Texas A&M Track & Field Series - Drills and Progressions for Championship High Jump

with Jim VanHootegem,
Purdue University Assistant Coach - Jumps/Multis;
former University of Oklahoma Head Coach;
former Texas A&M Assistant Track Coach;
2013 Men's NCAA National Champs!
Back-to-Back-to-Back Men's & Women's NCAA Champions (2011, 2010, 2009);
in 2011 he was named a Mondo Regional Assistant Coach of the Year by the United States Track Coaches Association; coached A&M's first-ever NCAA Champion in the long jump in 2011; member of five NCAA Championship coaching staffs

Cultivate the knowledge necessary to achieve your personal best in the high jump!

Coach Jim VanHootegem presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals, mechanics, skills and drills involved in optimizing a mechanically sound high jump. These are the same drills and progressions that Texas A&M used to win back-to-back-to-back men's and women's NCAA outdoor championships.

Using practice footage, Coach VanHootegem delivers a solid, high jump fundamentals base from which any athlete can benefit. Each aspect of the high jump is explained along with drills to aid in teaching each key point in the event. Among the topics covered are the crossover squat walk, circle runs, figure eights, transitioning from the straight line to a curve, the 10-step approach, curve initiation, the scissor jump, run-throughs and hurdle drills.

You will learn how to initiate and execute the approach from start to takeoff. Special attention is given to initiating the curved portion of the approach through to the takeoff. Proper ground mechanics are covered in-depth as they are critical to set up the correct takeoff and flight actions. VanHootegem demonstrates several drills that can be used to perfect this critical component of the high jump. Scissor jumps, as well as traditional flop jumps, are also included.

Multi-jump activities are taught thoroughly covering what the athlete should feel prior to contacting the ground and during impact. When executed correctly, the leg will function like a spring and impact forces will be distributed evenly through the hip, knee, and ankle.

Throughout the video VanHootegem suggests real-time technical corrections after the jumper's attempts. This feedback will provide you with word cues and things to look for in your jumpers. He also provides a tip to be used in competition that will allow your jumper to get some run-throughs regardless of the bar height during warm-ups.

This video course, which is designed for both coaches and athletes at all competitive levels, demonstrates how coaches can train their athletes to maximize their performance.

35 minutes. 2012.