Steve/Tom,



Tom: I saw the heading and assumed we'd get into a fistfight. We don't
completely agree on all things hip, but I find myself in complete agreement with
what you wrote here. (Dare I say "again"!)




Steve: From The Complete Guide to Racewalking (1998) 





“Hip drop” should
occur naturally after push-off: As the rear leg comes forward, and the foot
loses
contact with the ground, the hip is no longer supported so it drops slightly.
This natural effect does not need to be learned, exaggerated, or fretted
over—I
don’t know why so many coaches bother confusing their athletes by talking
about
it.







I'll probably have more to say on the subject in my forthcoming book, The
Complete Guide to Competive Walking (2009, I hope!)  The only thing I would add
now is that not only is the advancing hip not supported by that leg, that leg
also weighs about 30-35 lbs. and is hanging from that side of the hip so it
causes it to drop down. If you have a lot of lower back flexibility and
relatively loose pelvic ligaments, the hip will drop a lot, if you don't, it
won't End of story. Put your effort into pelvic rotation, not drop.

ok!




Dave McGovern

World Class Racewalking

www.racewalking.org
















-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Eastler <eastler@...>
To: Steve Patat <spatat@...>
Cc: racewalking@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, Jul 5, 2009 10:44 pm
Subject: Re: [racewalking] Hip Drop





0A



























Steve,



Don't create a hip drop!!!! It takes us years to retrain those who have

exaggerated hip drop to minimize it. There is no advantage to having hip

drop...since the hip that "drops" in single support phase (standing on

just one leg) is the unsupported hip which is supposed to be rotating

forward and bringing the unsupported leg with it, and the more that hip

drops the higher one has to lift the unsupported leg to get the foot to

swing through with the leg. Hence more drop equals more knee bend and

less rotation of hip girdle around the spine (so called "hip

rotation"). It is the "hip rotation" that allows us to gain inches per

stride over having no rotation at all (like so many, many racewalkers).

Hip drop is anathema (highly accursed). The sway that Jeff mentions

occurs when in the single support phase ever so slightly with or without

hip drop....when it occurs with hip drop id is often exaggerated and is

doubly cursed...it serves no useful purpose in that case and tends to

direct muscular energy in the wrong direction (sideways).



Tom



Steve Patat wrote:

> I am still trying to understand hip drop. When I make my stride I do get a

> feel that I am getting hip rotation(back and forward movement). I am not

> sure my stride is longer=2
0in the rear. I get no feel for the hips moving up

> and down.(Sometimes I get a feeling they move out. I try to keep that at a

> minimum.) So I do not think I have any hip drop. I am reading Jeff's new

> book which has a very detailed description of how the hips should move. I am

> just not sure why the hip drops. Could someone take a shot and explain why

> the hip should drop? Should it be a noticeable movement and is it something

> that should come as a natural movement or should I try to create the drop?

> Also, is it something I should be concerned about? Again, I thank all for

> your help. Steve

>

>

>

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