Know Your Step Count: How Jumpers Stay on the Board

I was at a meet recently and watched a long jumper go through warm-ups with no rhythm and no feel in her approach.

First run-through, she was on the board. Second one, she split the board. Third, she was off it. Then the coach told her to switch legs. The coaches were talking among themselves about where her step should be.

Meanwhile, my athlete knew her steps. One run-through, perfect on the board. One more to confirm. Done.

When the competition started, my athlete was consistent on the board. The other athlete was on the wrong foot on her first jump, about three feet behind the board on the next one, and on her last jump she slowed down just to make sure she hit it. That jump wasn't good enough.

I kept thinking about how hard that must be for that athlete. If you've ever jumped, you've probably been there. It's frustrating.

Why not knowing your mark breaks trust

When an athlete looks to their coach and asks "What do I do?", they're trusting that coach to give them a mark that gets them on the board. That way they don't have to think about running. They can just jump.

When that trust breaks, the athlete decides to do it themselves. That means they start watching the board on every jump. Now you have a jumper who doesn't trust the process and is coaching themselves mid-approach, when the only job should be: run and jump.

The coach can yell "Just run and jump!" all day. If the athlete doesn't trust the mark, they won't.

Don't measure your approach backwards at the meet

Some coaches still have athletes stand on the board and run the opposite direction to find their mark at the meet. In California it isn't even allowed.

To me, this just shows a lack of preparation. You showed up to a meet without knowing your mark. When my athletes see that, they know it's one less competitor to worry about.

Have more than one step count

Every jumper should have set step counts. I count actual steps, not strides. The approaches I like to use are:

• 6 steps
• 10 steps
• 14 steps
• 18 steps, for athletes who can handle that speed

Most high schoolers run 16. I'm not the biggest fan of 16. I like a more rhythmic approach.

Rhythm beats counting

I want my athletes focused on rhythm, not on counting steps. When you have a rhythm, you find your speed, then you find your position, and the board is already there. Then you jump.

Rhythm also takes the athlete's mind off counting. And when the crowd starts clapping, that clap matches the rhythm. The athlete is already in that space. They can feel it.

When I competed, my jumps never felt as fluid when I didn't have a set rhythm.

Run-through rules for meet day

• Sweats off, spikes on. Do your competition run-throughs in competition gear. Spikes can make you two to four feet faster than training shoes.
• Warm up first. Cold weather is part of the sport. Be warm before your run-throughs, or your marks will shift.
• Don't panic if pre-meet run-throughs are off. If you're off by about a foot in your pre-meet run-throughs, keep your marks. At the meet, adrenaline will carry you.

Walking or skipping in? Be careful

A lot of people ask about walking, skipping or jogging into the approach. Europeans and Cubans do it a lot, and it looks beautiful. Carl Lewis and Mike Powell were known for it.

But for a high schooler, it's more variables. More things that can go wrong.

In high school, I just stood in one place, leaned back and ran. In college, I started skipping into my run. I had a checkpoint for it. I'd start at 108, skip, and take off at 102. When I hit that checkpoint, everything was great. When I got excited and pumped up and missed that 102, I'd end up scratching.

Pros spend hours perfecting that. If you use a walk-in or skip-in, it has to be just as consistent as the rest of your approach.

Why "peak speed at the board" doesn't hold up

Some long jump coaches find where an athlete hits peak speed and set the mark from there. Run from 85 feet and sprint.

The problem is that it's not consistent. If you're mainly a sprinter, your peak speed moves. Coming off a 100m, your stride is completely different.

If you want every jump to be consistent, you need a set system: your approach, your rhythm, your takeoff positions, your start position. It has to be a ritual you do the same way every time.

Try this at practice

1. Measure and write down a 6, 10 and 14-step approach (and 18 if you can handle the speed).
2. Practice each approach to a rhythm, not a count.
3. Do your competition run-throughs in spikes, with sweats off, after a full warm-up.
4. Don't move your marks the day before a meet because a run-through was a foot off.
5. If you walk or skip in, give yourself one fixed checkpoint and hit it every time.

How to measure and set up each approach is laid out step by step in my Jump 101 program.

Need a plan built around your jumper?

A set approach is the first thing we lock in with every athlete. In Jump Lab Academy, I review your film and build your approach, your rhythm and your training around you.

Book a free Jump Lab strategy session here.

Coach Keinan Briggs is a former professional triple jumper and 6th-place finisher at the 2011 USA Indoor Championships. He has coached jumpers since 2003.