[aivala]

aivala on September 18, 2008 at 9:24 am #14863

I have been long jumping a lot lately and already improved a lot, got rid off my hj defficiencies (tremendous heel strike, ridiculous penultimate), stopped eating sand at every jump but a new problem has arisen: I am rushing my take off.

This is obvious because whenever I just do a run through (which in my case usually has slower in air mechanics, from short or medium approaches) my feet land in the very same place they land when I just do the complete hitch kick and perform a text book sideways landing (notice that in the run through I am landing standing up on one leg!!).

In fact completing a jump that seemed to be a run through led me to a massive pb, even though the landing sucked and I was running well under my 90% of max v (went from 6.30 to 6.80 in a jump). I still know that that jump had abnormally good take off mechanics, but nothing that could explain a potential increase of >50cm besides the rushing, which is also supported by all these practice jumps.

Any cues? Drop the hitch kick? I started using it because I achieved good landing positions easily. If I just run through and try to get a good landing position I normally end up like Britney Reese.

Thanks.

[Nick Newman]

Nick Newman on September 19, 2008 at 3:10 am #72456

its funny you should say that about the run through thing…i have done the same thing…i often have exellent run through take offs which i dont land and my second foot mark in the pit lands over 8m (which i believe is an indicator of potential distances)…then sometimes it feels different when i actually TRY to jump…

Usually the “missing the take off” feeling comes about because you are not able to generate enough power into the now faster take off. The more speed you bring to the board the more power you have to create in a shorter time…You big increase in personal best suggests one biomotor of performance has improved dramatically…others may need to catch up…

you will probably find if you take off 2-4 steps, you may just further still.

[mortac8]

mortac8 on September 19, 2008 at 4:03 am #72458

In-air technique is fools gold as long as your landing isn’t absolutely atrocious.

[aivala]

aivala on September 19, 2008 at 4:19 am #72459

The problem is that apparently the power is there, but depending on what I do in the air the take off is affected :S .

It seems to me that I can cheat my own brain by just thinking “oh i am running through” and then “run through aborted, land land land!!”, but the resulting landing isn´t optimal, while I still jump much further than if I had done a hitch kick with a good landing. That missing take off feeling comes from rushing it, now how not to rush it?

Mortac, you suggest switching to a simple in air technique? Like a stride?

[Daniel Andrews]

Daniel Andrews on September 19, 2008 at 4:21 am #72460

you have it backwards aivala. what you do on the ground directly effects what happens in the air. The hitch kick should be a natural response to certain take off dynamics producing rotation which the hitch counteracts.

I am pretty sure mortac is saying don’t worry about in air technique as it will not have an effect on jump distance unless the landing is absolutely horrible. This just means your in flight posture must be maintained to provide a suitable landing which should occur naturally if you have the given postural/core strength characteristics based on your take-off dynamics.

[Mike Young]

Mike Young on September 19, 2008 at 4:35 am #72463

you have it backwards aivala. what you do on the ground directly effects what happens in the air. The hitch kick should be a natural response to certain take off dynamics producing rotation which the hitch counteracts.

I am pretty sure mortac is saying don’t worry about in air technique as it will not have an effect on jump distance unless the landing is absolutely horrible. This just means your in flight posture must be maintained to provide a suitable landing which should occur naturally if you have the given postural/core strength characteristics based on your take-off dynamics.

Well stated. In general, I think it’s best to just do what comes natural. Crazyhops jumped 7.7+ last year several times with both techniques. Many times, I wouldn’t know whether it was going to be a hitch or a hang and to be honest I didn’t care too much as long as they accomplished the goal (controlling rotation).

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