Often young triple jumpers have trouble with their arm action during the jump. Many can’t seem to get their arms in the right position behind them in preparation for the explosion on the ground. I have found that a simple trick can help remedy this problem.
Paying attention to the position of the thumb when moving the arms will help enable an athlete to more efficiently place the arms where they need to be for each phase of the jump. For example, if you place your arms in front slight bent with the hands at mouth level, palms relaxed and facing each other, the thumbs will be facing up. Now, move the arms as far apart and behind you as possible with the thumbs still pointing towards the sky. If you are human your “scapula” or shoulder blade (bones in the upper part of your back), will prevent you from moving too far behind the body.
However, the simple motion of pointing the thumb down to the ground will release the shoulder girdle and allow a significant movement toward the back. In some athletes the hands will be able to touch behind your body. This is a simple thing but it is important to note that in the triple jump, simple things are very important!
Mr. Triple Jump 
April 9, 2010 at 2:22 am |
Is the thumbs-down the right position for the arms when they are behind the body? I’ve found that keeping the thumbs up and outwards keeps my upper body from rotating too far forward during the phases.