The 40 yd myth

**imported_Primetime** · February 13th, 2006, 10:34 PM

This is an interesting read about the allure of 40 yard sprint times. It's from last year but I've seen several topics of this nature discussing the same issue. When you consider the breakdown of Ben Johnson's 100m in Seoul you really have to be skeptical about some of these times. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that some of these guys out there are slow, but some of these times we here about are rediculous.

http://www.olympic-usa.org/11611_32384.htm

**imported_bookworm** · February 13th, 2006, 11:33 PM

1) The 100 is automatic timing from the gun.
The 40 is hand-timed from the first movement (no reaction time)

2) The second half of elite 100's are always faster than the first.

**Diets17** · February 13th, 2006, 11:50 PM

Exactly, they say most sprinters dont hit their peak speed til about 60 meters.

**imported_Primetime** · February 14th, 2006, 12:51 AM

The point is they've broken these things down into the fastest 40 yards of the entire race. As is said about Johnson, you can break down the fastest 40 yards out of his 9.79 100m and you only come up with 4.38. Thus, electronic timing produces a much different but probably more accurate time. I just think it's interesting how much stock they put in it and it can have such an effect on draft positioning.

They had an article on this several years ago in Sports Illustrated as well and if my memory hasn't completely failed I believe they said the fastest 40 yd increment in any of the top 10 100m times in history was 4.29

**Diets17** · February 14th, 2006, 02:45 AM

I understand what your saying. Though theres a big difference between training for a 40 yard dash and training for 100 meters. Also it seems being more explosive the first 10 yards really helps out the professinal football players 40 times. Take for example Thomas Jones who run a 4.45 forty at the combine before he came to the NFL. All of us Bears fans knows that Jones actually looks slow and gets caught from behind a lot in the open field. Though its his explosive abiltiy to acclerate and be at top speed seemlying as soons as he gets the handoff that makes him very good. Most professinal football players exceptional agility and burst make then far more explosive over a short distance, whereas sprinters master the art of just that, sprinting there for giving them a huge advantage over a further distance.

Theres no doubt about it though elite sprinters could all run a 4.4 and under in a 40 yard dash, however theres no proof anywheres that says a pro football player who runs a sub 4.4 forty could keep up with elite sprinters over a 100 meter race.

**imported_bookworm** · February 14th, 2006, 10:05 PM

Read this thread to see what the experts say concerning this matter:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_re...?thread=574322

**Diets17** · February 15th, 2006, 01:31 AM

Guys from a running message board are experts? [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I didnt read hardly any of it, could you give me the jist of it?

Well I did read a little, one of them I read says (nfl combine forty times are BS.. then I stopped reading right there) because those times are almost the most accurate times you will get.

**imported_mega** · February 15th, 2006, 08:47 AM

not exactly diets, they are hand timed as well. The only thing that makes them more accurate like olympic times is you cant get any kind of moving start. You have to be completely still before you get out of the blocks. In college Im sure there are plenty of coaches that allow you to get away with that slight move that will help you shave a tenth of a second off your time.