To be a good high jumper athletes must develop great technique. Their approach and take off are critical components of a quality jump. In addition the athlete must be able to get their bodies into the proper position while in the flight. Getting their bodies in the correct position at the peak of their jump is necessary for maximum results.

It is difficult to teach body position by explaining the technique to the athlete. The athlete needs to feel the right position. Given enough opportunities to feel what is right the athlete will be more likely to reproduce the position in competition.

In the video clip below Karen Gaita, East Stroudsburg State University Assistant Track and Field Coach, shows two simple techniques that she uses to help teach high jumpers the proper body position at the peek of their jump.

For a complete guide on teaching the high jump to high school athletes click on the link Becoming a Champion: High Jump for Girls’ Track & Field and learn more about the DVD that this clip came from.

The Youtube video below has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site. (Some school block access to YouTube)

The following is a brief summary of the two drills highlighted in the video

Drill One.

Have the athlete lay down flat on their back. Bring the heels near the buttocks with the knees pointing up. Have the athlete push down with their shoulders and drive their hips up. Additionally, tell the athlete to draw their knees outward as this will tilt the pelvis even higher. This is the position the athlete wants to be in at the peek of their jump. The heels and shoulders should be at the same level with the hips high.

Drill Two

This drill is designed to help then fall in to the right position. Have the athlete stand on the high jump pit. Tell them to draw their shoulders back. Coach likes to use the phrase “velco your shoulders to your hips”. Have the athlete fall back and land on their shoulders and land with their hips up and the knees drawn out. The goal is to have a great hip arch. Also tell the athletes to hold their hands up as if setting a volleyball.

To be effective throwing the shot. Athletes must develop great technique. Whether it be the glide or the spin, there are basic fundamentals that must be mastered. In addition, to throw the shot effectively one must posses strength in the entire body. The legs the core the arms and shoulder are all critical in providing the power needed to throw the shot.

In the video clip below Guatemala National Team throwing coach Erin Wibbels shows two drills that will focuses on increasing athletes balance, core and shoulder strength. The clip is from a DVD that also covers the fundamentals of the glide and the spin in addition to a variety of medicine ball drills. For more information about the DVD click the link Becoming a Champion: Glide & Spin Shot Put for Girls’ Track & Field

The YouTube video below has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site (Some schools block access to YouTube)

The two medicine ball drills demonstrated are both single arms drills and there for a 3-6 lb ball is recommended.

The first drill is called Popcorn.

The athlete will stand in front of a wall with a 3-6 lb med ball. The ball is placed overhead. Keeping the elbow straight, the athlete will stretch back from the shoulder and bounce the ball off the wall and catch it. The athlete should remain balanced at all times. The drill will work the muscles of the shoulder as well as the core. 10-20 repetitions are recommended for each arm depending on the conditioning and strength level of the athlete.

The second drill is called Kettle Corn

Very similar to popcorn. The medicine ball is held overhead while standing near a wall. With the elbow straight the ball is bounced off the wall. However, in this drill the athlete will slowly lower their arm to the side will bouncing the ball off the wall. If you imagine the starting position as 12 o’clock then they will slowly lower their arm to the 3 o’clock position. Again this is done while bouncing the med ball off the wall with the elbow straight. Be sure to tell the athlete to keep their weight evenly distributed between their legs. They will have a tendency to lean on to their right leg when the ball is in the 3 o’clock position,

Repeat with the other arm moving slowly from 12 o’clock to 9 o’clock position

Developing speed on the runway, hitting the board in stride, generating force against to board and proper technique in the air are four key areas to gaining distance in the long jump and triple jump. There is, however, another way to squeeze out a bit more distance. There are several inches to be gained by learning proper landing techniques.

In the video clip below Cliff Rovel to,the Kansas State University Director of Cross Country and Track & Field discusses what he calls Active Landing which he believes can add 6-8 inches to your jumps. In the video he explains the key components of the active landing and demonstrates a simple chair drill to help your athletes feel what what he means by active landing.

For more information about the DVD that this clip came from click on the link Mega Drills for the Horizontal Jumps

The YouTube video below has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site. (Some schools block access to YouTube)

The goal of a great landing is to prevent injury and gain distance with an active landing. The jumper should land with the legs extended as far from the center of mass as possible with the toes pointing upward. The upper body should be vertical and the arms along side the body. Upon on landing the jumper must drive the hips and arms forward aggressively. If this does not happen their hips will land further back than the heels and distance will be lost.

Coach Rovelto uses a chair drill to teach his jumpers to be more active in their landing. Place a chair in the sand. Have the jumper sit upright on the edge of the chair with their arms to the side. Initially have their legs bent and slightly in front of the chair and in the sand. Have the player swing their arms and stand up. Progressively move their feet forward until the legs are completely extended. Now with the toes pointing up, their body upright and their arms to the side have the jumper aggressively drive their arms and hips forward in an attempt to stand up.

Strength and proper technique will help to maximize a jumpers potential. In the clip below learn a high jump fundamental drill that will help jumpers to feel what it is like to get their center of mass over their foot.

The drill will help to develop this critical component of proper high jumping technique.

It is imperative that jumpers get their center of mass in line with their take off foot in order to produce the maximum amount of power

The drill is presented by Mike Pullins, University of Southern California Assistant Track & Field Coach, and is taken from a DVD that details how to teach each phase of the high jump. You will also find drills to help prepare for and event and training exercises designed to improve the athleticism of your jumpers.

For more information about the DVD that this drill came from click the link Becoming a Champion High Jumper – Beyond the Basics

The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site. (Some schools block access to YouTube)

To be great at the Shot Put athletes need to be powerful and explosive. They also need great technique. Proper technique combined with power and explosion can produce great results in the shot put. The Glide is just one technique that can be used. In the video below you will see an excellent breakdown of the key components of executing the Slide.

The video is from WinningThrows.com. The coach does an excellent job of explaining the key steps to the glide method. The start, A position, power position and the reverse C. The coach also explains the sequence he utilizes to teach his athletes the glide. Using these progressive drills will have you athletes executing the glide very quickly.

For other great throwing videos click the link the WinningThrows.com YouTube Channel

The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site, (Some schools block access to YouTube)

The first drill is called the double pivot and is used to teach the end of the Slide. The thrower begins at the front of the circle with his right (throwing foot) in the center line in the middle of the ring and his left foot on or near the from to the ring. He will be facing the opposite direction he will be throwing. Next, with their hands on their waist, have the thrower rotate back to the front and get into the C-position. In the C-position the thrower will have his left foot forward and his weight will be on his right foot which is back. This will cause him to lean back and create a reverse C. This is the ending position of the slide.

After mastering the double pivot, he teaches the athlete the starting position. The right foot should be on the back of the ring and the left foot towards the center. The left hand should be parallel to the ground and the weight should be on the right foot. Next the athlete is asked to swing his left leg towards the back of the ring three times. Initially, the coach will hold the athletes left hand to help with balance.

Once the athlete understands and feels the leg swing, he will step out with his left foot towards the center while keeping his right foot in place. The toes should be pointing up on the right foot and the left foot should be a 90-degrees. This is referred to as the A-position.

Now the athlete only needs to bring his right foot up under himself and he is in the power position. From here he simply steps towards the front of the ring with his left foot and rotates into the reverse C position