Improving Your Running Footstrike: 3 Drills for a More Reactive Push-Off

An efficient footstrike doesn’t just depend on which part of the foot lands first, but on the reactivity with which it does so: through specific drills like pogos, skips, and butt kicks, you can train a stronger, more elastic foot for a faster and less injury-prone run.

• There is no single “perfect universal footstrike” (heel, midfoot, forefoot); there is an efficient footstrike, one that minimizes ground contact time.
• A reactive footstrike turns the foot and ankle into a spring that returns energy, rather than a brake that dissipates it.
• As children, our instinct would lead us to a more advanced and less traumatic footstrike than a heel strike.
• Drills borrowed from track and field, like “pogo” jumps, skips, and butt kicks, are fundamental for training this reactivity.
• Integrating these drills into your warm-up 2-3 times a week improves technique, specific strength, and helps prevent injuries.

The Perfect Footstrike Doesn’t Exist, but an Efficient One Does

For years, one of the most useless and damaging battles has raged in the world of amateur running: heel versus toe. We’ve been told that heel striking is “wrong,” that real runners run on their forefoot, that there’s only one correct way to move. This is a dangerous oversimplification. The truth, as always, is more complex and much more interesting.

There is no perfect footstrike that works for everyone. The biomechanics of an elite marathoner are different from those of a sprinter, and different again from those of an amateur. The real question we should be asking isn’t “which part of the foot lands first?” but “how does the foot behave when it’s on the ground?”

The goal isn’t to force yourself to run in a way that isn’t natural to you, but to teach your body to be more efficient. And in running, efficiency has only one name: reactivity.

The Secrets of a Reactive Push-Off: What Elite Athletes’ Feet Do

If you watch a high-level athlete in slow motion, you’ll notice two things. First, their foot lands almost directly under their body’s center of gravity, not out in front. Second, the time it spends on the ground is incredibly short. As we’ve seen, this metric is called Ground Contact Time (GCT), and it’s the secret to a fast run.

An efficient footstrike transforms the complex system of muscles, bones, and tendons in your foot and ankle into a powerful spring. The impact with the ground isn’t passively absorbed but instead stores elastic energy that is immediately returned during the push-off phase. It’s the principle of a rebound. An inefficient footstrike, on the other hand, acts like a brake. Landing heavily on your heel with a straight leg far in front of your body brakes your momentum with every step, sending a traumatic shockwave up your entire leg.

As children, when we ran barefoot on the grass, our instinct led us to a natural forefoot or midfoot strike, precisely to take advantage of the foot’s natural cushioning. We can relearn that reactivity.

3 Drills to Build a Stronger, More Elastic Foot

These exercises, borrowed from track and field, are not a full workout but a set of technical “drills.” Their purpose is to retrain the neuromuscular system for a quicker, more elastic footstrike.

1. “Pogo” Jumps (for Ankle Reactivity)

What it’s for: To isolate and strengthen the “foot-ankle complex,” teaching it to function like a stiff, reactive spring.
How to do it:

1. Stand with your legs nearly straight and your feet together.
2. Begin hopping in place, always staying on the balls of your feet.
3. The movement should come almost exclusively from your ankles. Your knees should bend as little as possible.
4. Try to be light, quick, and as quiet as possible. The goal is to minimize your time on the ground.

2. Skips (for Coordination and Forward Drive)

What it’s for: To improve coordination, posture, and to teach the foot to actively push the ground backward.
How to do it:

1. Start by marching in place, bringing your knees up high.
2. Gradually increase the dynamic, turning the march into a skipping motion.
3. The focus is on the push-off: the foot should land under your hip and push off forcefully, propelling your body up and forward.
4. Use your arms in a coordinated and powerful way to give you balance and rhythm.

3. Butt Kicks (for a Quick Heel Recovery)

What it’s for: To speed up the leg’s recovery phase. A quick heel recovery toward the glute shortens the leg’s pendulum, allowing it to return to position for the next stride more quickly.
How to do it:

1. Run slowly, focusing exclusively on your heel recovery.
2. As soon as your foot leaves the ground, actively pull your heel toward your glute as quickly as possible.
3. The movement is not a “kick back,” but a “pull up.” It should be quick and cyclical.

How to Integrate These Drills Into Your Warm-Up Routine

These drills should not be done cold. The perfect time to include them is after your warm-up jog and before a quality session (like repeats) or a race.

Sample Routine:

• 10-15 minutes of slow running.
• 2 sets of 20-30 meters for each drill (Pogos, Skips, Butt Kicks).
• Walk back to the start between each set.
• At the end, do 2-3 strides to integrate the new sensations into a more fluid run.

Incorporate this routine twice a week. You won’t see results overnight, but with consistency, you’ll be making the most important investment in your running career: you’ll be building a more efficient, faster, and, above all, injury-proof technique.