The long jump demands explosive athletic ability and excellent technique in the approach run, takeoff, flight and landing. The event puts the greatest demand on the legs, but the entire body must work in concert to deliver effective jumps.
Approach Run
Long jumpers start by sprinting to their maximum controllable speed, with their arms and legs pumping. "The athlete should strive to develop an approach that is rhythmic, relaxed and uniformly quickening as the athlete approaches the takeoff board," suggested longtime Fullerton College coach Jim Kiefer. "Tension developed in the face, neck or shoulders during the run-up will inhibit the ability of the athlete to create the maximum velocity necessary for great efforts." The penultimate stride is the longest as jumpers lower their center of gravity, lose horizontal velocity and prepare to plant and take off at an effective angle.
Takeoff
By shortening their last stride, jumpers increase muscle tension in their jump leg. "In every jumper I've ever seen, the last stride is the shortest," said longtime track and field coach Tom Tellez, a member of the U.S. Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The jump leg should be ahead of the hips and bent about 170 degrees in the knee joint, with a 10- to 15-degree angle in the foot. Jumpers may lean back slightly, but a pronounced lean is problematic. "If I'm leaning back, the foot is going to be too far in front of me," Tellez said. "If I'm forward, I'm going to catch myself on that foot." Most successful long jumpers take off at an angle of 18 to 25 degrees. They generate force by thrusting up their free thigh and their counterbalancing arm. "These movements should be characterized by short radius, fast explosive actions," Kiefer said.
Flight
Jumpers use a variety of techniques in flight, including the stride, the hang and the hitch kick techniques. "Regardless of the technique used, there are certain principles that should be remembered," Kiefer said. "Good balance while traveling through the flight phase is essential. The ability to counter the forward rotation, which is initiated at takeoff, is the best indicator of the effectiveness of the flight form," he adds.
Landing
As jumpers begin their descent, they must extend both legs as far forward as possible without falling backward. "The best extension comes when the athlete moves the legs forward and upward in a segmented pattern," Kiefer said. "This means the upper leg should come up first and should be followed by the lower leg." Slide landings allow jumpers to maximize their distance. "As the feet make contact, the athlete must press the heels downward and contract the hamstrings, causing the hips to rise," Kiefer said. "As this is completed, the jumper must twist and allow the momentum of the effort to carry his body past the line in the sand formed by the jumper's feet."
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