Does anyone know how to teach the longer penultimate step in the long and triple jump run up?
I know the penultimate step is supposed to be a little bit longer to lower the hips, so that the shorter last step will cause the hips to be rising at take-off.
I haven’t been teaching it to my athletes because I think it would make them slow down right before take-off (they would worry about it too much).
Also, some of the jumpers have a tendency to “block” the jump, putting their take-off foot too far in front of their center of mass, which converts some of their horizontal force to vertical force, but ends up decreasing their long jump distance because of increased ground contact time. Any way to get them to stop doing this?
[quote]smallmike wrote:
Does anyone know how to teach the longer penultimate step in the long and triple jump run up?
I know the penultimate step is supposed to be a little bit longer to lower the hips, so that the shorter last step will cause the hips to be rising at take-off.
I haven’t been teaching it to my athletes because I think it would make them slow down right before take-off (they would worry about it too much).
Also, some of the jumpers have a tendency to “block” the jump, putting their take-off foot too far in front of their center of mass, which converts some of their horizontal force to vertical force, but ends up decreasing their long jump distance because of increased ground contact time. Any way to get them to stop doing this?[/quote]
The penultimate is supposed to be naturally longer because the athlete is hitting their top speed as they hit the last few steps. At top speed an athletes stride length should be at its longest. If your athletes are reaching move them forward in their approach. They’re also probably looking down at the board if they’re reaching, which is probably taking away a bit of distance too.
Also if they’re good at blocking with their takeoff leg maybe you should let them try high jump:)
I like to use a rubber mat for the second to last step. Mats you find in a gyms under benches etc. We use them by putting them down on the runway maybe two stacked on top of each other. If it?s a right foot jumper it would be the last right foot lands on the mat before the left -right take off!
This way you get a subtle dip in the hips with no cost of speed. The run isn?t broken, athletes don?t think because it looks like part of the run way.
If you PM me I can explain more
Dan Fichter
Thanks! That is a big help.