The art of baton passing is very beautiful and intricate. Many can not deny the sense of amazement of watching a perfectly executed hand off. It seems simple to the average spectator. Just sprint and take the baton right? Am I right coach? Wrong!
A 4x100 is a track event in which relay teams of four compete to run the fastest 400m with each person running 100m called a leg.
So after the team is set up and everybody knows which leg they're running, each person has to figure out when to start sprinting. For the most part, high school track athletes count 14-17 steps behind their starting line. Mark this with tape. When the person running before you is approaching, the moment they hit that mark is when you start sprinting. We mark this area with tape because it is usually the amount of a lead someone needs to accelerate to top speed.
You can start anywhere in between the marked triangles. Once you take off you can not look back or else it's a disqualification (DQ). So how do you receive the baton? Now here comes the tricky part. The person handing off the baton yells "stick!" as soon as he/she catches up to the person. As soon as the person in front hears the word "stick!" he/she sticks out their palms towards the person behind them. The person behind will then make a straight and forceful punching motion to hand the baton to his/her teammate. The baton is always passed from either left to right hand or right to left hand.
This is the part where everyone messes up on. The person calling out "stick!" must make sure to time it so that they are both running at a stable rate. He/she must also make sure the baton goes dead straight into the palm of the other person's hand.
The person receiving the baton must also make sure that his palm is facing the person behind him, fingers perpendicular to the track. This was the hardest part for me. It is difficult to maintain an easy target for your teammate to hit, make sure your palm is sticking out and facing directly behind you, and accelerate to top speed all at the same time.
Many dreams and spirits have been crushed from a failed hand off. Many batons are dropped because of tiny errors. A messy hand off will slow you down. Deviating from the strict rules of the hand off will result in a DQ. This is why it is so difficult. This is why I do not enjoy doing this particular track event.
The pressure is real and I perform best in a more relaxed yet focused mindset. However this is one of the most popular track events and getting great at it would result in fame, scholarships, and most importantly pride.
If you think this is for you than sign up for track in the spring!
I think your post is very interesting. I would not expect baton passing to be of concern in races. I like your addition of personal experience because it made me (someone who knows nothing about this) get more of an insight. Is it more common then to have trouble with the actual passing of the baton, or is it more common to be worried over it, like before a big test?
ReplyDeleteMost of it definitely stems from worry. The process is actually quite simple but for beginners and even people who have been doing it for a while, it can be very hit-or-miss.
DeleteEyyo coming through with the track post! I enjoyed reading about the process of the handoff in the 4x100, while also gaining insight into what thoughts and feelings a sprinter in this particular event may feel. The diagram you included also helps me to envision the form of the sprinters and the technicalities of the handoff process you describe in the fifth paragraph. After reading your post, I'm very interested in trying out for Mira Mesa's track team this spring!
ReplyDeleteI liked your use of personal experience and pictures in this blog post. I never knew passing a baton could be so hard and nerve wrecking. Your use of bolding was also clever and really brought out certain aspects.
ReplyDeleteThis post was an interesting read. It seems like such a simple topic, but your enthusiasm and knowledge made it so much more. Your tone of slight informality, but still being able to provide information, is intriguing. Going into depth on this topic was very interesting. Additionally, I like feeding the fish.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you made your post a "how to" tutorial; it made it really unique. I am not very knowledgeable about track, however, after reading this, I am better informed. The images also contributed greatly and made the reading feasible.
ReplyDeleteThis post makes track seem so interesting!!! This is like a college acceptance test, you make it or break it. I can feel your enthusiasm, and I actually feel the need to experience it. This type of mindset in society - the preciseness, the importance, and the glory- would make it so much better! If everyone had this passion, the world would be so alive and thriving. I immensely enjoyed your tutorial. Maybe I will join Track and Field!
ReplyDeleteYou can get DQ'd for looking back? I thought that you don't look back because it slows you down. (I actually did a quick Google search and could not find anything that says you get DQ'd.)
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's very hard!