The experiment
When young hurdlers first learn the event, they typically five-step between hurdles. This means taking five running steps between each barrier instead of the elite three-step pattern. Five-stepping is slower, but it allows developing athletes to clear hurdles with less speed and therefore less consequence for errors. At some point, though, athletes must transition to three-stepping to become competitive.
The question coaches face: when is an athlete ready?
The answer lies in two factors: leg speed and consistency. An athlete is ready to begin the transition when they can five-step at lowered hurdle heights while maintaining rhythm and proper lead leg mechanics, and when their best 100m time suggests they have the raw speed to cover the distance in three steps.
For high school girls running the 100m hurdles (8.5 meter spacing), an athlete typically needs to be running under 14.0 seconds in the 100m dash to have the leg speed for three-stepping. For boys in the 110m hurdles (9.14 meter spacing), that threshold is approximately 12.5 seconds or faster. Below these thresholds, attempting three-step patterns forces athletes to overstride, which destroys their hurdle clearance mechanics.
The transition process itself should be gradual. Start with lowered hurdle heights (30 inches for boys, 27 inches for girls) and shortened spacing. Many coaches use 7.5 meters for girls and 8 meters for boys as intermediate spacings. At these modified distances, athletes can practice the three-step rhythm without needing elite-level speed to cover the ground.
The goal is grooving the motor pattern first. Three-step rhythm feels completely different from five-step rhythm. The stride length is longer, the ground contact is more aggressive, and the visual timing changes dramatically. Athletes need dozens of repetitions at modified spacings before moving toward regulation distances.
Only raise heights and increase spacing when athletes can hit three-step rhythm ten times in a row without reverting to a stutter step or shuffle. Any breakdown in consistency means the progression moved too fast.
Try this at practice
Five-step drill at 80% with lowered hurdles
Setup: Three to five hurdles at 30 inches (boys) or 27 inches (girls) at regulation spacing. This is a rhythm drill, not a speed drill.
Execution: Athletes run at 80% effort, five-stepping between each hurdle. The focus is on consistent lead leg mechanics and takeoff position, not clearing height or speed.
Coaching cues:
- "Same stride length every time - count it out"
- "Lead leg snaps down fast - don't float"
- "If you feel rushed, you're going too fast"
Purpose: This drill establishes the baseline rhythm and mechanics that will transfer to three-stepping. Athletes who can't five-step smoothly will never three-step smoothly.
Volume: 3 to 4 runs with full recovery. Quality over quantity.
Cycle ladder drill
Setup: Create a progression of three sets of hurdles:
- Set 1: Three hurdles at 7 meters apart, 27 inches high
- Set 2: Three hurdles at 7.5 meters apart, 30 inches high
- Set 3: Three hurdles at 8 meters apart, 33 inches high
(Adjust heights and spacings based on athlete gender and level)
Execution: Athletes complete all three sets in sequence with walk-back recovery. They three-step through each set. The increasing spacing forces progressive adaptation without jumping straight to regulation.
Coaching cues:
- "Lengthen your stride, don't speed up"
- "Push the ground away - don't reach for the hurdle"
- "Rhythm stays constant even as spacing increases"
Progression: When athletes handle the full ladder without breakdown, narrow the gap between Set 3 and regulation spacing by 0.25 meters per week.
Coach's clipboard
- Reaching for the hurdle: Athletes who lengthen their stride by reaching forward (rather than driving backward) will either clip the hurdle or land off-balance. Cue "push the track behind you" to fix this.
- Inconsistent lead leg: When transitioning from five-step to three-step, some athletes begin alternating lead legs. This must be corrected immediately. The lead leg should be the same on every hurdle.
- Decelerating into the hurdle: Nervous athletes slow down approaching the hurdle, then try to accelerate over it. This creates terrible mechanics. Use verbal counting ("one-two-three-up") to maintain rhythm.
- Trail leg hitting hurdles: Often caused by insufficient hip flexibility or rushing the clearance. Lower the hurdles until the trail leg clears cleanly, then gradually raise them.
Multi-event alert
Hurdle work is demanding on the hip flexors, groin, and hamstrings due to the asymmetric nature of the clearance pattern. Athletes who also compete in high jump, long jump, or open sprints need careful load management during three-step transition phases. Consider limiting hurdle reps to 15 to 20 total hurdle clearances per session when athletes are simultaneously training for other explosive events. The transition phase is not the time for high-volume hurdle conditioning.
Go deeper
The full progression from first-time hurdler to championship-ready three-stepper requires periodized training, specific flexibility protocols, and detailed race strategy. The Hurdle Mastery Program guide gives you the complete system, including video cues, practice templates, and common error corrections for each phase of development.
It is one of the Track and Field Lab Guides coming to the store.
Track and Field Lab - A STEMsaic Media Property
(c) STEMsaic Research Impacts LLC. All rights reserved.