Arms standing still first, so they feel it without thinking about their legs.

• Hip to chin, nothing crosses the midline
• Elbows stay bent at about 90
• Shoulders down and loose
• Drive the elbow back, don't punch the hand forward

Where you find out if the arms and legs actually coordinate. Most young athletes lose the arms here.

• Arms lead, the skip fits around them
• Same range as standing — it usually shrinks
• Stay tall, do not lean back
• Rhythm before height

Marching before skipping. Slow enough that every position can be held and corrected.

• Knee to hip height, thigh parallel
• Toe pulled up toward the shin
• Foot lands under the hip, not out in front
• Stay tall — no leaning back to lift the knee

Same position, continuous. The march becomes a rhythm rather than a series of poses.

• Knee height does not drop as the tempo rises
• Ankle stays dorsiflexed
• Ground contact under the hip every step
• Arms keep the count

First look at the full sprint cycle, at walking pace. Every position is holdable here.

• Knee drives, then extends, then sweeps back under
• Heel recovers close to the hamstring
• Foot lands under the centre of mass
• Slow is the point — do not rush it

The same cycle at jog pace. Fast enough to be real, slow enough to still fix.

• Same shape as the walk, just quicker
• Do not let the heel drop away behind
• Stay tall through the hips
• If it breaks down, go back to the walk

Full-speed cycle. This is what sprinting is, isolated from having to run fast.

• Heel up, knee through, foot down under you
• No reaching — the foot lands, it does not stretch out
• Hips stay square
• Arms match the leg speed

Cycle with a target. The opposite knee gives the athlete something to clear so the recovery gets high enough.

• Heel travels over the opposite knee
• Do not swing the leg out to get around
• Quick off the ground on the stance side
• Same height both legs

Skipping starts here, one leg at a time. One side works while the other just keeps rhythm.

• Working leg does the full A position
• Rhythm leg stays quiet and short
• Arms stay full range on both sides
• Switch sides evenly

Alternating A-skip. Both legs working, which is where coordination is exposed.

• Same knee height as the single-leg version
• No pause between sides
• Foot still lands under the hip
• Tall through the whole thing

B before alternating B. The extension and paw-back added to one leg at a time.

• Knee up first, then extend, then paw back
• The paw is the point — a B without it is an A
• Do not reach the foot out in front
• Rhythm leg stays quiet

The full B-skip. The most advanced drill in the ladder and the closest to sprint mechanics.

• Both legs doing the full pull, extend and sweep
• Ground contact stays short despite the range
• Hips square, they will want to rotate
• If the paw disappears, drop back to single leg