Mechanical differences in take-off strategies between long jumpers achieving similar distances with different approach velocities
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study presented a detailed biomechanical examination of take-off strategies in two long jumpers who achieved comparable jump distances despite different approach velocities. Two subjects achieving similar distances (approx. 7.70 m) but with different approach velocities (Subject A: 10.21 m/s; Subject B: 9.84 m/s) were compared to elucidate the mechanical differences in their take-off strategies. Subject A, with higher approach velocity, exhibited a larger backward take-off leg angle at touchdown and greater horizontal energy (E_horiz) loss in the take-off leg compared to Subject B. Energy analysis revealed that Subject A generated 68% of total effective vertical energy (E_vert) generated in the takeoff leg through the direct conversion of E_horiz (pivoting mechanism). Conversely, Subject B generated only 50% of E_vert via the pivoting mechanism, compensating for the velocity deficit by increasing the contribution of joint work (50%) to the takeoff leg’s E_vert generation. These results illustrated differing contribution ratios between pivoting mechanism and joint work based on kinematic inputs. In conclusion, this study provided a concrete example showing that distinct mechanical strategies–one relying on velocity conversion and the other on joint work–can successfully lead to equivalent performance outcomes for long jumps.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Each author warrants that his or her submission to the Work is original and that he or she has full power to enter into this agreement. Neither this Work nor a similar work has been published elsewhere in any language nor shall be submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration by Journal of Human Sport and Exercise (JHSE). Each author also accepts that the JHSE will not be held legally responsible for any claims of compensation.
Authors wishing to include figures or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright holder(s) and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.
Please include at the end of the acknowledgements a declaration that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed. The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the abovementioned requirements. The author(s) will be held responsible for false statements or failure to fulfill the above-mentioned requirements.
This title is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
You are free to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
-
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
-
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
-
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
- You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
- No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
How to Cite
References
Ae, M. (1996). Body Segment Inertia Parameters for Japanese Children and Athletes. Japanese Journal of Sports Science, 15(3), 155-162.
Bezodis, N. E., Salo, A. I. T., & Trewartha, G. (2013). Excessive fluctuations in knee joint moments during early stance in sprinting are caused by digital filtering procedures. Gait & Posture, 38(4), 653-657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2013.02.015
Bisseling, R. W., & Hof, A. L. (2006). Handling of impact forces in inverse dynamics. Journal of Biomechanics, 39(13), 2438-2444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2005.07.021
Hay, J. G. (1993). Citius, altius, longius (faster, higher, longer): The biomechanics of jumping for distance. Journal of Biomechanics, 26, 7-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9290(93)90076-Q
Hay, J. G., & Miller, J. A. (1985). Techniques Used in the Transition from Approach to Takeoff in the Long Jump. International Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 1(2), 174-184. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsb.1.2.174
Hay, J. G., Miller, J. A., & Canterna, R. W. (1986). The techniques of elite male long jumpers. Journal of Biomechanics, 19(10), 855-866. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9290(86)90136-3
Hubbard, M. (2000). The Flight of Sports Projectiles. In Biomechanics in Sport (pp. 381-400). https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470693797.ch19
Koyama, H., Ae, M., Fujii, N., & Miyashita, K. (2011). Quantification of run-up velocity of the long jumping based on the performance level. Bull Inst Health Sport Sci Univ Tsukuba, 34, 169-173.
Lees, A., Graham-Smith, P., & Fowler, N. (1994). A Biomechanical Analysis of the Last Stride, Touchdown, and Takeoff Characteristics of the Men's Long Jump. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 10(1), 61-78. https://doi.org/10.1123/jab.10.1.61
Linthorne, N. P., Guzman, M. S., & Bridgett, L. A. (2005). Optimum take-off angle in the long jump. Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(7), 703-712. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410400022011
Luhtanen, P., & Komi, P. V. (1979). Mechanical power and segmental contribution to force impulses in long jump take-off. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 41(4), 267-274. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00429743
Mestre, N. de. (1990). The Mathematics of Projectiles in Sport. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511624032
Muraki, Y., Ae, M., Koyama, H., & Yokozawa, T. (2008). Joint Torque and Power of the Takeoff Leg in the Long Jump. International Journal of Sport and Health Science, 6, 21-32. https://doi.org/10.5432/ijshs.6.21
Ramos, C. D., Ramey, M., Wilcox, R. R., & McNitt-Gray, J. L. (2019). Generation of Linear Impulse During the Takeoff of the Long Jump. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 35(1), 52-60. https://doi.org/10.1123/jab.2017-0249
Sado, N., Yoshioka, S., & Fukashiro, S. (2020). Non-extension movements inducing over half the mechanical energy directly contributing to jumping height in human running single-leg jump. Journal of Biomechanics, 113, 110082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.110082
Sado, N., Yoshioka, S., & Fukashiro, S. (2023). Pelvic elevation induces vertical kinetic energy without losing horizontal energy during running single‐leg jump for distance. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(7), 1146-1154. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2070779
Shimizu, Y., Ae, M., Fujii, N., & Koyama, H. (2018). Technique Types of Preparatory and Take-off Motions for Elite Male Long Jumpers. International Journal of Sport and Health Science, 16(0), 200-210. https://doi.org/10.5432/ijshs.201817
Ward-Smith, A. J. (1985). The Influence on Long Jump Performance of the Aerodynamic Drag Experienced During the Approach and Aerial Phases. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 107(4), 336-340. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3138566
Winter, D. A. (1990). Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement. Retrieved from [Accessed 2026, 18 April]: https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:108912889