* A girls athlete takes an attempt during the North Texas Jumps Showcase
Photo Credit: Texas MileSplit
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By Robert Marchetti - MileSplit Contributor
The landing phase in the long and triple jump needs to be both efficient and safe.
In a close competition, landing skills may be the difference between finishing ahead of or behind another competitor in the final standings.
LANDING STRATEGY
The basic strategy for landing in the horizontal jumps is to get the legs extended out in front just before impact in the sand pit. In this way the jumper can travel longer in the air along their parabolic flight curve, thus maximizing distance. (See Figure 1 below).
Athletes and coaches must understand, though, that once a jumper takes off, the aerial flight path of the body's center of gravity is fixed and cannot be altered.
It can however be cut short if the legs are positioned downward as opposed to extended out. (Red X in Figure 1).
ABSORBING THE IMPACT
Once the feet land, the athlete must to allow th...
