The High Jump Approach - Finding Where to Start the Curve
According to Nenad Peisker, one of Australia’s leading High Jump coaches, 90% of success in the high jump lies in an effective and consistent approach. There are a number of tools that coaches can use to measure and design an effective personalised run-up and this article will examine one of the methods that is becoming increasingly popular in America.
Finding the Intercept Point
The intercept point is the position on the approach where the curve commences. It will be unique to each athlete, based on their stride length, takeoff point, take-off angle, and the number of strides ran on the curve. By finding and marking the ideal intercept point, athletes will be able to develop a more consistent approach and set themselves up to run the ideal curve.
To find your athlete’s approximate intercept point, you can use this online calculator to enter your athlete’s variables in the red boxes. The calculator will then output the x and y axis measurements, where you should mark the intercept point for your athletes (using the near-upright as your starting point). They should aim to hit this point consistently as they start their curve.
Click the button below to use the approach calculator to find your athletes’ ‘x-Measurement’ and ‘y-Measurement’ in centimetres.
Calculating Your Athlete’s Variables
Number of Steps on the Curve
Most senior athlete will use five strides on the curve as this has been found by biomechanists to be the most effective for elite athletes. Junior athletes who are just starting the Fosbury Flop technique might use three or four steps as they develop the strength and technique to effectively run a curve.
Mean Stride Length
This one is a little more difficult to calculate but can be done with a soft measuring tape and a phone or video camera. The best way to do it is to set up the U-Bend drill with the measuring tape close to the runner’s path. The drill should be performed at the same pace and aggression as they would perform a full jump.
Ideally, you will be able to play back the footage and get a good estimate of the mean stride length of your athlete as they run the curve. It can help if you put some bright markers every 50cm on the tape to help make a more accurate estimate.
It’s also important to remember that this will vary considerably as the athlete physically develops and improves their curve running ability.
Foot Angle at Takeoff
This is another one where you’ll need a video recording to make an accurate estimate. Record your athlete performing a full jump and make a note of the angle of their planted foot at take-off in relation to the high jump mat.
The angle should be somewhere between 15 and 30 degrees for most athletes.
Takeoff Point
According to Gary Bourne, the position of the planted foot at takeoff should be approximately 50-70cm along the bar and 70-75cm out from the bar.
Developing athletes with a slower approach may jump from 60-90cm along the bar and 45-60cm out from the bar. The desired takeoff position can be marked with a chalk marker to help athletes find their ideal position. The coach should observe clearance of the bar occurring at the highest point of their jump and over the middle of the bar (where the bar is lowest). If this is consistently not occurring, the coach should consider adjusting the takeoff point.
When entering your athlete’s takeoff point into the calculator, ‘X-Distance of Takeoff Foot from Upright‘ refers to how far along the bar the athlete’s planted foot is at takeoff and ‘Y'-Distance of Takeoff Foot from Upright’ refers to the distance of the planted foot out from the upright.
Once You Have Calculated Your Intercept Point
Once you’ve entered your athlete’s data, your results will appear at the bottom of the page in blue. The results you will be most interested in is the x- and y-Measurements for calculating your athlete’s intercept point.
From the near-upright, measure out the number of centimetres equal to your ‘x-Measurement’ result. From this point, turn 90 degrees so you’re facing in the direction of the run up and measure the distance in centimetres that you have in your ‘y-Measurement’ result. Mark this spot in chalk for your athlete. This is their personalised intercept point.
The goal for the athlete will be to use this mark as the landing point before they begin their curved approach. If successful, they will likely find an improved rhythm and consistency on the approach as they will be starting their curve from the same spot and with the optimal angle for generating the desired force.
What About the Straight Part of the Approach?
You may have I noticed I haven’t mentioned the first strides of the approach that the athlete performs on the straight. While the the initial strides are important for building rhythm and speed, I believe the coach is best served leaving this to the athlete to mark and adjust. As long as the athlete is able to hit their intercept point consistently at an appropriate approach speed, I don’t believe it is necessary to tinker with this phase of the approach.
For beginners, I mark out a general 4-5 stride distance and let the athletes make adjustments based on how they feel.
To reiterate, the most important aspect of the straight portion of the approach phase is that they are reaching the intercept point in approach rhythm and ready to attack the curve for a successful jump.