HJ coaches: shoes

[Norm Balke]

I have begun coaching the HJ at the high school where I have coached throwers (putters, also!) for 18 years. I had a pretty good jumper the first year; 6'4" as a soph. Placed 2nd at state.

I talked to him early about HJ shoes. He said, "They're too heavy." I let it go; even though I knew he'd never seen a HJ shoe before!!

So my questions:

Is it worth it for a hs HJer to have jump shoes (I would say yes)?

Is weight even a factor (I would think no)?

What are the best HJ shoes out there? Any to avoid?

Is there a web site similar to "The Ring" (throwers message board) for HJers?

Email me if you want to talk HJ!

nb

[satch400]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

Read "FLIGHT SCHOOL" by some flaky jumper. It's in almost every public library. Next to HEMMING WAY ,classic American prose.

[tafnut]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

Is it worth it for a hs HJer to
>have jump shoes (I would say yes)?

HJ SHOES HAVE SPIKES IN THE HEEL - VERY GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THIS ESP. IN IFFY WEATHER.

Is weight even a factor (I would think
>no)?

ALL NEW JUMP SHOES ARE LIGHT

What are the best HJ shoes out there? Any to avoid?

ALL BRAND NAMES ARE GOOD - IT'S ALL PERSONAL PREFERENCE

Is there a web >site similar to "The Ring" (throwers message board) for HJers?

SEVERAL - JUST GOOGLE

[marknhj]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

No debate, they are an absolute necessity. Weight isn't an issue. Jumping in regular spikes is dangerous both in take-off (potential slipping) and for the lack of foot/ankle support.

OK fellow HJ-ers, what's your pb for jumping in trainers (sneakers)? Mine's 2.14 (7') in a hotel ballroom doing a demo.

[tafnut]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

"Mine's 2.14 (7') in a hotel ballroom doing a demo."

Mine's 1.14 (1'8) in a tutu wearing ballerina slippers!

[marknhj]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

Mine's 1.14 (1'8) in
>a tutu wearing ballerina slippers!>>>

Putting aside the disturbing imagery this creates you need to work on your metric/imperial conversions!

[tafnut]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

3'8? I'm metrically challenged (unless it's a real field mark, then I can get pretty darned close in my head). Off the top of my head, I bet 21m is close to 68'10 and 22m is 72'2ish, stuff like that. Most of the HJ, PV #'s are easy; DT, HT, JT stats start to get harder.

[highjumpfan]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

First time I jumped 7' was indoors at a facility that di not allow spikes. Jumped in Waffle racers. Still my PR for no-spikes.

[Per Andersen]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

Mark is of course right. I know that many young high school jumpers feel that HJ shoes feel heavy when they first try them, but they quickly get used to them. What I see is that many young jumpers use way too short spikes in the shoes. These shoes often come with 5mm spikes in them.
You absolutely need the 10mm-12mm spikes.

[BCBaroo]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

Man, I'll never forget the day I got my first pair of Puma high jump spikes...

Then, even moreso, when I was in college I was beside myself when I got my adidas shoe (just the left) which I wore with a pair of TJ shoes.

I also went through a pair of Nike HJ which stunk...but that was 17 years ago.

The long and the tall of it, is once you go HJ shoe, you can't go back.

From the confidence on how you run the curve and explosiveness on your plant...

[highjumpsteve]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

question for you younger HJ'ers:

Back when I got my HJ shoes ( Adidas ) back in early/mid 60's, it was only a few years after the Soviet "built up shoe" controversy... end result was that a limit was put on the thickness of sole on take off foot's shoe. About 1 centimeter extra thickness was allowed. So you had to designate when purchasing whether you wanted the extra thickness on the left or right shoe. Four spikes in the front, two in the back on both shoes.

Is all this still true today ?

[tafnut]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

hjs - geezer duel - first pair, spring 1969, senior year, spent the winter 'perfecting' the flop on an indoor dirt facility (swanky prep school, Choate). They were the white adidas with black stripes and stiff as a board, but I loved the cachet of having specialty shoes. I hurdled in the Tokyo '64 blue suede (arguably the second coolest shoe ever, behind the Mexico Gold), and I thought I was the absolute MAX. Made 6'0.75 that spring, missing our school record by 1/4 inch (stupid judges, I asked for 6'1.25). Good times.

[marknhj]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

Shoe stories:
First pair were Puma's, red with white swooshthingy; made a minor breakthrough in 1977 and they offered to pay me. Met a guy in the parking lot at work who gave me 200 pounds in an envelope. Went home and told my Dad and he asked who the guy was. I said, "Some bloke called Derek Ibbotson", I'd never heard of him!
Came 9th in Moscow and Adidas offered me a few grand. They wanted a multi-year agreement. I figured I'd make 2.30m within the next year or so and, since that was a big benchmark in those days, refused thinking I could get a load more and only agreed to one year. Spent most of the next 4 years injured and never improved my pr!
Day before leaving for LA attempted 2.26m in minor club meet. Spike plate bust on takeoff, I fell ass over in pit and got a tear in my patella tendon; NH-ed for first time ever in qualifying and never jumped again.
Still buy Adidas out of loyalty since they still sent loads of kit when I was injured 1980-84...

[abinferno]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

I don't think high jump shoes are all that important unless you have a fairly quick approach. I jump just as well or better in my Nike triple jump shoes.

[tafnut]

Re: HJ coaches: shoes

you have jumped OK in wet conditions?