High Jumping Techniques: Mastering the JAC Method

The high jump is one of the most exciting events in track and field. Athletes sprint at high speed in a straight line, then make a smart turn to the left or right, jumping as high as they can on one leg, and then twisting their bodies over a crossbar just an inch in diameter. At the elite level, the sport is great to watch and just as rewarding for coaches.

In the high jump, athletes compete not only against their opponents, but against the crossbar itself, constantly striving to surpass their personal bests. In this article, I will outline the fundamentals of the sport and how Zera prepares for the high jump, including training strategies throughout the year.

Goals of High Jumping

The primary goal of the high jump is for the athlete to elevate their hips as high as possible to get them over the fiberglass pole without letting them fall. The goal of high jumping is the same as pole vaulting: to jump as high as possible while ensuring safety. As with any jumping event, mastering a reliable and comfortable approach is the key to success. When practicing, the focus should be on perfecting the high jumper’s complete movement, which is crucial to achieving the best possible results.

Program Basics

Run-up: The high jump is the only jumping event in which the run-up is not completely linear. Athletes start with one to six steps in a straight line to build up speed, then move to an arc to get an effective boost. The traditional run-up consists of a curved run-up for the last five steps. The straight portion is critical for acceleration, while the curved portion helps the athlete lean forward to find the best position for the jump.

Body Lean: One of the most critical aspects of the high jump run and the entire competition is keeping the body away from the crossbar. The curvature of the assisted runway guides the athlete into the sandpit, and keeping the body away from the crossbar (making sure there is enough space between the shoulders and the crossbar) before attempting to cross it is critical to maximizing height. When athletes are airborne, they can focus on rotating quickly over the bar. Athletes are encouraged to “keep their shoulders off the bar” or simply “get off the bar” during the curved portion of the runway.

Jumping: Although it may seem simple, if a high jumper is able to get well off the bar at the start of the jump, then their main goal at the start should be to jump as high as possible, straight up into the air. Given that the ultimate goal of the sport is to gain height, that should be the only thing a high jumper should be thinking about when they take off. Once jumped, the bend will naturally take the high jumper into the sandpit, so their job is to focus on the upward motion at the start of the jump. The key elements of an effective high jump start include jumping with the entire foot, quickly lifting the knee of the non-jumping leg, fully extending the jumping leg, and lifting the inside shoulder (the shoulder opposite the jumping leg) straight up into the air.

For those looking to improve their jumping ability, a combination of explosive strength training can be an effective strategy for improving performance in sports such as high jump.

As we mentioned in the previous discussion, this part of the high jump is the “finishing touch” just as much as the precision required to land the long jump or the skillful recessing of the chest into the pole in the pole vault. Athletes can only hone this skill once they have mastered the fundamentals of the high jump. I have observed some high jumpers who are able to round the bar perfectly and twist their bodies gracefully like acrobats, but they can only reach moderate heights due to poor jumping and running techniques. The key to a high jumper’s ability to excel is the ability to run correctly, tilt the body at the right angle and jump vertically with the right amount of force, not the ability to go around the bar perfectly.

One of our high jumpers illustrates this well by focusing on rotating quickly to get over the bar effectively. We instruct our athletes to get their shoulders on the ground as quickly as possible. This technique helps the hips continue to lift and allows the legs and feet to rotate efficiently over the crossbar. The longer a high jumper stays on the crossbar, the greater the risk of the crossbar being displaced. The key to successfully crossing the bar is to rotate quickly and urge the high jumper to lower their shoulders to the ground quickly.

High jump performance is largely dependent on skillful run-ups, strategic body leaning and decisive vertical jumps. Take world champion and three-time Olympian Donald Thomas, for example, who jumped over the horizontal bar in a seemingly unconventional manner. However, he jumps over 7 feet 9 inches, thanks in large part to his explosive jumping ability. While enhancing his crossbar rotation may further improve his performance, his success is largely (about 90%) dependent on his fundamentals.

Our Training Program

Throughout the training year, we perform at least one full assisted run per week. In the fall, assisted running may be done in tennis shoes to emphasize the cadence and form of the assisted run. From the beginning of training, our high jumpers focus on establishing a consistent rhythm for the full assisted run. Typically, athletes will begin high jump training using seven to ten steps for four to eight assists.

These methods may end up with the athlete jumping in a modified position, jumping over potholes, or just horseshoeing around a bend. Regardless of which method is ultimately used, we emphasize maintaining a steady cadence, leaning the body appropriately at the bend and maintaining an upright position. Coaches typically observe these maneuvers from the opposite side of the athlete’s jump to assess the athlete’s body lean as they leave the bar.

The keys to a successful jump are maintaining rhythm, effective body lean and maintaining an upright position at the bend.

We also practice scissor jumps from full approach, which is an extension of the full approach exercise. The jump should be completely vertical with a quick upward swing of the free knee followed by a blocking motion. Athletes then attempt to straddle the bungee or bar.

For short scissor jumps, athletes learn from their mentor “Fuzz” to take four to six steps, then jump over a bar and land directly on the ground without the use of a mat. This training reinforces technique and precision.

Jumping into a bar is much easier when you know you have a big, soft pad to land on. Without this pad, high jumpers will only attempt to jump over the bar once – after feeling the hard impact on the runway, they will quickly adjust their approach to prepare for future jumps. This drill, if executed safely, is very useful in teaching athletes to tilt their bodies effectively on takeoff and achieve a vertical jump.

Jumping from 6 steps

In Zela’s high jump training, we focus on short run-ups, specifically jumping from six steps. This approach allows the athlete to maintain speed while jumping and to be able to practice multiple times without overworking. We emphasize the same basic skills as in the complete run: maintaining good speed, leaning correctly at the bend, always keeping the body straight and achieving a vertical jump. Observing from the opposite direction of the jump helps us to ensure that the jumper’s shoulders are correctly clear of the bar and that the inside shoulder and knee are able to give full power before re-landing.

Jumping from a Level 6 Ramp

Want to elevate your high jump training and boost your athlete’s confidence? One of our favorite drills at Zela is jumping off a high platform from a six-step ramp. Our high platforms are about 6 inches high and are designed to be spacious enough that athletes won’t get hurt if they miss. Athletes really enjoy this drill because it allows them to jump higher and adds fun to the workout.

We start at a lower height and gradually increase the height of the ramp in 3-6 inch increments. This strategy encourages the high jumper to apply more pressure at the start and stretch further to get over the higher bungee. For example, if a female high jumper has a personal record (PR) of 5 feet, a bungee set at that height from six steps up the ramp should not pose a challenge. However, keeping the bungee cord at that height could lead to athlete complacency. By increasing the height of the bungee cord, we force the athlete to give maximum effort at the start to achieve a higher jump. Many athletes have successfully jumped nearly 2 feet higher than their current personal best on the ramp. While they may not be able to get over the bungee cord, trying to reach new heights is a thrill in itself.

The main purpose of jumping off a six-meter ramp is to familiarize athletes with jumping heights. In addition, this exercise helps athletes rotate on the bar while providing opportunities for competitive practice. We set the height of the bar at the athlete’s personal best, allowing them to focus on rotational technique rather than jump height. Typically, we run eight to ten drills to keep the height of the bar manageable to take the pressure off of the jumps and encourage the athletes to focus on quick rotations.

Finally, we end the workout with a friendly competition – jumping over the bar to set a new personal best on the six-step ramp. This event inspires a competitive spirit in the athletes, motivating them to surpass their own records, challenge each other, and even go head-to-head with former members of the club. At Zela, jumping from the six-step ramp has become an engaging and rewarding exercise in the pursuit of high jump excellence.

At Zela, we develop a love of high jumping through fun training programs that inspire our athletes and push them to improve. One of our main training programs is the “Jump from 4” drill. This workout begins in the fall and consists of four steps in which the athlete stands on the ground or on a ramp and jumps over a bar set at a controlled height. This workout develops the athlete’s rotational ability without stressing them out.

We reserve the “backflip” drill for beginners to help them get the feel for the high jump. Our philosophy is to focus on the key components of the forward lean and explosive jump. Once these are mastered, it is natural to simplify the movement over the bar, making it more intuitive and less pointless and showy.

Trampolines are an important fixture at Zella’s training facility, largely because they help numerous athletes train at the same time. Unlike the rigidity of a barbell, trampolines help reduce the stress of failure. A dropped barbell can mean failure, whereas an athlete may have achieved numerous technical successes. By utilizing the trampoline, we create a more positive training environment, but of course we recognize and respect the effectiveness of the traditional barbell, which is preferred by other coaches.

Zera’s training program is very comprehensive, not only training high jumpers in their specific disciplines, but also developing them to be all-around athletes, allowing them to excel in combined events such as the heptathlon and decathlon, and even in horizontal jumping. We spend one to two days a week training for the high jump and the rest of the time focusing on improving speed, strength, coordination and overall power. We strongly believe that well-rounded athletes have a greater advantage in the high jump. For those looking to improve their vertical jump, check out our guide on how to increase your vertical jump by 5 inches in 3 weeks.

At Zera, our ultimate belief is that success in the high jump stems from a strong commitment to overall athleticism. When athletes are fully committed to self-improvement and believe in our customized approach to their training, training and technique becomes a breeze. It’s not as complicated as rocket science, but there is a shared ambition involved – to achieve the seemingly impossible feat of flight.

Your coaching style has a huge impact on your athletes’ performance. To achieve really high scores in competitions, athletes must replicate these conditions in their training. Whether it’s jumping off a ramp, surpassing ambitious heights with the help of bungee jumping, or going over a high bar after a quick run, these skills are the key to success.

A Tribute to These Mentors I am extremely grateful to the many coaches who served as guiding lights for me to improve my high jump coaching ability: Glenn McAtee, Dr. Drew Hardyk, Fuzz Ahmed, Robert Olesen, Boo Schexnayder, Noel Ruebel, and Clark Humphries. Your collective Your collective wisdom and insights are emblazoned on every accomplishment we have made at this event. My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you!

JOIN THE ZERA COMMUNITY Zera has more readers than ever before, and each week we post great content from professional coaches, sports scientists and physical therapists who specialize in developing top athletes. Please take a moment to share our articles on social platforms, start a conversation with our writers in the comments section, and feel free to refer to our articles if you’re writing a blog or forum post on a related topic. –Zera

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