Characteristics of the Long Jump Take-off as the Novice Increases the Number of Steps in the Approach Run

This study clarified factors affecting the increase in jump distance when the novice increased the number of steps in their approach run in the long jump, and discusses a training task designed to improve performance in the long jump. Twenty-eight male students who were novices in long jump and did not take part in any sport activity regularly participated in the study. They performed the long jump with run-ups of six and twelve strides. The take-off motions of the participants were captured with a high-speed digital camera (120 fps) for two-dimensional motion analysis. When students increased the number of steps in their approach run, the jump distance and approach velocity increased, horizontal deceleration during the take-off phase remained almost unchanged, and the vertical velocity at take-off and the contact time decreased. The change rate of the jump distance between six and twelve steps for the approach run had positive correlation with the change rates of the approach velocity and vertical velocity and negative correlation with the change rate of the contact time. In a previous study using athletes as participants, all athletes increased their jump distance as they increased the number of steps in their approach run. In the present study, however, many students did not increase their jump distance, and the change rate of the jump distance had a wide distribution. Therefore, we divided the students into groups according to whether the participant's change rate of the jump distance was lower or higher than the average change rate for all participants. Although both groups had increased horizontal velocity at touchdown for the lengthened run-up, participants in the low group did not increase their jump distance and their vertical velocity at take-off decreased. Additionally, in comparison with athletes, students had lower vertical velocity at take-off and horizontal deceleration during take-off. A novice should thus learn the proper technique of take-off to generate vertical velocity through horizontal deceleration.