29

UNIT 8
High Jump
Aim: To achieve the highest jump possible within the
rules.
Full Technique: See Table 8.1
Basic Technique:
1. Hips and legs must cross the low point of the bar.
2. Vigorous take off, aided by free limbs.
3. Heel/toe rock on take-off.
4. Inside shoulder must not drop towards bar.

There are 2 recommended techniques:

Scissors
Fosbury Flop
N.B. ONLY SCISSORS CAN BE TAUGHT USING A SAND PIT. TO TEACH
THE FOSBURY A FOAM RUBBER LANDING AREA MUST BE USED.
Scissors:
1. Students run and jump for height to establish take-off leg.
2. Left leg take-off run from right.
3. Right leg take-off run from left.
4. Approach from an angle of approximately 30°. (See Figure 8.1)
5. Run from a starting point and stress use of free (straight) leg and full
extension of take-off leg.
6. As free leg swings over the bar, the take-off leg does the same.
7. Landing in the sand is ON THE FEET.
Figure 8.1

Landing area

8 The angle of approach is approx. 30°.

L
R
7
6
L
R
5
L 4
R
3
2
L
R
1
L

This diagram shows a 9 stride run up taking off

on the left leg.
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Table 8.1

HIGH JUMP PHASE OBSERVATION POINTS

APPROACH TAKE-OFF LEG Strong heel-toe plant.

FREE LEG Prepare to drive through.
BODY Lean away from the bar; take off foot
in front of hips – hips in front of
shoulders.
HIPS Sink ready for lift.

TAKE OFF TAKE-OFF LEG Fully extended -active take-off.

FREE LEG Drive through vigorously – fast and
high - bent at knee.
BODY Upright.
SHOULDERS Keep high.

FLIGHT HEAD Kept up.

HIPS Raised.
ARMS Keep close to body.
BODY Relaxed.

BAR HEAD Pressed down on chest.

CLEARANCE
HIPS Pushed up to form a bridge over bar.
ARMS Kept close to body.
LEGS Hanging down loosely.

LANDING HEAD Kept pressed down on chest.

HIPS Bend fast at hips.
BACK Absorbs force of landing.
ARMS Outspread arms to feel for landing.
LEGS Lower leg lifted by extending knee
joint.

Side view
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Fosbury Flop:
This is a similar event to scissors in that students approach from the
same side.
1. Curved approach working off 3 strides, 5 strides and 9 strides. (See
Figure 8.2)
2. The inside leg is picked up bent at the knee and across the body (to
encourage the body to turn).
3. Full extension of take-off leg through ankle, knee, hips.
4. Raise hips over bar and flick legs over to land on the back or
shoulders. Figure 8.3
Standing with back to bar, the athlete jumps upward and backwards,
arching the back to land on the shoulders on the cushion. The starting
position is 2 pigeon steps (heel-toe length, i.e. length of foot) from
cushion to heel. Look along shoulder at the bar.
Landing Area Activities:
Practice may be done away from the landing area using practises such as:
1. Long skipping.
2. High skipping.
Lift
L
3. Jumping to touch basketball rim or a soccer goal post.
4 4. Jumping to touch suspended ball. (See Figure 8.4 below)
R
3
L
7m 2
R

1
7m Radius L
4
R

3
L
Curve Begins Here

2
R Figure 8.4
1
L 5 Suspending a ball approximately 60cm (2’) above the heads of the
group who are working.
6 Off 3-5 strides, athletes jump from one foot to try to meet the ball
with their heads. This should be repeated 10-20 times and used often
in training at all levels. Encourage the students to jump straight
Figure 8.2 upwards. (See Figure 8.5)
SIMPLE RULES
TEACHING POINTS
• A failure is recorded when a competitor knocks off the bar or breaks
1. Use elastic bars in place of fibre glass (never metal).
the plane of the uprights.
2. Stress the importance of the take-off. Teach by marking the take-off • 3 successive failures at any height result in elimination.
area in chalk close to the upright, but NOT at the centre of the bar.
SAFETY
3. Start Fosbury style with backwards standing jump as in Figure 8.3.
• Only use Scissors in sand landings.
4. Develop a run up by using 3 – 5 – 9 stride approach.
• For Fosbury Flop use foam rubber landing areas; if these are modular
they must be strapped together.
TRAINING IDEAS: HIGH JUMP • Ensure take-off is firm.

Winter Session 1 Winter Session 2 Summer Session 1 Summer Session 2

Warm up Warm up Warm up Warm up
1. High skip drills x 8; 1. Mobility. 1. Mobility. 1. Mobility.
emphasise high knee 2. Sprint drills. 2. Skip drills x 4 for technique. 2. Bar clearance drills.
opposite hip to take-off leg.
3. Approach runs: work on 3. Jumping: 6 jumps off a 3. Six full jumps working on a
Twelve ground contacts per
postural changes and 7-stride approach; 5 off a particular aspect of
repetition.
change in speed on take-off. full approach. technique.
2. 12 x short approach jumping
4. Light hopping and bounding 4. 4 x 60 metres relaxed speed. 4. Light hopping and bounding
– off 5 strides for technique.
drills. Warm down activities.
3. 4 x 80 metres sprints with
Warm down Warm down
walk back recovery.
Warm down
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UNIT 9
The Pole Vault
Aim: To achieve the highest bar clearance possible within
the rules of the event.
Full Technique: See Table 9.1.
Whilst pole vaulting is a very technical event it can be introduced in
simple stages to novices and, provided safety rules are adhered to, it is an
event which can be taught as part of the curriculum.
TEACHING POINTS (for a right-handed student)
Use a well dug sandpit with wood or concrete edges which are flush with
the surrounding ground.
Grip
1. Hold pole vertically with right arm extended upwards and grip the
pole with thumb pointing upwards. (See Figure 9.1)
2. At eye level, grip pole with left hand, thumb also pointing to ceiling.
Riding the Pole
3. The student swings on the pole from a single-stride approach. The
staff member should ensure that the athlete is taking off from the left
foot and passes the pole on the right side.
4. Allow the student to take 2 or 3 strides, plant the pole on the ground
or in sand in front of him/her, and ‘ride’ the pole, i.e. take off on left
leg and by holding on to the pole let the pole take the vaulter who
swings to land on two feet. The student must let the pole do the work,
as this aspect is basic to the event. Figure 9.1
5. Progress to vaulting for distance in a long jump pit in order to gain
confidence in swinging on the pole. The student lands on two feet
facing the same direction as take-off. Repeat this until the student is
fully confident and has a balanced take-off and landing. As confidence
grows, allow the student to raise hand grip 915mm - 1220mm at a
time. (See Figure 9.2)
6. At this stage the student can be challenged by introducing an activity
such as ‘vaulting the ravine’.
7. Once the student is confident in planting the pole and swinging, the
activity can be modified into jumping for low heights over an elastic
bar, e.g. 1 metre.

ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT MUST BE DONE ON A COMMERCIALLY Figure 9.2

PRODUCED LANDING AREA SUCH AS THAT PROVIDED AT A LOCAL
ATHLETICS CLUB.
SAFETY
• The standard pole must be used.
• The landing area must be such that it is safe and within the guidelines
laid down by the Governing Body (see Safety Measures in Athletics,
details at the end of the text).
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The technical diagram Table 9.1 refers to an experienced pole vaulter
using a fibreglass pole, and is included for information and analysis only.
It is very unlikely that school students will get beyond point 7 as
described in Riding the Pole (page 32).
Table 9.1

POLE VAULT (RIGHT HANDER) PHASE OBSERVATION POINTS

APPROACH LEGS Normal sprinting action.

RUN
BODY Straight back and chest.
ARMS Left arm in front; right hand behind.

PLANTING LEGS Pole plant starts 3 strides out.

THE POLE
BODY Upright – eyes looking forward, hips and
shoulders square to front – push pole to front-
right.
ARMS Hand reaches high.

TAKE-OFF TAKE-OFF Foot directly beneath top hand.

FREE LEG Knee drives upwards and forward.
BODY Maintain upright position.
LEFT ARM Resist pole.
RIGHT ARM Reach high.

SWING LEGS Maintain take-off position.

ARMS Keep distance between chest and arms.
BODY Hang long.
POLE At maximum bend.

ROCK BACK LEGS Keep legs close to pole – bent.

BODY Head in line with body.
HIPS Lift hips above shoulders.
POLE Begin to straighten.
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POLE VAULT (RIGHT HANDER) PHASE OBSERVATION POINTS

ROCK BACK ARMS Pull body along long axis of pole.

LEGS Keep legs away from bar.
POLE Almost straight.

PULL AND ARMS Keep pulling until lower arm leaves pole.
TURN
LEGS Keep straight but turns towards bar.
POLE Straight.

BAR ARMS When pull on pole ceases, the push begins.

CLEARANCE
BODY Piked position.
HIPS High point over the bar.

POLE VAULT: TRAINING IDEAS

Winter Session 1 Summer Session 1

Warm up Warm up
1. Mobility exercises. 1. Mobility.
2. Gymnastic exercises, 2. Gymnastic exercises.
e.g. handstand, 3. Vaulting for technique,
backward roll, concentrating on one
handstand, rope swing technical point at a
and high bar. time.
3. 4 x 120 metres fast, Warm down
with walk back
recovery. Summer Session 2
Warm down Warm up
Winter Session 2 1. Mobility.
Warm up 2. Sprint drills.
1. Mobility. 3. Acceleration runs on
the run way carrying
2. Sprint drills. the pole.
3. Run ups practising 4. Six vaults from run
carrying and planting way, concentrating on
the pole. speed, rhythm and
Warm down good clean take offs.
Warm down