How-To Triple Jump THE RIGHT WAY

Triple Jump not only requires incredible amounts of force and speed to be successful, it also takes years of perfecting technique and form to master the sport.

To put in a disclaimer, I am not a world class triple jumper, nor is my form perfect, but through my years of triple jumping daily, I have learned all the minute details about how to optimize your distance. From the runway, to the board, to the phases, to the landing, I have narrowed down triple jump to 11 major steps.

Although your warm-up plays such a large role in how you perform on any given day, we will pretend that your name has been called, you're up soon, and you are about to jump.

Step 1. SPRINT!

(When you're in the hole, do a quick 20-30m sprint and take off your warmup clothes)

The reason you should do a quick sprint is to ensure your body is ready for the real deal. You need to stay warm inbetween jumps and doing a quick sprint when you are 2 people away from going is a great way to get ready. This gives you enough time to catch your breathe, but not enough time for your muscles to cool down.

Step 2. THE DRIVE

(When you start your run, you have to push out the back of the runway hard, taking longer steps, allowing yourself to accelerate to the point of contact with the board)

It is really important that you have speed in the triple jump but it needs to be more controlled than long jump. Ensuring that you are accelerating to the point of your first phase means you'll be at peak speed at takeoff. If you push out the back too hard and achieve maximum speed before the board, you'll end up decelerating at the board which hurts your distance. A jumper that is extremely fast that is decelarating at the board, will not jump as far as a slower jumper who reaches that same speed while accelerating through the board.

Step 3. KNEE DRIVE

(At takeoff, your opposite knee needs to thrust forward, pushing your momentum even further.)

Knee drive for triple jump is different than long jump because momentum is everything in triple. Knee drive must force outwards to force distance in triple jump but in long jump, you force your knee upwards to emphasize height. Height in triple jump needs to have a happy medium, because you need enough time in the air to cycle your legs but not too long that the impact hurts your next 2 jumps. Outwards knee drive is CRUTIAL!

This is good knee drive because my knee is forcing outwards, my

knee could be slightly higher though

Step 4. CYCLE

(After punching your knee, you need to cycle back to your jump leg again, pulling that knee to parallel with the ground before pushing back to the floor.)

Every step of the triple jump is reliant on the last. Without proper knee drive, you wont be able to have an effective cycle and without an effective cycle, you wont be able to accomplish any other step. The video below best demonstrates a good cycle, but it is key to stay upright, keep your abs tight, and have the speed of your cycle, match the amount of time you're in the air: this takes a lot of practice.

Step 5. PAW

(Of course you need a good cycle off your first phase but in order to keep momentum, you need to PAW)

Pawing is when you push your jumping leg out in front of you, dorciflex your foot upwards, and pull your leg towards you, activating your hamstring. Pawing allows you to keep momentum in the jump leading to your second phase. You should optimally be able to paw at every phase except the takeoff.

This is one of my better jumps in high school, definitely not professional and a lot of fine

tuning is needed but this is not something to be dissatisfied with if you are in the early years.

Step 6. HOLD THE SWITCH

(Jump off your jump leg again and hold!)

When you are in your second phase of the triple jump, known as the switch to some, you need to punch your knee drive and hold it in the air as long as possible. It is crutial not to force your phases too early. It takes a lot of practice but you need to learn how long you will be in the air in order to know when to initiate your paw again for phase 3!

This is from a few years ago, my knee drive is alright, but you can

see the paw is about to happen.

Step 7. HEIGHT HEIGHT HEIGHT!

(We are done with the 1st and 2nd phases and are about to takeoff into the sand... now your knee drive needs to be focused upwards)

The last phase of the triple jump is all about being in the air as long as possible. Get as much height off of your last jump as you can so you can have the longest hang time. This is where the effectiveness of keeping your momentum through the jump can make or break it.

Step 8. TAKE FLIGHT

(While in the air, there are many techniques to get more distance but one thing is for sure, after you leave the ground, there is nothing that will make you jump farther)

There are many small things to do in the air to ensure you achieve your maximum distance but I just focus on my eyes looking forward, holding my knee drive, getting my hands high, and staying tall!

I am not the prettiest jumper.

Step 9. SWEEP!!!!!!!

(You've made it to the end of the jump, now reach for your toes in the air right before you hit the sand, and sweep your hands through)

Right before you are going to hit the sand, you should stick both feet out in front of you, bend over, and sweep your hands beside your legs. It's quite simple, you want to get the most distance so you should reach your feet forward. This takes a lot of practice and flexibility but it is imperitive! A good sweep separates an amateur to a potentially great jumper.

Not the best sweep, but this is one of mine from a few years ago.

This is a much better sweep!

Step 10. PULL THROUGH

(When you hit the sand, you need to get your whole body past the point of contact, that means you need to pull your body forward with your hamstrings)

This step is surprisingly harder than most. You really just need to get off to the side, and pull your body past where your feet hit the sand. You'll get dirty, but you'll love it!

Step 11. WAIT FOR THE PR.

(You need to be patient)

Triple Jump can take a few years of solid practice to fine tune each step, and there are more than just 11. You will PR many times but you might not feel like you have reached your potential ever, and that is a good thing. If you are doing well while doing things wrong, imagine if you fixed it. AND YOU WILL!

Thank you for reading this post, feel free to check out my various social media pages.

Best,

Tyler Lewis

LJ/TJ