Introduction: The Importance of the Standing Triple Jump Test for Athletes and Coaches
The standing triple jump is a plyometric exercise that assesses and develops an athlete's explosive power, single-leg jumping ability, joint stiffness, eccentric strength, elasticity, single-leg strength, and jumping technique.
I have trained alongside elite triple jumpers like Omar Craddock and Shingai Kusena and have been mentored by elite jump coaches such as Dan Pfaff, all of whom have shown me the importance of special exercises like the standing triple jump.
In my experience, the standing triple jump has been an invaluable tool for athletes and coaches alike, as it introduces triple jumping technique, trains jumpers effectively, and can be incorporated into plyometric workouts for sprinters and other athletes.
In this article, we will explore various aspects of the standing triple jump, providing insights, tips, and practical advice for mastering and improving this essential plyometric exercise.
What This Article Will Cover:
- How To Perform the Standing Triple Jump
- Differences Between Standing & Standard Triple Jumps
- Standing Triple Jump Performance Standards
- Mastering Standing Triple Jump Technique
- Improving Your Standing Triple Jump Performance
- Building an Effective Standing Triple Jump Training Program
- Additional Factors for Triple Jump Success
How To Perform The Standing Triple Jump
The standing triple jump is a plyometric exercise that tests and develops essential athletic abilities.
The standing triple jump consists of 3 phases: a hop, a step, and a jump.
The hop can be performed from one or two legs, while the step and jump phases are executed from one leg.
To perform the standing triple jump into a sand pit, follow these steps:
Step 1 - Stand upright with your toes at the starting line.
Step 2 - Squat down and jump forward, performing a standing long jump.
Step 3 - Land on one leg while continuing to move forward.
Step 4 - Jump from the leg you landed on forward into the air, driving your swing leg knee up and forward.
Step 5 - Land on the front leg, which is the opposite leg that you jumped from.
Step 6 - Aggressively swing the arms and drive the swing leg knee forward to take-off into the pit.
7 - Prepare yourself for landing and land on your feet or on your butt.
To measure your standing triple jump, use a tape measure and record the distance from the starting line to where you landed.
This exercise is a fantastic way to introduce the triple jumping technique, train jumpers for specific jumping skills, and be included in plyometric workouts for sprinters and other athletes.
Differences Between the Standard Triple Jump and Standing Triple Jump
While the standing triple jump shares similarities with the standard triple jump, there are key differences between the two.
The most notable difference is the starting position – the standing triple jump is performed from a stationary start, whereas the standard triple jump begins with a running approach. This distinction makes the standing triple jump an excellent training tool for focusing on the hop, step, and jump phases without the added complexity of a running approach.
Additionally, the standing triple jump is often performed with a double leg hop phase similar to a broad jump, whereas the standard triple jump is performed with a single leg hop phase.
Benefits Of The Standing Triple Jump
The standing triple jump serves as both an assessment tool and a training exercise for various athletic skills.
The standing triple jump has many benefits on aspects of sports performance, such as:
- Explosive power
- Single-leg jumping ability
- Joint stiffness
- Eccentric strength
- Elasticity
- Single leg strength
- Jumping technique
By incorporating the standing triple jump into training routines, athletes and coaches can develop these skills and monitor progress over time.
Standing Triple Jump Standards for Male and Female Athletes
Achieving specific performance standards in the standing triple jump is a common goal for athletes across different skill levels.
- Elite Male Jumpers: 11 Meters
- Elite Female Jumpers: 9 Meters
- Male Division 1 Jumpers: 10 meters
- Female Division 1 Jumpers: 8 Meters
- High School Male Jumpers: 9 Meters
- High School Female Jumpers: 7 Meters
These benchmarks provide athletes with targets to work towards and help track improvement over time.
Mastering Standing Triple Jump Technique
Proper Posture and Pelvic Tilt
An upright posture and neutral pelvic tilt are essential for optimal performance in the standing triple jump.
Maintaining proper body alignment throughout the exercise allows for efficient energy transfer, improved balance, and reduced risk of injury.
To achieve this, focus on keeping the chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged during each phase of the jump.
If you can maintain proper posture, your legs will work more effectively, and you will jump farther.
Full-Foot Landings for Support and Injury Prevention
Landing on the whole foot during the hop, step, and jump phases provides ample support, power, and stability while also helping to prevent injury.
To ensure full-foot landings, athletes should concentrate on contacting the ground with the entire foot rather than just the toes or heels, emphasizing dorsiflexion while in the air.
This technique allows for better force absorption and more effective propulsion into the subsequent phases of the jump.
Arm Swing Variations
The arm swing plays a crucial role in generating momentum and maintaining balance throughout the standing triple jump. There are several arm swing variations that athletes can utilize, including:
- Double arm shift: Both arms swing simultaneously in the same direction.
- Single arm shift: One arm swings forward while the other swings backward, with the arms moving in the opposite direction of the leg on the same side of the body.
Experimenting with different arm swing techniques can help athletes discover which approach works best for their unique body mechanics and jumping style.
Proper Landing Techniques for Different Surfaces
The type of surface on which the standing triple jump is performed can influence the landing technique.
When performing the exercise into a jump pit, athletes should land as they would during an actual triple or long jump, focusing on achieving maximum distance.
If the standing triple jump is executed on grass or another soft surface, athletes should land softly on both feet at the end of the jump to minimize impact and reduce the risk of injury.
Improving Standing Triple Jump Performance
Practice and Repetition
As with any athletic skill, practice, and repetition are crucial for improving standing triple jump performance.
Regularly incorporating this exercise into training routines allows athletes to refine their technique, build confidence, and develop a better understanding of their jumping mechanics.
As you continue to practice the standing triple jump, you should be able to increase your distance by multiple feet.
Plyometric Exercises
In addition to practicing the standing triple jump itself, incorporating other plyometric exercises into training programs can help improve overall jumping ability.
Some effective plyometric exercises for enhancing standing triple jump performance include:
These exercises focus on developing explosive power, joint stiffness, and eccentric strength – all essential components of a successful standing triple jump.
By getting better at jumping and hopping with general plyometric exercises, your body will be more prepared for the demands of the standing triple jump.
Strength Training
Strength training plays a significant role in improving standing triple jump performance.
By building a solid foundation of leg and core strength, athletes can generate more force during the hop, step, and jump phases.
Some practical strength training exercises for standing triple jump improvement include:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Step-ups
- Drop squats
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Hanging Leg Raises & Isometric Holds
Incorporating these exercises into a well-rounded training program can help athletes develop the necessary strength to excel in the standing triple jump.
Sprint Training
Sprint training is another valuable tool for enhancing standing triple jump performance.
By improving overall speed and acceleration, athletes can improve their single leg power, angular velocity as the legs swing, higher rate of force development, elasticity, and enhanced muscle recruitment abilities, all of which lead to increased jumping distances.
Including sprinting into jump training routines can significantly boost standing triple jump capabilities.
Progressing to More Specific Triple Jump Training
Once an athlete has mastered the standing triple jump, they can progress to more specific training exercises, such as short-approach triple jumps and approach runs.
These advanced exercises help athletes develop their skills further, eventually translating to improved performance in the standard triple jump event.
Because of the higher velocity of triple jumps from an approach, it is worth first performing standing triple jumps so that the athlete can prepare themselves with a less complex, lower intensity variation of the triple jump.
Building an Effective Standing Triple Jump Training Program
Plyometric Training
Incorporating plyometric training into an athlete's routine is essential for developing the explosive power and elasticity required for the standing triple jump.
Plyometric exercises, such as bounding, pogo hops, sprinting, and drop jumps, can help athletes increase their jumping ability and overall athleticism.
Strength and Conditioning
A well-rounded strength and conditioning program is crucial for improving standing triple jump performance.
By focusing on exercises that target the legs, core, and upper body, athletes can build the necessary strength and stability to excel in the standing triple jump.
In addition to traditional weightlifting exercises, incorporating resistance bands and medicine ball exercises can help diversify an athlete's strength training regimen.
Flexibility and Mobility Training
Developing flexibility and mobility is essential for preventing injuries and optimizing performance in the standing triple jump.
Incorporating dynamic stretching and mobility exercises into warm-up routines can help athletes maintain proper joint function and range of motion.
Static stretching and yoga can also be integrated into cool-down routines to promote recovery and flexibility.
Sprint Training
As mentioned earlier, sprint training is vital for improving an athlete's speed and acceleration, both of which contribute to standing triple jump performance.
Integrating various sprinting exercises, such as short sprints, hill sprints, and acceleration drills, into an athlete's training program can significantly improve their standing triple jump abilities.
Periodization and Progression
Implementing periodization and progression strategies in a standing triple jump training program ensures that athletes continue to develop their skills over time.
Athletes should gradually increase the intensity, volume, and complexity of exercises so that athletes can consistently challenge themselves and avoid plateaus.
Training should also periodically reduce in volume, intensity, and frequency, allowing athletes to recover more fully from training after a couple of weeks of challenging workouts.
Coaches can help athletes track their progress and adjust their training programs as needed, fostering continuous growth and improvement in their standing triple jump performance.
Triple Jump Phase Ratios
To get the most out of your standing triple jump, you can use our triple jump phase ratio calculator to determine approximate optimal distances for each phase of the jump.
Visualization & Goal Setting for The Standing Triple Jump Test
Visualization Techniques
Mental preparation is an often overlooked aspect of standing triple jump training, yet it can significantly impact an athlete's performance. Visualization techniques, such as mentally rehearsing the standing triple jump sequence, can help athletes improve their focus, technique, and confidence.
You can check out my article on visualization for athletes to see how visualization can help you improve your standing triple jump.
Performance Goals and Personal Bests
Setting performance goals and striving for personal bests can be powerful motivators for athletes training in the standing triple jump.
By establishing specific, measurable, and achievable targets, athletes can maintain a sense of purpose in their training and track their progress over time.
Celebrating personal bests and milestones can also boost an athlete's self-confidence and motivation to continue improving.
Start by trying to improve your jump by 1 foot, increasing your goal by one foot once you've achieved a new personal best.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standing triple jump and how is it performed?
The standing triple jump is a plyometric exercise that involves a hop, step, and jump, performed from a standing position. It is used to assess and develop explosive power, single-leg jumping ability, joint stiffness, eccentric strength, elasticity, single-leg strength, and jumping technique.
What are the average distances and standards for the standing triple jump?
For male Division 1 triple jumpers, jumps over 10 meters are considered good, while elite jumpers can achieve distances of over 11 meters. High school athletes should aim for jumps around 9 meters, with female athletes typically jumping 1-2 meters less than their male counterparts.
What are some key technique points to focus on in the standing triple jump?
Important technique aspects include:
- Maintaining an upright posture and neutral pelvic tilt.
- Landing on the full-foot for better support and injury prevention.
- Utilizing an aggressive arm swing.
- Employing proper landing techniques based on the surface being used.
How can I learn and practice the standing triple jump technique?
Begin by consulting with a coach or experienced athlete to learn the proper technique. Drills and exercises, such as alternate leg bounds, single-leg bounds, and pogo hops, can help athletes develop the necessary skills for the standing triple jump. Regular practice is essential for mastering the technique.
Why is the triple jump a popular exercise, and how does it differ from the long jump?
The triple jump is popular because it helps develop important athletic skills, such as explosive power, strength, elasticity, coordination, and jumping ability. It differs from the long jump in that it involves a hop, step, and jump sequence, whereas the long jump consists of a single leap.
Where did the triple jump originate, and how is it measured?
The triple jump has its roots in ancient Greek athletic competitions, dating back to the Olympic Games in 708 BC. The event is measured from the front edge of the takeoff board to the athlete's nearest mark in the sandpit, made by any part of the body.
What shoes should you wear when doing the standing triple jump?
You can use running shoes, long jump spikes, or triple jump spikes.