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BASIC
TECHNIQUE - HEAD
1. Many new racewalkers tend to watch their feet, and do so
by lowering their chin almost to their chest. There is no need to watch the
feet, and holding the head down will make breathing more difficult as you
close off the windpipe. Hold your head up and use your eyes to look
down at the walking surface some 15-20 feet ahead of you.
2. If you are using good racewalking technique, your hips will
compensate for the ups and downs caused by vaulting over a straight leg (which
you do with every step), and your head will remain almost level (i.e.,
not bounce up and down). This is important because, while they are
supposed to judge your walking by your knees and your foot contact, some
judges will take a bobbing head as a symptom that you might be lifting. It
is important not to unnecessarily attract such attention for, even though
you may well be legal, such attention causes a judge to spend more time watching
you than you would like.
| To see if your head is
bobbing up and down, walk next to some object that has a horizontal line
near the height of your eyes (such as a fence, or a brick or stone wall).
As you walk along the object, see if the horizontal line seems to bob up
and down. If it does, adjust your technique (mainly the use of your hips)
to see if you can minimize the bobbing. |
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While Icabod (above) is holding his head up at a reasonable angle, the
walker below has begun to let his head drop -- primarily because he is
tired.
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