Q&A for How to Win Long Jump

When you jump from the board with your takeoff leg, drive your opposite leg up into the air. Once your takeoff foot leaves the board, your opposite knee should drive as high into the air as possible. This will help you jump higher and farther.

It's typically the jumper's dominant (stronger) leg.

You can't avoid the weight. Concentrate on speed and a burst of power when taking off.

If you can, try to do splits. I know that might be hard for some people, but it really stretches out your calves. Do it on both sides and the middle. You can also do lunges and that might help.

Stretch for a while before you jump, and be sure to run several laps of the track as a warm up, as warming up is imperative to jumpers as any other sporting activity.

No more important than forward thrust. You want to strike a balance between the horizontal and vertical components of your jump. They're both very important.

When any part of the take-off foot lands beyond the foul line.

Just far enough to hit top speed, but not too far, otherwise you might end up slowing down. About 13 to 17 steps will work well.

Some people have a tendency to stretch their legs farther when approaching the board. This will cause you to foul your jump (go over the line). The best thing to do is to keep your run normal, look into the distance and don't think too much; just jump.

When you are done taking off the board, you are supposed to bring your arms higher than your shoulders or your head when you are still in the air. If you have a decent jump, then you could fling your arms several times in the air like you do while swimming, and at the time of landing, try to bring the upper body ahead. You certainly won't fall with your hands back.

You can use a regular surface, but you will jump better and farther into sand (or fine gravel).

Make sure your knees are bent, your chest is up high, and your arms are swinging.

Approach the long jump like you would the high jump -- run and jump without stopping. Run hard, and as soon as you reach the plank, jump hard!

Yes, but only after the judges or someone else have marked the place you jumped to. Remember that the furthest back point that landed in the sand is what they are marking.

No. Take off with the ball of your dominant foot (the area between your toes and your arch).

Only if they're too tight or too loose. Otherwise, probably not.

Knee pain is usually relieved only with rest.

Track shoes are best.

In an actual long jump competition, they would never have you jump from a fixed point, so don't worry. Jumping from a fixed point is good practice while training, however.

Yes, the best jumpers often have moderately long legs.

Make sure your footing is correct on the board. Jump off with a flat foot. Watch Olympic jumpers. Make sure the last step towards the board, prior to jumping, is the shortest. This will give you the extra boost you need.

Start a little bit back, or forwards. It's better to stick with the strides you're comfortable with.

You should include scratches so that later on you can look back and see your progress.

Practice several times running full speed right past the take-off board and through the pit. Concentrate each time on hitting the board without fouling. Don't worry about jumping. Just run hard. Once you get used to this, start adding an easy jump into the routine, concentrating on hitting the board. Gradually increase the power of your jump until you're back to a normal jump. If you drift back to your old habit, start the process over again.

Concentrate. Practice your stride until it's second nature to you.

The world's best long jumpers are often moderately tall (and thin).

You don't have to lift either leg. That's just a habit some jumpers get into. You'll have to experiment to find out which leg to make your first stride with in order to land on the take-off board with your dominant leg.

Practice thrusting yourself chest-first in an upward direction. Don't worry about distance at first. Just get used to achieving good height. Then gradually add more forward thrust to your jump. You want to strike a balance between upward and forward movement. Your coach will tell you when you've achieved the right balance.

No.

Some people long jump barefooted, but the best jumpers find comfortable track shoes.