.

The fastest athletes in team sports like Ronaldo, do not have perfect textbook technique because they have to also decelerate, change directions and manage a ball.

In their case, it is still worth trying to minimize the distances between their knees when one foot is fully loaded on the ground, but it doesn’t have to match the position of a sprinter.

#4 How can you learn it?

If you want to truly develop this technique, which is especially important if you compete in track I’m going to tell you what to do.

Keep in mind you do not need to create a perfect figure 4, having the knees parallel when one leg is fully loaded on the ground is already exceptional.

1. Pogo Jumps = training your tendons = shorter ground contact times

By training your tendons to store and release energy quickly you will be able to get off the ground faster.

If you get off the ground faster, you can recover the leg sooner.

2. Box Jumps = faster leg extension

By putting the foot down faster, you naturally shorten your ground contact times, again giving you more time to recover.

3. Wickets = improving rhythm = faster leg recovery

In some cases, a faster leg recovery isn’t about developing your speed or power but simply about how you apply those 2 things.

By using a drill like wickets, an athlete can improve the timing of their limbs to recover the leg more efficiently and achieve a more desirable technique like the figure 4.

Another helpful drill that requires zero equipment but is very hard to learn, is something I call the Single Leg Slice. You can find it on my channel titled “Try This Weird Drill”.

Hope that helps.

TL;DR

At the most elite level, some sprinters have the swinging knee ahead of the leg on the ground creating nearly perfect “figure 4”.
For most athletes I train, parallel knees is the benchmark that we aim for.
Nearly everyone can increase their leg cycle.
The “invisible technique” is a concept that applies mainly to track
To develop this technique train your tendons, improve hip extension, and refine your rhythm.
Use Pogos, Box Jumps, Wickets, and the Single Leg Slice.

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