Hi DGCR, I'm back here for more Brychanusing.
One of the most storied threads on DGCR gets new energy. Thanks
@419HondaGuy and
@Nick481 came to mind.
I can't help but always think about javeliners when watching various X-steps out there, and wanted to highlight this part especially:
"This is why
a long last step is crucial for jumping and throwing. It creates more momentum to load the entire elastic system. The lightning fast downward arm swing of the best jumpers utilizes downward momentum to contribute to loading the elastic reflex.
The purpose of the "soft step" back foot contact in the javelin throw is to guide the momentum of the center of mass directly into the block leg. The farthest throws come from the best block leg loading."
Simpsons did it first -
@sidewinder22 at ~9:38:
Coaching point: "just do it". Hop, run,
power walk etc.
However, one "athletic" point and I think this is sometimes lost on less athletic folks and misinterpreted frequently.
I have an increasing personal interest in these topics and especially what they mean for later-in-life learners and those with body limitations. E.g., in my own form, it turns out an already short set of legs, and due to a childhood injury asymmetrically short left leg with resulting weird leverage and a related fundamental gait impairment on my rear side (violating the "
Figure 8" theory of how
the hips work) was part of what was making my X-step unusually hard to fix. As a reminder, even just a slightly "hoppier" X-step allows you to artificially "lengthen" the size of the move going into the x-step, which also helps you get that elastic/reactive loading like running or sprinting or jumping elsewhere. You also want to maintain the right balance and leverage that gets you onto and over that drive step as efficiently as possible with
just enough leverage and time to complete your backswing.
The elite javeliner is an extreme that reveals the "correct" way to load and unload moving from the drive leg down the tee. If you're a dancer, you want to connect your waltz-like balance in athletic posture with a dynamic run/hop that gets you some of that action. Athletes may find this intuitive and do it on their own, but still have mechanics to work on. Non-athletes or those with limits may need to but some specific work into this.