which leg to jump off? [split]

[Vielleicht]

I don't know, I think it's more than just feeling alien. Human beings have been using writing tools for years. When you write from a young age, your body adapts and positions itself for that action. If you're right handed, you lean in slightly to the left and have the right arm ahead of the left arm - no one writes sitting up completely straight with arms in the same position. Therefore I think it feels far more natural to run anti-clockwise for right handed people, because you lean in slightly round the bend. I just think the body is used to this. How much this can be overcome by training and running the other way, I dont know, however, I imagine that as your body has adapted to write over many years its more than a simple case of a few weeks running the other way.

I've been wondering for years why right-handed people usually use their left leg as the take-off leg in jumps, any thoughts? Thanks.

[lonewolf]

Re: Van Damme Reverse 400m dash

[I've been wondering for years why right-handed people usually use their left leg as the take-off leg in jumps, any thoughts? Thanks.

Do they? Or, are you referring to the HJ?
I have never seen any stats or studies on this and having watched about a billion long/triple jumps, I have never noted a preponderance of one foot or the other. Maybe half the jumpers are left handed.
Personally, I am right handed and take/took off on right foot for LJ, TJ and (straddle) HJ. I experimented with left foot takeoff on TJ, theorizing a right footed jump would more than compensate for a shorter hop and step..not true in my case.

[gh]

Re: Van Damme Reverse 400m dash

While the preponderance of high jumpers use left leg, I can't swear as to the LJ. I'm guessing that in the straddle (and even in learning the scissors as a kid) the right side would be a little more "coordinated," and the action of swinging the lead leg feels better that way from the get-go.

I do know that in my case, at least, there was also a basketball connection. Hours and hours of doing layups, in which case you're jumping off the left leg as you lead up with the right arm and the ball. But that would probably only apply to North American gym rats.

Hmmmm.... and if you are throwing a ball of any kind (again, North America mainly), you're planting the left leg and rolling over it.

Actually, if you are playing soccer, where I'm assuming that most players kick right (when given the choice), you again have the plant-the-left-leg motion.

Now I'm way interested to do some charting at a major meet on the LJ, seeing distribution.

(the TJ figures, I assume, would be skewed by those who differ on whether you should be going strong-strong-weak or weak-weak-strong.)

[Marlow]

Re: Van Damme Reverse 400m dash

(the TJ figures, I assume, would be skewed by those who differ on whether you should be going strong-strong-weak or weak-weak-strong.)

I was astounded to learn this summer that the current technical model is weak-weak-strong, in order to emphasize/optimize the jump phase. When I do standing-TJs with my athletes, they invariably go farther with a strong-strong-weak configuration. I would also think the stronger leg could handle to hop-step transition better, and wouldn't ya just want to use the stronger leg twice? I'm going to hafta do more plyo-testing this winter to figger this out. Maybe each athlete handles it differently and I shouldn't be so quick to tell my right-handers that they are left-leg jumpers. I've never had a left-approach HJer and that includes the left-handed ones. What 's that all about?

[Riff80]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I'll give a personal account in my other life long ago as a LJ'er. I started out jumping off my left leg because it was comfortable and that's the leg I was use to jumping off of. Playing basketball being right handed you go up for a dunk or layup, you jump off your left leg. It's what you're use to and feels right. Fast-forward to college, long jumping in a meet with 2 fouls, running down the runway and no matter what you have to jump. I ended up jumping off of my right leg and immediately realized that and I'm like oh sh*t I'm screwed and basically bailed out on the jump. That jump improved my PR. After the shock, I'm like you have to be kidding me. It took awhile and a lot of practice to get comfortable jumping off my right leg, but it worked out ok and all the jumps after that off my right leg were better than the left leg. I think you just have to try, the same way you have to figure out what technique works for you. Yes, I still think about the what if you had tried this in high school.

[Vielleicht]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I'll give a personal account in my other life long ago as a LJ'er. I started out jumping off my left leg because it was comfortable and that's the leg I was use to jumping off of. Playing basketball being right handed you go up for a dunk or layup, you jump off your left leg. It's what you're use to and feels right. Fast-forward to college, long jumping in a meet with 2 fouls, running down the runway and no matter what you have to jump. I ended up jumping off of my right leg and immediately realized that and I'm like oh sh*t I'm screwed and basically bailed out on the jump. That jump improved my PR. After the shock, I'm like you have to be kidding me. It took awhile and a lot of practice to get comfortable jumping off my right leg, but it worked out ok and all the jumps after that off my right leg were better than the left leg. I think you just have to try, the same way you have to figure out what technique works for you. Yes, I still think about the what if you had tried this in high school.

Interesting story! May I ask how ambidexterous you are?

[kuha]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

This is a topic that has intrigued me for years. In my non-illustrious career, I high jumped off the left leg (and could NOT possibly have done so off the right), but used the right as the take-off leg for the triple as well as the power leg for the high hurdles (left leg lead). The back-and-forthness of this always did seem a bit odd.

[Marlow]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I think you just have to try, the same way you have to figure out what technique works for you. Yes, I still think about the what if you had tried this in high school.

Thanks. You embolden my desire to experiment on my kids [muhaha - mad scientist laugh].

[marknhj]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I'm right handed and high jumped, long jumped, triple jumped (hop and step) and hurdled off my right leg. I can't even imagine jumping off my left leg. I didn't know coaches "told" an athlete which leg to jump off, I assumed it was a natural thing that materialized through feel from the athlete. If some coach had told me to HJ off my left leg my pb would probably be about 1.60m...

[Marlow]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I didn't know coaches "told" an athlete which leg to jump off, I assumed it was a natural thing that materialized through feel from the athlete. If some coach had told me to HJ off my left leg my pb would probably be about 1.60m...

We do not 'tell' athletes which foot to jump off. We ask them to do running jumps several times (usually lay-ups) and we see which foot it is. If they switch (rare), we ask them which seems more comfortable. I also do vert testing with both legs and standing (one foot forward) LJs and TJs (rudimentary). The best test (for me) on TJ in to ask for 4 bounding hops (heel recovers to butt) in a row and look at total distance.

[dukehjsteve]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I'm a total lefty in everything, and no surprise, it's my right leg that's my "jump" or plant leg in hj,3j, and lj.

[gh]

Re: Van Damme Reverse 400m dash

(the TJ figures, I assume, would be skewed by those who differ on whether you should be going strong-strong-weak or weak-weak-strong.)

I was astounded to learn this summer that the current technical model is weak-weak-strong, in order to emphasize/optimize the jump phase. ....

Welcome to back to the future.

"Current technical model" was what my genius of a coach preached to me (shudder) 45 years ago. For the very reason you cite. Nobody is doing maximal jumping in the first two phases and you want to be position for the best "long jump" you can for the final phase.

[Marlow]

Re: Van Damme Reverse 400m dash

Nobody is doing maximal jumping in the first two phases and you want to be position for the best "long jump" you can for the final phase.

That is virtually word-for-word what my instructor said. Apparently Jonathan Edwards was the master of this. Probably an OK model to follow . . .
I would, however, add the caveat that too many jumpers abbreviate the middle phase so they can blast the jump, but that is NOT advantageous either. The 35-30-35 model is getting a little skewed to a higher final proportion, but without an adequate 2nd phase, you ain't going nowhere.

[rabalac]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I must say i find this issue of lead leg rather interesting. I have never paid much attention to the jumpers regarding which leg they lead with, But I have noticed with the runners/sprinters, when they "sit" in the starting blocks, some do push off with one leg rather than the next. I suppose if humans are right handed or left handed, there should be no reason why they can't be left "footed" or right footed. In football (soccer for you yankees), most players do show a preference for one leg over the other. Now is it likely that a player could be right footed AND left handed? Is there any correlation between hands and feet? Inquiring minds.......

[lonewolf]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I had not thought about the takeoff leg in basketball layups so I went out in the driveway and experimented. I am so exlusively right legged that I make both right hand and left hand layups off my right leg. :?