A high school student is shown performing low hurdles; the teacher's feedback suggests diving into the hurdles and using a strong pawing action with the lead leg. This feedback is intended to address which issue?

• A. Losing time by floating over the hurdle
• B. Insufficient arm swing
• C. Too much vertical rise
• D. Incorrect lead leg height

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that in hurdle technique, you want to minimize the time you spend in the air and keep forward momentum after takeoff. Phrasing like “diving into the hurdles” and a strong pawing action with the lead leg cues the athlete to drive forward into the hurdle and push off quickly, rather than rising and hovering. This helps shorten the flight phase so the athlete lands and recommits to the next stride sooner, reducing the overall time lost over each hurdle.

So the feedback targets reducing time spent floating over the hurdle; by pushing the lead leg down and forward and driving into the hurdle, the athlete maintains speed and finishes the clearance more efficiently. The other options relate to rhythm, height, or contact specifics, but they don’t align as directly with shortening the airborne phase through a forward, aggressive lead-leg action.