Which cue is used to maintain knee drive and proper foot strike during sprinting?

• A. Land with heel strike first and keep the trunk upright.
• B. Drive the knee forward and up, land with foot under the body, maintain a forward trunk angle, and keep midfoot under the hips.
• C. Land with toes pointed outward and relax the arms.
• D. Shorten stride and increase ground contact time.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is to control how the leg moves and where the foot lands relative to the body's center of mass. By driving the knee forward and up, you generate forward propulsion and keep the leg actively moving rather than hanging back. Landing with the foot under the body ensures you strike closer to your center of mass, which reduces braking forces and helps transfer force efficiently into forward motion. Maintaining a forward trunk angle helps keep your momentum flowing in the direction you're sprinting, rather than letting your torso lag or rise too vertical. Keeping the midfoot under the hips promotes a midfoot or forefoot landing rather than a heel strike, which further minimizes braking and supports quicker, more powerful steps.

In contrast, heel striking first tends to create braking forces and a slower, less efficient rhythm; toe-out landings with relaxed arms don’t address knee drive or where the foot lands, which can disrupt efficient force transfer; shortening the stride while increasing ground contact time adds more braking and reduces speed. Together, the cue of driving the knee forward and up, landing under the body, and maintaining a forward trunk with the midfoot under the hips best supports knee drive and proper foot strike.