There is tons of information on the Internet about how to start correctly from a low start. Detailed video tutorials and entire PhD dissertations on the topic. But there is very little information about how to get off to a good start.

Working as a coach, I often encounter the fact that my students cannot fulfill the standard for short-distance running, not because they do not have enough strength, but because they spend too much time on starting acceleration, losing up to one and a half seconds in this component.

Therefore, today I will tell you the main features of a high start. I would like to note that this technique is suitable for short distance running. The body position remains the same as described in the article, but the starting movements will be slightly different.

Correct body position.

The first mistake new runners make when starting high is that they choose the wrong position for their body and legs.

In the photo you see the start of the race at. The most correct position at the high start was taken by the leftmost athlete.

First, the body and shoulders should be directed in the direction of movement. Common mistake when the body is positioned sideways. This makes you waste time spinning your body during the start.

Secondly, one arm should be in front in a bent state, and the other should be brought back in an almost straight position. This will give additional explosive power, namely during the start, quickly throwing out the arms will also help accelerate the body. And don’t be confused, if you have a pushing leg on the left, it means left hand should be placed behind the body, and the right one will be bent in front of the body and vice versa.

Third, don't get your legs mixed up. When you approach the treadmill, you, by inertia, put forward the leg that is the pusher. Therefore, obey your inner feelings. If you switch your legs and end up with your push leg behind you, this will also cause you to lose seconds at the start. Every person has an imbalance in the development of their limbs. One leg or arm is always slightly stronger than the other. This must be used. That’s why the concept of a push leg exists.

Fourthly, you need to lean forward a little. This is a kind of imitation of a low start. This will help you extend your hip more when starting.

Getting started at high start

The most important thing is to correctly use the correct position of the body. Because even in this situation, without knowing the specifics of the start, you can start running incorrectly.

1. It is necessary to move the thigh of the back leg forward as quickly and as quickly as possible. In general, in essence, a sprint is a movement forward followed by placing the foot on the foot. The faster you extend your hip, the faster you run. And this especially needs to be done at the start in order to accelerate your body from zero speed.
2. The supporting pushing leg should push off as hard as possible and at a certain moment should fully straighten.

The photo below shows the phase when the athlete has already pushed off and brought his hip forward. That is, the leg that is currently in front of him was behind him at the start. The supporting leg, which is now behind you, as you can see, is completely straightened. No need to think about this straightening. But you need to push off so that it straightens. This is done automatically.

What NOT to do during the start

1. There is no need to shorten your steps. The more and further you extend your hip, the better. You can’t do this while running, as in this case there is a chance that you will put your foot in front of you, and not under you. And thereby, on the contrary, slow down. But during the start, when your body is tilted forward and, no matter how much you want, you cannot move your hip further than your body is. Thus, at the start, extend your hip as much as possible.
2. Sleep. And I'm not talking about a late start. The main thing is to explode from the very first seconds. I have often come across the fact that instead of going all out from the very start, some runners try to save energy on acceleration. This is completely stupid. You need to spend all the energy you have on overclocking.
3. Don't put your back foot too far or too close. One to one and a half feet between the legs is enough. Setting your foot too far will slow your hip extension. And if you put it too close, you won’t be able to push off normally.

Try to practice the start. Go out to the stadium and run 10-15 meters, practicing your start. Until you bring it to full understanding. It often happens that a person tries to improve his physical qualities in order to pass the standard. And all he needs to do is set the start.
To improve your results in middle and long distance running, you need to know the basics of running, such as proper breathing, technique, warming up, the ability to do the right approach for race day, do the right strength work for running and others.. For site readers, video lessons are completely free . To receive them, just subscribe to the newsletter, and in a few seconds you will receive the first lesson in the series about the basics of proper breathing while running. Subscribe here: . These lessons have already helped thousands of people, and they will help you too.

How to start correctly? If we are talking about “mechanics”, once again the novice driver will be told that there are two ways: “civilian” and “sports”. It seems that if you start only in the “civilian” way, you can save the clutch, but the second option for performing the maneuver helps you accelerate faster. Usually they talk about how to quickly start moving like this: you need to bring the engine to a speed of 3000-4000 rpm and start releasing the clutch. But anyone who has driven a real car knows that it is almost impossible to keep the speed at the same level. It seems the majority good advice are created by theorists and not based on actual driving experience.

How they teach in any driving school

A quick start with a manual transmission, sporty acceleration – all these are elements of extreme driving. In driving schools, their study is wisely left for later. First, the driver must learn to move away, as intended by the car’s designers. Similar technique performing the maneuver is standard, and its use does not lead to a reduction in the service life of any components or parts of the car.

So, let's say the gear is currently in neutral and the handbrake is applied, and the engine is running. Then, in order to start smoothly and without jerking, you need to follow these steps step by step:

1. Pressing the “brake” with your right foot, press the “clutch” all the way with your left foot;
2. Engage first gear, release the handbrake;
3. Very carefully release the clutch pedal - the moment will come when the discs engage. At the same time, the car may remain in place, but the tachometer needle will definitely twitch;
4. The right foot needs to be moved to the gas pedal in order to smoothly add speed, and the clutch should remain at the “grasping point”... And we will see, lo and behold, that the car is already moving forward, and then we need to gradually release the clutch pedal, and that’s it.

As you can see, nothing complicated. Here is a list of common mistakes:

• Jerk - the “clutch” was released too abruptly (“thrown”, as experts say);
• The engine stalled - the “clutch” was released before the engine reached the required speed;
• The roar of the engine is when you press the clutch pedal and the gas at the same time.

No one has yet been able to master the driving technique discussed above the first time. But if during the learning process the driver comes to the conclusion that the mechanics are too complicated, then the fault may be due to malfunctions or malfunctions of the vehicle itself. Even a slight play in the clutch pedal, an incorrect driving position and the very inability to achieve it - all these factors do not contribute to successful learning in any way. It is easy to learn with equipment that is absolutely in good working order, and compromises are best left to those instructors who offer to put up with them. Have a good start!

How do athletes

To start in a sporty way, some do this: first the engine revs to the limit, then the clutch is “thrown” and the car “flies” forward. Using this method can be considered stupid, at least in the vast majority of cases. First of all, you need to correctly select the engine speed range in which the torque will be greatest. It is unlikely that anyone will carry technical documentation with them, and the optimal position of the tachometer needle is found experimentally. Alternatively, consult with the owner of the same car with a similar engine.

Let's say we figured out the gas pedal. Then the question arises of what to do with the clutch. Having spun the engine to the required number of revolutions, try to release the clutch pedal, stopping it just at the point where the discs engage. If the car starts to move forward slowly, it’s okay - it’s usually held with the handbrake. Immediately before the start, you will have to constantly adjust the “gas” so that the needle “floats” with the smallest amplitude. And when the green light turns on, the tachometer readings should go up. Simply put, the moment of start must coincide with the phase of increasing speed.

The disadvantage of the considered method is that the clutch assembly always works with slipping in the first seconds. Metal-ceramic disks, for example, do not tolerate this kind of treatment (they need to spin the wheels). So you shouldn’t be surprised if a car that has been tuned to the maximum begins to require repairs more often than a production prototype. You still need to be able to drive a sports car... Carefully and tastefully.

The traffic rules do not explicitly state a ban on sport style driving. And, nevertheless, there is no need to abuse the shortcomings of the legislation (if you can call them that). When starting to move, at a minimum, you need to make sure that there are no obstacles or other factors that prevent you from moving forward. In situations not covered in detail by law, the need to use common sense has not been canceled.

The moment a car starts at a traffic light is, without exaggeration, the most horrible dream novice motorist. Well, at first it’s impossible to start without stalling a couple of times. At some stage, all this even looks like some kind of conspiracy, which millions are silent about. But it’s quite simple to understand how to properly start with a manual transmission. You just need to learn some rules and practice for a few days in different conditions.

The essence of the problem for beginners is that driving instructors teach them to start only with the clutch itself, without using the accelerator pedal

How to learn how to get started correctly with a manual transmission

The essence of the problem for beginners usually lies in the fact that driving instructors teach them to start only with the clutch itself, without using the accelerator pedal. In practice, such a technique quickly discredits itself, since its relevance ends where regular road traffic begins with the participation of a huge number of other cars.

In addition, the clutch on different cars can be configured differently. If this approach works on an empty, flat, strictly horizontal road, then when driving up a hill or at a busy intersection, additional skills are simply needed.

How to start with a manual transmission: Video tutorial

Some nuances of the correct starting from a place

So, let’s imagine that our car is in “handbrake” (the handbrake is on), the engine is running, and the gear lever is in neutral. In general, before starting the engine, you should always check whether the neutral position is turned on. Otherwise, you can turn the ignition key and immediately drive into a neighboring car or pole, for example.

When the engine is warmed up, the driver is fastened, you can start driving. To do this, press the clutch pedal all the way with your left foot and right hand The first gear of the gearbox is engaged. After this, you need to remove the car from the handbrake, turn on the turn signal if necessary and gradually begin to release the clutch pedal.

Having brought the pedal to the so-called “grabbing moment,” it’s time to stop its movement for a second and “push the gas” a little using the accelerator pedal. An increase in crankshaft speed to 1000-1500 rpm will be clearly visible on the tachometer. It’s not worth raising the speed higher, 2500-3000 rpm is already too much, leave such starts to careless street racers who are ready to change the clutch after every “traffic light” race.

It is very important to monitor the tachometer needle, since the operation of the engine cannot always be heard by ear. Also note that the correct dosage of effort on the gas pedal in this case is almost a jewelry job, so at first completely forget about shoes with hard soles, and especially with heels. The best option- elastic sneakers. There are even special models for driving.

In general, when you lightly press the gas pedal, the car should start moving. Without fully releasing the clutch pedal, you need to drive 3-4 meters. This is called "half-clutch riding" when the clutch plate is not fully pressed against the flywheel and may slip. After this, you can completely release the clutch, increase the pressure on the accelerator pedal and raise the engine speed to shift into second gear.

Ideally, releasing the clutch pedal and pressing the gas should occur smoothly and synchronously, this will eliminate the possibility of slipping and squealing tires when starting. A car stalls, as a rule, for the reason that the amount of fuel mixture for the engine to operate does not increase in time, causing the power unit to “suffocate”, unable to cope with the load.

We set off up the hill, helping ourselves with the handbrake

If on level ground you can practice the starting moment for a long time and safely, then when starting up a hill you should be especially careful and be sure to use the basic skills you have already acquired. In this case, the risk of a rollback is added to the negative influence factors. As a result, the novice driver holds the car on the slope with the brake pedal, and when the green light turns on, he frantically puts his right foot on the gas, hoping to make it in time, and stalls, rolling back. Of course, none of those waiting behind will like this situation. Therefore, you need to train in deserted places so as not to create an emergency situation.

When you approach an intersection or stop for any other reason on an incline, you need to immediately tighten the handbrake cable. To start, you need to do everything as in the case of starting on a flat road, but release the handbrake only at the moment when the gas pedal is already lightly pressed. You can understand that the handbrake needs to be lowered by the characteristic rush of the car forward; a slight vibration occurs; due to the increase in pressure in the area of ​​traction of the wheels with the road, the rear of the car will squat slightly.

When you approach an intersection or stop for any other reason on an incline, you need to immediately tighten the handbrake cable.

After practicing a few times, you will already know when this moment comes. That is, the car is released from the brake when the gas pedal is partially pressed and the clutch pedal is partially released. After driving a few meters in half-clutch, you can completely release the leftmost pedal.

Separately, a few words need to be said about the difficulties when removing the wheels from the hand brake. This is due to the load on the teeth of the drive lever. It happens that it’s time to get moving, but the button doesn’t want to be pressed with your thumb. In such cases, you just need to pull the handle up a little. This will ease the pressure on the mechanism, thereby allowing you to easily remove the handbrake and drive with half-clutch.

How to do this without a handbrake

It must be said that using the handbrake when starting up a hill is not a prerequisite. However, if the slope is steep, even experienced drivers do this. Well, when the horizontal deviation is small, then you can really limit yourself to simply “catching” the car with the clutch. The whole point of mastery is to know at what point in the clutch pedal travel the treasured “grasping moment” occurs.

If the position is chosen correctly, then when the foot brake is released the vehicle will not go backwards, but will “freeze” in place. But there remains a risk of the engine stopping due to lack of speed. Therefore, while holding the car with the clutch, you need to immediately move your right foot from the brake to the accelerator pedal and add speed. The car must move, then everything is done according to the standard.

A burned clutch is a common technical problem faced by inexperienced drivers.

A burned clutch is a very common technical problem that inexperienced drivers have to deal with. This usually happens when the flywheel rotation speed is too high when the driven disk is mated. As a result, contact is impossible due to increased speed, as a result of which the surfaces instantly overheat and lose their properties.

To prevent this from happening, you need to prohibit yourself from accelerating too much when starting off, raising the speed to 3-4 thousand.

When the car begins to roll back, it is important to understand that the problem is not so much in the gas pedal being pressed poorly, but rather in the clutch not being released enough. As a result, the novice presses on the gas by mistake, the engine literally bursts from unrealized power, after which the clutch pedal is released, and this causes the unit to burn.

Learn to guess when the clutch “grabs”

To minimize the number of engine stalls, develop the habit of depressing the clutch pedal when the engine compartment begins to cramp. The reflex of squeezing the clutch will help constantly - at traffic lights, during sudden braking, while parking, etc. During training, your body will remember the signs of partial mating of the clutch elements and will automatically be able to send impulses to your brain, indicating the need to press the gas and further movement with the clutch fully released.

Leaving the pit, entering the curb

Another point that requires clarification is starting in conditions where one or more wheels are in some kind of depression, for example, in a regular road opening or puddle.

Of course, there is no way to get out here with just the clutch, but even the “on duty” thousand revolutions of the crankshaft may not give the expected result. In this case, you can try to slightly increase the speed (up to 1500-1700 rpm) by pressing the gas pedal a little harder in parallel with releasing the clutch.

The same applies to driving onto a small hill, for example a curb. Otherwise, there will be either overheating of the clutch or stalling of the engine. If you are experiencing difficulties, it is better to use the help of a friend who can swing the body from the outside or sit behind the wheel for you.

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