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Test protocol · Jumps · athletics

Long Jumpapproach · take-off · flight

1Record2Upload3See the results
Why it matters: long jump distance is set mostly by approach speed and how much of it the athlete keeps through take-off (Hay, 1993). Distance alone doesn't show where the jump was won or lost.VueMotion shows the last strides, the take-off and the landing.

The athlete runs their normal approach and jumps from the board into the pit. One iPhone filmed side-on, level with the take-off area, records the last strides, take-off, flight and landing.

Last 4
strides analysed
1
iPhone, side-on
Speed
into the board
PhaseSet
Speed–
Why it matters

The tape gives the distance. VueMotion shows why.

Every jump gives you three layers.

APP
Approach

Speed over the last strides and step-length pattern into the board.

TKO
Take-off

Contact time, touchdown and take-off angles, trunk and knee angles, take-off speed.

FLT
Flight & landing

Flight time and landing position.

01

Performance monitoring

Is approach speed carrying into the jump?

  • Speed Approach speed vs previous sessions.
  • Take-off Contact time and angles over time.
  • Consistency Step pattern into the board.
02

Performance improvement

What limits distance?

  • Penultimate step A longer penultimate and shorter last step lowers the centre of mass for take-off (Hay, 1993).
  • Speed loss Big speed loss at take-off points to touchdown position or strength.
  • Angles Touchdown, take-off and trunk angles.
03

Injury risk reduction

Is take-off loading well controlled?

  • Take-off knee Knee angle at touchdown on the take-off leg.
  • Trunk Excessive backward lean.
  • Load Track jump volume with speed.
04

Safer, faster return to play

Can the athlete jump at full speed again?

  • Short approach first Return with short approaches, then lengthen.
  • Baseline Compare with pre-injury speed and take-off.
  • Mechanics Check the take-off leg.
05

Benchmarking

How does the athlete compare?

  • Elite data Compare with published elite take-off characteristics (Lees et al., 1994).
  • Squad Compare within the training group.
  • Speed-matched At similar approach speeds.
06

Scouting & talent ID

Who has jumping potential?

  • Speed + take-off Fast approach with little speed loss.
  • Short approach Useful for young athletes.
  • Objective Calibrated metrics from video.

These metrics describe movement patterns linked to performance and injury risk in research. They support coaching and clinical judgement; they do not diagnose or predict an individual injury.

01 · Setup

Runway, board and camera

Use a standard runway, board and pit. The camera covers roughly the last 10 m of the approach, the board and the landing.

PhaseSet
Speed–
Camera viewLanding pit
C1

Sagittal camera

On a tripod, perpendicular to the runway near the take-off board, landscape, 1× lens, far enough back to frame the last strides and the landing in the pit.

⇢

Approach

The athlete uses their normal approach; the capture covers the final strides into the board.

We couldn't find a written camera distance for this test; frame the last strides and the landing and keep the position the same between sessions. iPhone 11 or newer, 60 fps or higher.

02 · Capture

Record during a normal session

1

Equipment

1 iPhone (11 or newer) and a tripod.

2

Position

Place the tripod side-on near the board.

3

Frame

Check the last strides, the board and the pit are in frame.

4

Tag + record

Choose the athlete and the Long Jump tag, then record each jump.

5

Upload

Upload the original files and submit the AI request.

Athlete

  • Normal warm-up and runway rehearsal
  • Use the same approach length each session
  • Full-effort jumps
  • Walk out of the pit forwards

Camera settings

  • 60 fps or higher (120 fps preferred)
  • Auto-FPS off
  • Landscape, 1× lens, no zoom or panning
  • Do Not Disturb on, Auto-Lock never

Scene & upload tips

  • Start recording before the athlete reaches the frame
  • Keep coaches and other athletes out of the runway view
  • Bright, even light
  • Upload original files from the app
03 · Outputs

What you get after upload

Approach

Speed and step length over the last strides.

Take-off

Contact time, touchdown and take-off angles, knee and trunk angles, take-off speed.

Flight & landing

Flight time and landing position.

AR video

Pose overlay on the jump.

Progress

Every metric across sessions.

Linking take-off to performance

MetricLink to performance or injuryEvidence

Performance linked to performance   Prospective linked to future injury in a cohort study   Mechanistic linked to tissue loading in lab studies   Practice coaching rationale

Metric definitions

Long jump
Approach speed (m/s)
Average speed over the last strides before the board.
Step length (m)
Length of each of the last strides, including the penultimate and last step.
Contact time at take-off (s)
Board touchdown → take-off.
Touchdown angle (°)
Leg angle at board contact.
Take-off angle (°)
Direction of the centre of mass at take-off.
Trunk and knee angles (°)
At touchdown and take-off.
Flight time (s)
Take-off → landing.
04 · Practitioner value

Jump technique, measured

Session-friendly

Film during normal jumping sessions.

Last strides

See the step pattern into the board.

Speed retention

How much approach speed survives take-off.

Objective feedback

Angles and times instead of eye-balling.

Pairs with Fly

Compare approach speed with Fly top speed.

One iPhone

No timing gates or laser.

05 · Support

FAQs

Where exactly should the camera go?

Side-on near the board, far enough back to see the last strides and the landing. Keep it the same each session.

Short or full approach?

Either; use the same approach length when comparing sessions.

Are CSV exports and APIs available?

CSV/Excel export for Enterprise and Academy users, and API access for Enterprise users.

  1. Hay JG. Citius, altius, longius (faster, higher, longer): the biomechanics of jumping for distance. Journal of Biomechanics. 1993;26(Suppl 1):7–21.
  2. Hay JG, Miller JA, Canterna RW. The techniques of elite male long jumpers. Journal of Biomechanics. 1986;19(10):855–866.
  3. Lees A, Graham-Smith P, Fowler N. A biomechanical analysis of the last stride, touchdown, and takeoff characteristics of the men's long jump. Journal of Applied Biomechanics. 1994;10(1):61–78.
  4. Bridgett LA, Linthorne NP. Changes in long jump take-off technique with increasing run-up speed. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2006;24(8):889–897.