Why Arm Flare Reveals Pelvic Problems in Sprinting - Dan Pfaff

Dan Pfaff explains how an inefficient arm flare in sprinting is often a counterbalance to a blocked pelvis.

In this clip from last week's Live Coaching Eye Session, it would be easy to coach the arm. The right arm comes across the body and then flails wide laterally. Looks messy. Looks inefficient. But watch the timing. The flare happens at the exact moment the left ilium should be releasing… and it isn’t. That ilium is blocked. It’s not turning over. It’s not externally rotating. And the arm flare occurs during that blockage. “There’s a direct correlation to that left ilium not turning over and externally rotating in that flare.” That’s the red flag. Not the hand. Not the elbow. Not “poor arm mechanics.” The arm is reacting. “If you improve what’s going on in the ground… the arm dynamics generally follow.” And this is the part many coaches miss. “If you’ve got a really severe hardware problem there, cues or constraints aren’t gonna get you out of jail.” When the sacrum starts moving. When the ilium can flare and oscillate properly. The aberration in the arm often disappears without you ever cueing it. That’s the difference between chasing noise and identifying drivers. That’s the eye we build inside 'The Coaching Eye' Program with Dan Pfaff. If you want to see movement this way and connect observation to intervention with clarity, the next cohort opens May 2026. 👉 Head here to learn more and register your interest: loom.ly/qtcqnio