Reply. Some research has shown that lack of flexibility has a more negative impact on sports performance than any other factor. Read on to find what these all are, why you need to be proficient at them, and how you can achieve that. They must get into a rhythm to make sure they build up enough speed to get the best take off possible. A long jumper requires great speed and power, flexibility and balance. Jonte is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC with a degree in Sport Management and is currently serving as an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab.]. Speed (velocity) plays an important role in all three jumping phases. Below is a discussion about the fitness requirements for the jumps, which can help with developing training programs for athletes, and for interpreting fitness testing results and determining the relative strengths and weaknesses of an athlete. In the actual jumping portion of the long jump, when you leave the ground, your goal is to focus all of your energy forwards and upwards. Similarly, physical flexibility and agility play a big role in the manner we feel either exhausted or worn out. People would need a lot of flexibility in order for people to jump the bar because they would need to bend his back in order for them to jump over. There is a point and purpose to every drill and every skill. Some athletes just go through the motions but, as a coach, you must ensure they are active in putting their foot to the ground, instead of letting gravity do the work (9). Speed in the approach, and a high leap off the board are the fundamentals of success. Emily J. A ballet dancer, for example, has to do numerous stretching and flexibility workouts, before they ever get started with dancing lessons. Importance of Flexibility. Long Jump Approach. Therefore, speed is one of the most important factors for success in the long jump, as it can greatly affect one's flight trajectory and total distance of the jump. Because speed is such an important factor of the approach, it is not surprising that many long jumpers also compete successfully in sprints. When it comes to sports and athletics, some important factors for athletes to perform at their highest level during competition has excellent flexibility, mobility, and stability. There are millions of different variations of exercises and programs that can help you achieve those goals. Yea, I agree with you that jumpers would need to be flexible in order to bend back. It is important for long jumpers to spend adequate time developing the proper number of strides for their approach. In the long jump, your entire goal is to move your weight as far as possible, not the weight of you plus a loaded barbell. However, which of these are more important? That means that no matter how much you lift, run, or jump, if you aren’t flexible, you will not likely perform well in your sport. In ballet, there are many leaps and vertical jumps involved. The acceleration equation with a the acceleration and v the horizontal velocity over time (t) applies. Some of the best jumpers are also dancers, which involves a high amount of flexibility. Other factors such as power, coordination, jumping ability, and strength are also vital to maximize an athlete's performance in the long jump. As long as you increase your power-to-weight ratio and have efficient flexibility to get into the proper positions to jump, then your vertical jump will increase. A classic example of this long jump / sprint doubling were performances by Carl Lewis of the USA. That is why coaching and monitoring athletes during all their activities is so important. [This is a guest blog by Jonte Brown. 3/12/2017 02:08:00 pm. When it comes to jumping higher, flexibility is definitely a necessity. Your regular sessions of jumping boost your flexibility, agility, … In the run-up, controlled horizontal velocity is important to set the jumper up towards the acceleration into the jump and the jump itself. The long jump is composed of 4 main phases, the approach to the line, the takeoff of the line, the flight in mid air, and finally the landing on the sand. The approach of long jumping is when the jumper utilizes speed in a measured run to get momentum. For this reason, plyometrics will be some of the most important exercises you will do. If we’re not flexible or our agility level of not good, we are more likely to feel fatigued.