Long Jump Technique

[vault3rb0y]

Much is talked of about the run up of the vault and take off, which is very similar to long jumping. From what i understand, there are two standard approaches to long jumping:
1.) A run up in which you stay upright and bound just like in the vault, and take off just like in the vault, upright and a high center of gravity.
2.) A run up similar to vaulting, except that in the penultimate step the center of gravity is dropped by a lowering of the hips and i believe a slight angle in your back, and on the take off step all motion explodes upward. This is more common i believe in long jumping today.

anyway, now that that is out of the way, the real question i have:
I realize that both arms must explode upward at take off to produce to most upward velocity, however i have recently switched school and now face opposing technique issues. My first coach, who was a long jumper himself and coached over 10 21+ foot jumpers over a 4 year span, had my opposite (top hand in vault) come up with not much bend in the elbow. This left the bottom hand at the same angle as my take off foot. You then continue the motion with the bottom hand to swing behind your body and upwards. I hope someone was following that, i will try to simplify.

My coach had me drive my top hand upwards at take off while my bottom hand followed its natural couse behind my body, counterclockwise to drive upward like my top hand.

My new coach is having me take both fists and drive them up with 90 degree elbow position straight in front of me.

The former of the two seems much more natural to me.

If any can tell me if one of these techniques is right, or if one or both is wrong, i would greatly appreciate it, thanks!

[AVC Coach]

I can tell you this. Listen to whatever your new coach tells you and quit over-analyzing everything. I'm pretty sure that at least one of your Bryant HS coaches is an avid reader of PVP and since he happens to be your head coach, you would be smart to follow his advice or the advice of his assistant coaches.

My wife makes a mean pot of chicken and dumplins. The best I've ever had! Even if I thought someone else was a better cook, I'd be an idiot to tell her that! You get the point?

[VaultMarq26]

BUSTED!!!

[vault3rb0y]

lol.... Quiet!!
The one thing i realized today is that i'd better start vaulting a lot better before i try working on a different event!! haha pole vaulting is giving me enough trouble already!

[rainbowgirl28]

lol.... Quiet!!
The one thing i realized today is that i'd better start vaulting a lot better before i try working on a different event!! haha pole vaulting is giving me enough trouble already!

I bet working on long jump will help you become a better vaulter, just spend less energy analyzing it and more energy doing it.

[decanuck]

I sort of agree with AVC that you should do what your current coach says, but only to the extent that you have to in order to avoid pissing him off and/or getting cut from the team. I've seen more than one high school coach give bad advice to the detriment not only of their athetes' performances, but sometimes their athletes' safety, so being a coach doesn't mean your advice should followed categorically.

My coach had me drive my top hand upwards at take off while my bottom hand followed its natural couse behind my body, counterclockwise to drive upward like my top hand.

My new coach is having me take both fists and drive them up with 90 degree elbow position straight in front of me.

If I understand you correctly, and your new coach is suggesting you do a double arm swing (that is, swing both your arms up in front of you simultaneously like a high jumper), then your old coach is certainly closer to the ideal long jump technique. I've never seen an elite level long jumper be successful with a double arm swing.

The result of a double arm swing is a high takeoff angle (which is why high jumpers do it) that's too high for long jump. In addition, the act of gathering your arms for a simultaneous swing is a biomechanical deviation from the natural arm swinging cadence of running and detracts too much from your speed on a long jump runway. Even triple jumpers, who DO use a double arm swings for the second and third phases of the jump, don't do so for the first phase because its too much of a goofy, unnatural movement that slows them down at takeoff.

That said, it would indeed give you a higher take off angle. Perhaps your coach is suggesting a double arm swing to compensate for a flat takeoff, which may pay off in the short term but, of course, is not ideal in the long term and is a habit that you'd have to break.

[CrossBarHOpper]

My wife makes a mean pot of chicken and dumplins. The best I've ever had! Even if I thought someone else was a better cook, I'd be an idiot to tell her that! You get the point?

i really enjoyed this metaphor it got a giggle out of me.