How to Improve Distance of Triple Jump Phases

The triple jump has been described as "a hop, step and jump" after the actions that the athlete must perform. A triple jumper runs down a runway, jump lands on the take-off foot, immediately jumps again landing on the opposite foot and jumps a third time, landing in a sandpit. The following steps explain how to improve your triple jump.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Stand on one foot, hop off, land on the opposite foot, jump again and land on both feet. The goal of this drill is to learn the foot strike pattern and establish the proper rhythm and feel for this event.
2. Use a shopping cart to improve your bound. Push the cart by hopping from one foot to the other while bringing the knees at least parallel with the handle of the cart. This drill should make the bound more fluid over time.
3. Develop the hop by hopping into sand. The take-off board can be ignored for this drill with the emphasis being on form. Ensure that your posture is vertical and that you are not looking down. Land with the take-off foot underneath the hips and not in front of them.
4. Make a running start of about 10 meters and take a hop, landing on the take-off foot. Jump again and land in the sand on the opposite foot. The emphasis in this drill should be keeping the landing thigh parallel to the ground and the torso upright. This trains you to ride the step position as long as possible.
5. Walk with a double arm swing and an exaggerated leg lift. This drill will teach you to synchronize your arm and leg movements.
6. Take a big step onto the take-off foot from a standing position without running, then do a jump landing into sand. The goal of this drill is to learn the correct body position prior to the jump take-off.