Linear 3-Part Start Technique
Also works: Calves · Quadriceps
A three-point sprint start from a line: staggered feet, one hand down, hips above the head, then an explosive drive out. It trains the one part of sprinting that is pure position rather than pure fitness — getting your body angled forward so your first three strides push you along the ground instead of lifting you off it.
Own the movement
Set up first, then execute. Every cue below is something you can check on your next set.
Before the first rep
- Find a line and a clear 20-30 m of grippy, even ground with room to slow down afterwards.
- Place the front foot with the toe roughly level with the opposite ankle; back foot 10-15 cm behind it.
- Put the hand opposite your front foot down on the line, fingers bridged, arm straight.
- Load your weight onto the front leg until your hips sit higher than your shoulders and your head is low.
- Take the free arm back and parallel to the ground, then hold still — no rocking before you go.
- Warm up properly first. A cold three-point start is a hamstring waiting to happen.
Every rep
Breathing & tempo — Take a full breath in the set position, hold it through the first two or three strides, then breathe freely as you rise. There is no tempo prescription: every start is maximal from the first movement, or it is not teaching you anything.
Before you load it
- Warm up thoroughly with build-up runs before the first full-effort start. Sprint starts from cold are one of the most reliable ways to tear a hamstring.
- Sprint on grass, track or turf with real grip. A slipping foot in a three-point start puts you down hard with one hand already committed.
Sets, reps & load
Where to start, and what to change when it stops being hard.
Bodyweight only — no sleds or bands until the unresisted position is solid, because resistance exaggerates whatever angle you already have. Start at 10 m and around 80% effort for the first two sessions to learn the setup, then go full effort. Progress by extending to 20 m and by cutting the number of strides it takes to reach top speed, not by adding starts.
What goes wrong
The errors that show up most often, and the cue that fixes each one.
Have someone film you from the side and count how many strides it takes to get vertical — aim for six or more. Practise the first three strides only, at 80%, until the low angle holds.
Raise your hips until they are clearly higher than your head and your weight is on the front leg and the down hand. If you feel like you would fall on your face, that is roughly right.
Cue 'push the ground back' rather than 'reach forward'. The first foot should touch down behind your hips; a foot landing in front of you is a brake.
Cap it at four to six and take two to three minutes between them. A start is a maximal effort — the whole point is the position, and position degrades long before you feel out of breath.
Alternate the lead leg every second start. In a game you rarely get to choose which foot is in front, and the weaker side is usually where the stumble comes from.
Why bother
Acceleration is a horizontal problem. From a standing start most people pop upright inside two strides and spend the rest of the run fighting to catch up with their own centre of mass. The three-point stance forces a body angle you cannot stand up out of immediately, so the first strides go backwards into the floor where they belong.
It is also the cheapest diagnostic you have. If you stumble on the first stride, your hips were behind your shoulders. If you come up tall instantly, you did not load the front leg. Both faults show up in the first metre, long before a full sprint would make them obvious.
Where it fits
After a thorough warm-up including some build-up runs, at the very start of a speed session and before any lifting. 4-6 starts over 10-20 m, with 2-3 minutes of walking rest between them. This is skill work at full intensity: the rep count is low because every start should be your best one, and a start run tired teaches your body the exact positions you are trying to eliminate.
If this one isn't it
No kit, too hard, or too easy — here's where to go instead.
Same job, different kit
Asked and answered
Which foot should go in front?
Usually the stronger, more coordinated leg, since it does most of the driving — for many people that is the same side they would jump off. Test both over a few 10 m starts and time them; the difference is usually obvious. Then keep practising the other side too, because you rarely get to choose in a game.
Is a three-point start better than a standing start?
For learning acceleration mechanics, yes — the low position makes it far harder to pop upright early. For sport, it depends: a footballer or a tennis player almost never starts from a line, so use the three-point version as a teaching tool and then transfer the same shin and hip angles to standing and moving starts.
How far should I sprint on each rep?
Ten to twenty metres. The drill is about the first few strides, and anything past 30 m turns into top-speed work with a different focus and much more hamstring risk. If you want longer sprints, program them separately rather than tacking distance onto starts.
Do I need blocks?
No, unless you are competing in track. Blocks add a fixed, repeatable push surface, which matters at the sharp end of sprinting but adds nothing to the positions you are learning here. A line on the floor and honest feet are enough for everyone else.