which leg to jump off? [split]

[Marlow]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

So let me get this right. They demonstrate that they prefer to jump off their left leg. You then tell them they are left leg jumpers. So well-off privileged white kids have to be told, or informed if you like, what they already know?

I need to just become an orthodontist for all the teeth-pulling I have to do around here! :wink:

Typical scenario for an adolescent (perhaps you've forgotten what that's like):

Me: So which leg do you jump from?
Them: I dunno.
Me: Really?!
Them: Never thought about it.
Me: OK, let's find out. Do a lay-up.
Them: I don't, like, play basketball.
Me: (sigh) . . . pretend you do.
Them: I don't have, y'know, a basketball.
Me: Pretend.
Them: (Looking at me as though I'm asking him/her to do the most embarrassing thing ever) Uh . . . OK.
** They then proceed to do the most lame-*ss lay-up in the history of lay-ups, barely creating a gap between their feet and the ground**
Me: No, JUMP!
Them: (now somewhat abashed) OK. [does it]
Me: Again.
Them: What?
Me: Do it again.
Them: Why?
Me: (now somewhat exasperated) Humor me.
Them: What?
Me: Just JUMP!
Them: OK, OK, jeez (looking around to see if there's any witnesses to my heartless abuse of them).
Me: OK, you a left-legged jumper.
Them: No, I'm right-handed.
Me: And . . .?
Them: And what?
Me: Thank you, you're excused.
Them: NIce! Well, I'm exhausted now anyway - See ya!

[gh]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

so why do most hockey players shoot lefthanded, even though they would typically play golf, tennis or baseball righthanded? (I actually know the answer to that one)

[rainy.here]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

so why do most hockey players shoot lefthanded, even though they would typically play golf, tennis or baseball righthanded? (I actually know the answer to that one)

My experience playing minor league hockey was that the overwhelming majority of my teammates shot right. I know this, because as a left-handed shooter, I couldn't use other people's sticks when I broke mine. I know the NHL has more left shooters, but I wonder if this is true for all ages & levels.

[Per Andersen]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I am right handed and I jumped off my left, left foot front in the blocks, right lead leg in the Hurdles.
When I started skiing it was easier to make a turn to the left than to the right. Same with skating. As a Goalkeeper in soccer I at first found it easier to dive to my left.

With real young kids in the HJ my main problem is to have them jump off one foot. The right/left thing solves itself after a couple of sessions. I mainly just watch them at first. I just want them to really jump and not go out too wide with their run-ups.

[ppalmer]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I f this is not complicated enough already, I will add another dimension: watching a rodeo last weekend I noticed that in barrel-racing, some of the women go around the barrel to their left first and some the barrel to their right. I figured this had something to do with handedness, but is it handedness of the woman or the horse?

In case you haven't watched a competition recently (or ever), there are three barrels. It is a timed race is to ride completely around one of the two nearer barrels, then the other, then the distant barrel, and then return across the start line. If you knock over a barrel, you get a (usually fatal) time penalty.

(I assume horses have a handedness, but I don't really know.)

Pat Palmer

[gh]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

from a friend whose daughter is into the horsie thing:

<<Well.....here's the answer....in my opinion.......emphasis on opinion.
Most horse trainers or barrel racer trainers, will teach horses and
riders that the correct way is to turn the right hand barrel first.
However, there is a theory that "some" horses run the course better
turning the left barrel first. Perhaps lending some strength to the
theory of right or left handedness.

<<My daughter, being trained properly,runs right first. However, the horse she won the State
Championship with this year, was trained to go left first, so she
rides her that way. she says it dosen't make a difference to her
(herself)....which to me weakens the handedness theory.

<<Horses' brains are definitly different right to left and that is not an
opinion...scientifically proven fact. So the handedness theory "might"
be more correct for them versus humans. I don't know. When I see a rider
go left first I think they are odd.....horse odd or rider odd? Don't
know which. >>

[lonewolf]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

From lengthy observation, most barrel racers go right first...not sure why if horse is right handed.. that makes for two lefts at second and third barrell..
I had a secretary who was/is a barrell racer.. will try to contact her for an answer from the horses mouth.
I think I have told the story about her proudest barrell racing moment. After she turned the third barrel and headed for home, she leaned over the saddle horn, whipped her horse, horse lunged, saddlehorn ripped open her snap front shirt, pulled her bra up around her neck and she flashed the crowd all the way ot the finish line.
She won the even, btw.

[jhc68]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

Like lonewolf (albeit not with such great results as his!) I was always a right-handed, left foot take off person in any jump and hurdles, too. Just seemed like it offered more power and I felt more coordinated that way.

BUT, during my one year foray into triple-jumping I always wondered whether I would do better with 2 jumps using my right foot take off and using my power leg for the last element when my meager speed had diminshed or vice-versa. I settled on a left foot take off (thereby using my preferred leg twice) from the board but what is the experience of real TJ'rs?

[lonewolf]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

Like lonewolf (albeit not with such great results as his!) I was always a right-handed, left foot take off person in any jump and hurdles, too. Just seemed like it offered more power and I felt more coordinated that way.

BUT, during my one year foray into triple-jumping I always wondered whether I would do better with 2 jumps using my right foot take off and using my power leg for the last element when my meager speed had diminshed or vice-versa. I settled on a left foot take off (thereby using my preferred leg twice) from the board but what is the experience of real TJ'rs?

Clarification:
I am right handed and right leg is also my power leg. I could jump a foot farther off my right leg than my left but, although it was more "natural" to take off on right foot in the TJ, it did not seem to make much difference in the result whether I went LLR or RRL.
Hurdling, never a speciality, I had left leg lead.

[Riff80]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

so why do most hockey players shoot lefthanded, even though they would typically play golf, tennis or baseball righthanded? (I actually know the answer to that one)

My experience playing minor league hockey was that the overwhelming majority of my teammates shot right. I know this, because as a left-handed shooter, I couldn't use other people's sticks when I broke mine. I know the NHL has more left shooters, but I wonder if this is true for all ages & levels.

I played from age 8 to 18 and I'd say probably about 85% of my teammates shot right-handed. This is not all from memory but from a lot of old 8mm (no sound) video that my dad took. The exception was my brother, he is right-handed but he always shot left-handed.

[mal]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

Started track as a long jump, triple jump, high jump guy. With an occasional sprint.

I am right hand and foot dominant and my take off leg for each, and front leg on the blocks for sprints was the left.

I don't rememeber any conscious decision. However an exercise I learned later when athletes were wondering which leg to take off, was to tell them to lay down on their backs. Then tell the to stand up quickly in response to a sharp sound. The leg they draw up underneath is usually their take off leg.

Like the rest of the jumpers, I have jumped off the either leg, and my TJ was as good on either leg. High jump was a straddle with left leg plant.

I think that what needs to be considered is that its not just the plant leg that is key. Starting is most successful with excellent first step placement. Straddling is about lead leg control, Long jump is very dependent on the lead leg drive off the board. It's not about hopping off the strong leg.

It's not that strange to me that the so called dominant leg is not always the take off leg, but is the key to each of these events. I think a case can be made that the dominant leg should not be the plant leg.

[ppalmer]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

from a friend whose daughter is into the horsie thing:

<<Well.....here's the answer....in my opinion.......emphasis on opinion.
Most horse trainers or barrel racer trainers, will teach horses and
riders that the correct way is to turn the right hand barrel first.
However, there is a theory that "some" horses run the course better
turning the left barrel first. Perhaps lending some strength to the
theory of right or left handedness.
....

Wow, what a great board! One can get an answer to just about anything.

Pat Palmer

[indigo]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

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.[/quote]

I worked out with 4 52'-54' Triple Jumpers for a week. ( I thought it would strengthen my achillies) All they did was jump. 100 meters one way and 100 meters back the other . I couldn't tell any jumping difference in their legs. They didn't run much.

[Marlow]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I couldn't tell any jumping difference in their legs.

Yes, that's a point we ignored - I'd say in most athletes, there really is NOT that much difference in a Long Jump with the 'right' leg or with the 'wrong' leg, which is probably why the TJ question of R-R-W or W-W-R is often immaterial.

[mal]

Re: which leg to jump off? [split]

I couldn't tell any jumping difference in their legs.

Yes, that's a point we ignored - I'd say in most athletes, there really is NOT that much difference in a Long Jump with the 'right' leg or with the 'wrong' leg, which is probably why the TJ question of R-R-W or W-W-R is often immaterial.

Not quite immaterial. But I do think its more about fine motor control than strength. You are correct in saying there is little difference in strength, but control is critical on the take off.

My Brother was a TJer who jumped 26 + of the 'good' leg, and 25 + off the other leg.

He did this ( LJ off both legs) cos he went off the good leg on the hop, and to the "weak" leg to the jump. The strong leg hit the ground twice. The less "strong" once.

TJers need to work a long jump off both legs as part of preparation.