Editing High jump (section)

==Technical aspects==
Technique and form have evolved greatly over the history of high jump. The Fosbury Flop is considered the most efficient way for competitors to propel themselves over the bar.

===Approach===
[[File:Ruth Beitia Valence 2008.jpg|thumb|Spanish jumper [[Ruth Beitia]] approaching the bar from an angle]]

For a Fosbury Flop, depending on the athlete's jump foot, they start on the right or left of the high jump mat, placing their jump foot farthest away from the mat. They take an eight- to ten-step approach, with the first three to five steps being in a straight line and the last five being on a curve. Athletes generally mark their approach in order to find as much consistency as possible.

The approach run can be more important than the takeoff. If a high jumper runs with bad timing or without enough aggression, clearing the bar becomes more of a challenge. The approach requires a certain shape or curve, the right amount of speed, and the correct number of strides. The approach angle is also critical for optimal height.

The straight run builds the momentum and sets the tone for a jump. The athlete starts by pushing off their takeoff foot with slow, powerful steps, then begins to accelerate. They should be running upright by the end of the straight portion.

The athlete's takeoff foot will be landing on the first step of the curve, and they will continue to accelerate, focusing their body towards the opposite back corner of the high jump mat. While staying erect and leaning away from the mat, the athlete takes their final two steps flat-footed, rolling from the heel to the toe.

Most great straddle jumpers run at angles of about 30 to 40 degrees. The length of the run is determined by the speed of the approach. A slower run requires about eight strides, but a faster high jumper might need about 13 strides. Greater speed allows a greater part of the body's forward momentum to be converted upward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coachr.org/hj.htm|title=The HIGH JUMP|last=CoachR|website=www.coachr.org|access-date=2009-02-10|archive-date=2017-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330152430/http://www.coachr.org/hj.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The '''J''' approach favored by Fosbury floppers allows for speed, the ability to turn in the air ([[centripetal force]]), and a good takeoff position, which helps turn horizontal momentum into vertical momentum. The approach should be a hard, controlled stride so that the athlete does not fall from running at an angle. Athletes should lean into the curve from their ankles, not their hips. This allows their hips to rotate during takeoff, which in turn allows their center of gravity to pass under the bar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_152_A_PageName_E_ArticleHighJumpApproach|title=The High Jump Approach - Training Article|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123060941/http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_152_A_PageName_E_ArticleHighJumpApproach|archive-date=November 23, 2008|access-date=2009-02-11|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Takeoff===
The takeoff can be double-arm or single-arm. In both cases, the plant foot should be the foot farthest from the bar, angled towards the opposite back corner of the mat, as they drive up the knee on their non-takeoff leg. This is accompanied by a one- or two-arm swing while driving the knee.

Unlike the straddle technique, where the takeoff foot is "planted" in the same spot regardless of the height of the bar, flop-style jumpers must adjust their approach run as the bar is raised so that their takeoff spot is slightly farther out from the bar. Jumpers attempting to reach record heights commonly fail when most of their energy is directed into the vertical effort and they knock the bar off the standards with the backs of their legs as they stall.

An effective approach shape can be derived from physics. For example, the rate of backward spin required as the jumper crosses the bar in order to facilitate shoulder clearance on the way up and foot clearance on the way down can be determined by computer simulation. This rotation rate can be back-calculated to determine the required angle of lean away from the bar at the moment of planting, based on how long the jumper is on the takeoff foot. This information, together with the jumper's speed, can be used to calculate the radius of the curved part of the approach. One can also work in the opposite direction by assuming a certain approach radius and determining the resulting backward rotation.
 
Drills can be practiced to solidify the approach. One drill is to run in a straight line and then run two to three circles spiraling into one another. Another is to run or skip a circle of any size two to three times in a row.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_307_A_PageName_E_ArticleGirouxHighJump|title=High Jump Technique and Training|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123042035/http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_307_A_PageName_E_ArticleGirouxHighJump|archive-date=November 23, 2008|access-date=2009-02-11|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It is important to leap upwards without first leaning into the bar, allowing the momentum of the '''J''' approach to carry the body across the bar.

===Flight===
The knee on the athlete's non-takeoff leg naturally turns their body, placing them in the air with their back to the bar. The athlete then drives their shoulders towards the back of their feet, arching their body over the bar. They can look over their shoulder to judge when to kick both feet over their head, causing their body to clear the bar and land on the mat.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.liveabout.com/illustrated-high-jump-technique-3258815 |title=Illustrated High Jump Technique |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |website=Liveabout.com |date=27 October 2017 |access-date=19 August 2021 }}</ref>