High Knees

High knees is a sprint-form and warm-up drill in which the athlete runs (in place or slowly forward) driving the knees up to about hip height with a fast cadence and short, quick ground contacts on the balls of the feet. It develops knee drive, stride frequency, dorsiflexion, and tall posture, and raises body temperature in warm-ups.

Technique: stand tall and braced (do not lean back to throw the knees up), keep the feet dorsiflexed, contact the ground on the balls of the feet with quick, light, "hot" contacts, and use a sharp opposite-arm action to drive frequency. Emphasize both height (knee to hip) and speed of turnover depending on the cue.

Variations include high-knee marching (slow, exaggerated), high-knee running (fast cadence), and high-knee skips. It pairs with butt kicks (which emphasize the back-side heel recovery) and A-skips (which add the downward strike) as part of a sprint-form warm-up series.

• Fast knee-drive drill (knees to ~hip height) with quick ball-of-foot contacts.
• Builds knee drive, stride frequency, dorsiflexion, and tall posture; good warm-up.
• Stay tall and braced — do not lean back; keep feet dorsiflexed.
• Variations: marching, running, and skipping high knees.

• a-skip — adds an active downward strike to knee drive.
• butt-kicks — complementary back-side recovery drill.
• running-form — reinforces knee drive and posture.
• sprint-mechanics — develops stride frequency.
• hip-flexors — drive the knees up.