B-Skip Drill: A Complete Guide to Advanced Running Mechanics

Quick Intro

B-skip drill is a high-impact cardio exercise performed like an A-skip with an added leg extension at the top of the knee drive before the foot pulls back down. It is an advanced running-mechanics drill.

Equipment Needed

B-skip drill only needs a stretch of open, flat ground to travel across.

Why B-Skip Drill Matters

Coordination leads the way in this exercise, and it makes sense given the added step: the knee has to drive up, the lower leg has to extend forward and the foot then has to pull back down and under the hip, all before the next side begins.

The hip flexors (iliopsoas) drive the knee up on every skip, and the front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) extends the lower leg forward at the top. The back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) pulls the leg back down and under the hip, the glutes (gluteus maximus) extend the hip through ground contact and the calves (gastrocnemius) finish the push off the ground.

When to Do It

B-skip drill works well as an advanced running-mechanics drill, a track and field warm-up component or a coordination-focused progression once the A-skip feels solid, two to three times a week given how technical the added leg extension is to hold under fatigue. The extra step over the A-skip is exactly where things tend to go wrong.

• Rushing the leg extension. Speeding through the extension is the most common technical breakdown once the pace picks up, and it undoes the hamstring engagement this drill is built to add.
• Skipping straight to the B-skip without A-skip competence first. The added leg extension makes an already technical pattern harder to control, and shaky basics compound quickly here. A-Skip Drill is worth building solidly before adding the extension.
• Existing hamstring sensitivity. The active pull-down at the end of the extension places repeated demand on the hamstrings. Easing into the pattern gradually is worth doing if the hamstrings feel tight beforehand.

A hamstring that’s already tight or sensitive going in is the clearest reason to hold off on this drill until it settles.

Getting Ready

A few minutes of easy jogging or A-Skip Drill at a controlled pace rehearses the basic knee drive before adding the leg extension.

After driving the knee up as in an A-skip, extend the lower leg forward before actively pulling it back down and under the hip. Rushing the leg extension is the most common technical breakdown at speed.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Starting position. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed at the sides.

2. The drive. Drive one knee up to hip height as in an A-skip.

3. The extension. Extend the lower leg forward at the top of the drive.

4. The pull-down. Actively pull the leg back down and under the hip, landing under the body, then repeat on the other side with a light skip between steps.

How Many, How Often

Holding the full drive-extend-pull sequence matters more here than covering distance quickly, since a rushed extension undoes the technical benefit this drill is built around.

Modifications and Variations

B-skip drill sits near the top of the running-mechanics drill family, connecting to both an easier drill and a harder full-speed application.

For an easier entry point, A-Skip Drill covers the same knee-drive pattern without the added leg extension at the top.

For more difficulty, Sprinting takes the same mechanics this drill grooves and applies them at top speed.

Progression path: A-Skip Drill → B-Skip Drill → Sprinting

Build consistency with the A-skip before adding the extension, since a shaky base makes the added step much harder to control.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rushing the leg extension. It’s the exact technical breakdown that shows up once pace increases. Slowing the extension down until it’s controlled fixes it and keeps the hamstring working.

Extending the leg too far forward. An overextended leg reaches past what the hip can efficiently pull back down, slowing the whole cycle. Extending just enough to feel the hamstring lengthen keeps the pattern efficient.

Losing the knee height that the A-skip already built. Focusing too much on the new extension can let the initial knee drive drop lower than it should. Keeping the knee at hip height before adding the extension keeps both parts of the pattern honest.

Attempting this drill before the A-skip is consistent. Adding a harder technical layer onto shaky basics compounds the inconsistency instead of building on it. Spending time on A-Skip Drill first pays off more than rushing into this progression.

After Your Set

Kneeling with the back foot propped up on a low bench behind and the front knee bent, rising the torso tall while keeping the hips square, lengthens the hip flexor and front thigh that drove every knee lift and extension. Standing on one leg with a slight bend in the standing knee, hinging the torso forward while the other leg extends back for balance, releases the hamstring on the working leg that pulled it back down on every rep.

Going Deeper

The pull-down at the end of the extension is what separates this drill from a fancier-looking A-skip. A leg that extends forward but never actively pulls back down trains the hip flexors and quads without ever asking the hamstrings to do their job, which is exactly the running-specific quality this drill exists to add. Treating the pull-down as the most important part of the rep, not the extension itself, gets far more out of the pattern than chasing a longer, more impressive-looking reach.

Someone already comfortable with A-Skip Drill can typically manage 4 sets of 10 meters with a controlled extension and pull-down within their first two to three sessions. Holding that pattern for 5 sets of 20 meters at a quick pace usually takes four to six weeks.

How to Know You’re Improving

Four checkpoints separate a B-skip that’s still shaky from one that’s dialed in.

1. 4 sets of 10 meters with a controlled extension and active pull-down on every rep
2. A knee that still reaches hip height despite the added extension
3. A hamstring pull-down that feels active, not passive
4. A pattern that holds together at a quicker pace

A pull-down that stays active through a quicker pace, not how far the leg reaches on extension, is what progress looks like here.

Muscles Worked

• Iliopsoas (the muscle group at the front of the hip, raising the knee before the leg extends out)
• Rectus Femoris (a muscle at the front of the thigh, straightening the knee at the top of the skip)
• Biceps Femoris (the outer hamstring at the back of the thigh, pulling the extended leg back down hard)
• Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, finishing the pawing action into the ground)
• Gastrocnemius (a calf muscle, keeping the skip rhythm going underneath the leg cycle)

FAQ

How is this different from the A-skip? A-Skip Drill covers the same knee-drive pattern without the added leg extension, and it’s worth building solidly before adding this harder step.

Why does my hamstring feel tight after this drill? The active pull-down at the end of the extension places repeated demand on the hamstrings, so easing into the pattern gradually helps if they feel tight beforehand or after early sessions.

Do I need to master the A-skip first? Yes. The added leg extension makes an already technical pattern harder to control, and shaky basics compound quickly once the extension is added on top of them.

Is there a harder progression after this? Yes. Sprinting takes the same mechanics this drill grooves and applies them at top speed, once the drive-extend-pull pattern holds together consistently.

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Next in this series: Sprinting, where this drill’s mechanics get applied at full speed.