The takeoff is just one critical component of the high jump that must be practiced. Takeoff  progressions drills can help develop coordination, elastic strength, posture, and ground force production as well as plyometric development for the moment of takeoff.  In this post you will see  takeoff drills that are great for beginner as well as more experienced jumpers.

In the clip below Jim VanHootegem, current Oklahoma Head Track and Field Coach and former Texas A&M Asst.  Coach, takes you through a simple yet effective series of drills designed to help with the takeoff.

These drills are taken from a complete instructional program of the high jump. For more information about that DVD click the link Texas A&M Track & Field Series – Drills and Progressions for Championship High Jump

Here is the progression of takeoff drills:

Rocking Chair Walk

The athlete will lead with his ankle and roll on to the ball of his foot. Next the athlete will push up from his lower position. The goal is for the athlete to feel what he needs to feel in his foot prior to and during takeoff.

Rocking Chair Skip

Motion is the same just with a skip added. Emphasis on feeling the entire surface of the foot incontact with thre ground while keeping the ankle stable.

Skip for Height

In this drill the athlete should still feel the rolling action of heel to toe as in the previous drills. The skipping for height will give him the opportunity to feel  the complete 100-percent extension of the ankle, knee and hip at takeoff. In addition, he can begin to feel the use of his arms and the motion of the but will begin to feel the proper movement of his free leg. The arms should swing up and the free leg should swing out in front.

Repetitive Takeoff on the Same Leg

Same action as previous drill. The athlete will now jump off same leg each time> Emphasis should be hips high and free low. (free leg should stay low relative to the hips)

The YouTube video below has audio, so please make sure that your volume is turned up and that you and that you have access to YouTube.

This discus is a highly technical event. Do you need help training your discus throwers? In this post get detailed coaching points for the middle and front of the ring. You will also get a daily practice routine.

In the clip below Katelyn Ciarelli, Associate Head Coach at UC-Irivine, shares her coaching points for teaching the discus in the middle of the ring and the front of the ring. She also shares her daily practice routine. Coach Ciarelli provides a lot of useful coaching points and information. She also demonstrates some of her key principles and answers a variety of questions in this informative 12 minute video clip.

The following is a brief recap of the video below. In the video Coach Ciarelli offers a detailed explanation of her key teaching points. The following is simply an outline of her presentation.

I. Middle of the Ring

• Right leg swings out to get buttcrack to the landing area
• Upper body under the roof
• Discus goes on the roof

II. Front of the Ring

• Left down in power position
• Discus behind the hip in power position
• Right foot and hip keep turning in
• Discus stays up through the pull
• Block the left side

III. Daily Practice Routine

• Warn-up
• Dynamic Stretching
• Drills
• Throwing
• Lifting/Special Exercises
• Core Exercises
• Running/Plyometric Exercises

The clip is just a sample from Coach Ciarelli’s presentation at a recent Glazier Track and Field Clinic. Her entire presentation entitled Training Your Discus Throwers includes key coaching points as well as instruction on training, drills, exercises, running and plyometrics. For information about gaining access to her entire presentation, as well as hundreds of other great clinic presentation, click the link Glazier Track and Field Clinics.

The video below has audio, so please make sure that your volume is turned on. Click the arrow to play the video.

Learn proper body mechanics need to successful in the throwing events. In the video below, Boo Schexnayder demonstrates two exercises designed to teach upper and lower body mechanics in the throwing events. In addition, the med ball drills will teach the proper integration of the upper and lower body in the trowing motion. These drills are simple and easy to follow, allowing the thrower to focus on basic mechanics during each phase of the throw.

Coach  Schexnayder is former LSU assistant coach and regarded as one of the world’s premier field event coaches, he  currently serves as the Director of the Track and Field Academy, the educational branch of the US Track and Field and Cross Country Association.

The two exercises below are double arm exercises. The simplicity of these drills allows the athletes to focus on basic mechanics and eliminates in distractions that the strike may cause.

The drills are demonstrated in the video below.

Drill 1:  The Kneeling Square Push
The athlete kneels in front of a wall with their shoulders square to the wall. The athlete holds a med ball at chest level. Before striking the ball the athlete will rocks backwards and then moves forward before striking the ball towards the wall. This helps to teach that the strike occurs after the core as initiated the movement of the ball. The strike is a pushing movement with the thumbs should pointed downwards as the wrist extends at release.

Drill 2: Kneeling Square Overhead Forward

The athlete is positioned in the same fashion as the drill above. In this drill the ball is initially placed above the head and slightly behind the head. The forearms should be turned outward slightly so that the elbows are wider than the shoulders and wrists. The elbows should be flexed slightly. The athlete rocks back and then moves forward. As before the athlete will strike the ball only after they have initiated forward movement with their core. Upon release the thumbs should be pointed downward due to pronation.

These drills are taken from Coach Schexnayder’s training program designed to teach throwers from scratch and/or eliminate bad habits with older throwers. The program includes the following drill and technique progressions:

1. Remedial Glide Shot Put Progressions
2. Intermediate Glide Shot Put Progressions
3. Glide Shot Put Progressions
4. Rotational Shot Put Progressions
5. Discus
6. Javelin
7. Remedial Crossover Series
8. General Throws Series X
9. General Throws Series Y
10. General Throws Series Z

For more information about Coach Schexnayder’s training program, click the link: TEACHING PROGRESSIONS FOR THROWING EVENTS

The  video below is courtesy of Complete Track and Field, a collection of great resources for coaches. The YouTube video has audio, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site. Note some schools block access to YouTube.

Learn how to teach the beginning thrower and fix problems with experienced throwers with Coach Coach Schexnayder’s : Teaching Progressions for Throwing Events

Speed and power are the key elements behind a successful horizontal jumper. Plyometric exercises, when done properly can help produce more power and speed resulting in more successful jumps.

In the video clip below Nick Kohl, Wartburg College Assistant Coach,USA Track and Field Level I certification;
former University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse Assistant Coach/Jumps;mentored eight NCAA DIII National Champions and 30 DIII All-Americans, 12-Time MidWest Regional Coach of the Year, demonstrates some plyometric drills that he utilizes with his horizontal jumpers.

The exercises in the video are from a complete horizontal jump training program.  In his dvd Coah Kohl demonstrates 35 proven drills that are designed to build championship-level jumpers. Coach Kohl’s comprehensive training program is designed to teach the athlete to simulate the penultimate step, drive up and out, to reach out with their feet. The drills are a step-by-step progression of plyometric drills, running form, and jump drills that lead to successful jumps. Coach Kohl’s program will cover everything from the basics behind the jump to the actual take-off.

For more information about his DVD click the link Championship Speed and Power Drills: Horizontal Jumps

In the clip below he demonstrates:

• Step-ups
• Single Leg Eccentric Drops
• Double Leg  Eccentric Drops
• Double Leg Hops
• On,Offs

The YouTube video has audio, so please make sure your sound on and the volume is turned up. Click the arrow to play the video. Note that some schools block access to YouTube. If you are unable to play the video, contact your network administrator.

Its the off-season for track and field. For many this is a good time to be looking for new tools to add to your coaching toolbox. If you are looking for some conditioning drills  to do with your throwers you might like the multi throw shot drills demonstrated in the video below.

The drills are presented by Brad Hackett. Coach Hackett has been a college track and field coach for nearly 30 years. For 15 years, he was an assistant coach at the Division I level, with stints at Colgate University, Bucknell University, and Syracuse University. He has been the head track coach at Division III Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, since 1999. He previously served on the men’s development committee for USA Track & Field.

The drills are from his video course on CoachTube. The complete course includes over 30 minutes of drills covering the following topics:

• Hip-mobility drills
• In-place jump drills
• Bounding drills
• Hurdle-hop drills
• Core drills
• Medicine-ball drills
• Multi-throw drills
• Stair-running drills

For more information about this course click the link Ultimate Pre-Season Conditioning for Track and Field

CoachTube offers a wide variety of training programs for track and field coaches. To see all that CoachTube has to offer Click Here

The following is a list of the drills demonstrated in the clip below:

1. Underhand Forward
2. Squat Throw
3. Lunge Throw
4. Hop Hop Overhand Backwards
5. Hop Hop Underhand Forwards
6. Box Jump Overhand Backwards
7. Box Jump Underhand Forwards

The video has audio, so please make sure that your sound is turned on. Click on the arrow to play the video.

The Ultimate Pre-Season Conditioning Drill for Track & Field – Multi-Throw Drills from coachtube.com