Georgia has screwed up Matt Boling's mechanics

Javman wrote:

Matt needs to transfer out of that program. They've screwed him up.

I have never seen the lad sprint. Explain what is incorrect about Matt B's sprinting form.

I kinda agree. He looks so dang tense. Instead of being relaxed. I think he’s just going up against faster people tho. He can either get some hgh or go try the 400m or LJ

At the very least he should do a top to bottom review of his training program. He is slower now that he was in high school two years ago. That is unacceptable in any collegiate athlete, it must be corrected. He should have a long heart-to-heart talk with his coaches, and come up with a new strategy. If the coaches don’t tell him what he needs to hear, he should transfer.

FORGET the heart-to-heart. The verdict is in: this was the biggest meet of his life, and he totally sucked. They had 2 years to get it right, and failed.

Life’s too short.

He performed less well than expected yesterday.

Sprintgeezer wrote:

FORGET the heart-to-heart. The verdict is in: this was the biggest meet of his life, and he totally sucked. They had 2 years to get it right, and failed.

Life’s too short.

Part of the blame does fall on administration, but (with respect to Boling) some of the blame is his own. Boling improved significantly in the 400 with Georgia, and Godwin’s success shows the coaches are at least competent. More than that, he ran really well this past indoor season and showed the ability to perform under pressure with his 200m win at NCAAs. I got the impression the Coaches were aiming to peak him for trials and that’s why his results were slow to progress this outdoor. Initially, his 200m PR at SECs supported that too. That being said, I’m not sure what’s going on at this point. He ran a killer leg in the 4x1 then blew up in the open 200. It seems more like an issue of inconsistency more than anything else. Here’s to hoping Boling finally catches a good break.

He's been working with Althea Thomas, not Petros. Althea has no clue what she's doing. She can't coach 11.9 boys, let alone 9.9 men. The women's sprint group failed too, no qualifiers to Eugene.

He has the worst mechanics and body tension of any top-talent sprinter I have seen in 40+ years. But at least the football team likes him!

Yes, he needs to transfer to Texas to train with coach Floreal

His mechanics coming out of highschool werent good to start with. He ties up, weird arm swing, overstrides. He needs to transfer to Texas. Coach Flo will get him right.

With regard to Texas, that's a no for me. I was at the SEC Champs in 2018 and witnessed some serious indiscipline from some of KY's female athletes (cursing at this elderly couple who attend the SEC's and NCAA's every year) and I spoke to Coach Floreal about it. He was very nonchalant. A female coach from Kentucky told me that this indiscipline was not checked during training and at meets...and in her words, "This lack of discipline starts at the top."

These sentiments were confirmed this year when I spoke to a former longstanding SEC coach at SEC Champs in College Station. Floreal isn't well-liked nor respected in the coaching fraternity. One coach said he doesn't think he will be there much longer. Not sure if Texas would be the best place for Boling. Let's see how he develops next year

DrGator wrote:

With regard to Texas, that's a no for me. I was at the SEC Champs in 2018 and witnessed some serious indiscipline from some of KY's female athletes (cursing at this elderly couple who attend the SEC's and NCAA's every year) and I spoke to Coach Floreal about it. He was very nonchalant. A female coach from Kentucky told me that this indiscipline was not checked during training and at meets...and in her words, "This lack of discipline starts at the top."

These sentiments were confirmed this year when I spoke to a former longstanding SEC coach at SEC Champs in College Station. Floreal isn't well-liked nor respected in the coaching fraternity. One coach said he doesn't think he will be there much longer. Not sure if Texas would be the best place for Boling. Let's see how he develops next year

This is probably the weirdest excuse I’ve ever heard of why an athlete should not transfer to one of the deepest/best programs in the NCAA

I don't run sprints, but from what I saw in high school when he ran versus now I don't think a program would undo mechanics he had previously. I think he panics and needs to relax. Seems to me because he runs against people faster than him when he's not in the front like he was use to in high school he gets all out of control. Keep in mind he had basically no indoor/outdoor season last year. So this is the first time he is racing against kids better than him. Needs to relax and run his own race and not worry so much about those around him because that could be why he tenses up and lets his form go because he's panicing to get ahead.

SOMEWHAT LENGTHY POST - but contains stats.

Ok…I am not sure anyone has messed up Boling’s mechanics. His technique has not improved a great deal in terms of arm action and posture, but his drive phase looks better, and he is decelerating less in the final 20m of his race.

Subsequently, his times have improved consistently in the 200m – which is his best track event IMHO. I think the LJ might be his best event overall (26’ 5.75” at SEC Indoors 2021), but that is a discussion for another thread.

Let’s look at the two sprints…in the 100m in HS, he was consistently a 10.2-10.5 sprinter. He peaked at USATF Junior Nationals 2019 and ran a 10.13 windy. But that was the exception. In his first full College outdoor season, he ran 10.21 or faster SIX times…albeit three of those times were wind-aided.

The others were not…

May 15th – 10.21 (SEC)

June 9th – 10.15 (NCAA)

June 11th – 10.19 (NCAA)

In the 200m, the improvement is even more significant. He was a 20.5-21.0 sprinter in High School. Peaking in the 2019 Junior Nationals at 20.36s.

This season, his first Outdoor season after High School, he has run faster than his previous PR FIVE times – just once was it wind-aided.

The other times…

Mar 13 – 20.19 (NCAA Indoor) …I know I might be cheating here, but it’s much more difficult to get a fast 200 time indoor.

May 14th – 20.27 (SEC)

May 15th – 20.06 (SEC)

June 11th – 20.28 (NCAA)

So, Matt Boling has improved. He is a redshirt freshman Outdoors. I did not expect him to blow the doors off everyone, but to be in the conversation at this level and to medal in the NCAA Indoors and the SEC Indoors AND Outdoors…that’s no small feat. I do think the rumors of his demise are grossly premature. As I said in a previous post, let’s see where he is next year…

Yeah...you are correct...this really is not an appropriate reason for him not to transfer. It wasn't well explicated. My bad.

The real reason Boling doesn't need to transfer is that he has improved (see my post below) and I believe he will continue to do so moving forward.

I have seen him run in person three times this year and his drive phase and other aspects of his race are better than High School. Additionally, the objective markers of his progress, his times, have improved all across the board.

hobbyjogger18 wrote:

I don't run sprints, but from what I saw in high school when he ran versus now I don't think a program would undo mechanics he had previously. I think he panics and needs to relax. Seems to me because he runs against people faster than him when he's not in the front like he was use to in high school he gets all out of control. Keep in mind he had basically no indoor/outdoor season last year. So this is the first time he is racing against kids better than him. Needs to relax and run his own race and not worry so much about those around him because that could be why he tenses up and lets his form go because he's panicing to get ahead.

Agree. Confidence is a big part of sprinting ie Asafa Powell when he was in a race he knew he was gonna win versus his failure to perform against top flight competition. Every championship race has people who underperform. Fahnbulleh has so much practice being behind due to his terrible start that he has learned to trust his bounding 10 foot stride to start reeling people in. Whether he catches them or not, he sees them coming back to him. Boling looked good on that relay. Carl Lewis might actually be a good coach for him, although there must be a reason he didn't go to Houston

Meanwhile, another freshman in Florida:

High School PR | 100m: 10.35; 200m: 20.69

College PR 100: 10.21 (0.9). 200: 19.91 (-0.4)

"My own race, my own space"

Just a small jab at you here...Texas is a wonderful Big XII Program, but would not be in the top 3 Men's standings in the SEC on an annual basis. Just saying... They have not even been the best Men's program in the state of Texas in the past two decades. - that honor goes to A&M (whose new track is awesome btw).

Additionally, they have NEVER won a Men's Outdoor Title and have been second three times in the history of the NCAA Outdoors - since 1921. That was in 1987, 1988, and 1997. So pump the brakes on one of the best programs in the NCAA. They are definitely one of the best in their conference. They are a very good program, don't get me wrong, but one of the deepest/best programs in the NCAA is a bit of hyperbole.

Big Juicy Steak wrote:

Meanwhile, another freshman in Florida:

High School PR | 100m: 10.35; 200m: 20.69

College PR 100: 10.21 (0.9). 200: 19.91 (-0.4)

"My own race, my own space"

YEP! That's my man...he is a beast! Coach Holloway has a lot of work to do with him still - especially his first 20m of both the 100 and the 200. He has improved on his strength and has had him running some 400's early on this season (relays). I just think he is more gifted than Boling just came in with less fanfare. Higher upside.