By Willie Banks
A former world-record holder and three-time Olympian, Willie Banks is a legendary triple jumper renowned for his innovative approach to the sport, including pioneering the rhythmic crowd clap that is now a global track and field tradition. A USATF Hall of Fame inductee and former Olympic Team Captain, he represented the U.S. in 18 international competitions, including as a silver medalist at the 1983 World Championships. He has dedicated his career to technical excellence, serving as a World Athletics Council Member and coaching elite athletes internationally. As the founder and CEO of World Record Camps, Banks leverages his expertise to train the next generation of jumpers, blending world-class performance insights with a deep commitment to athletic development.
The triple jump is a paradox of grace and violence. It is one of the most complex and dangerous events in athletics, in which physical forces of 12 to 15 times an athlete’s body weight collide with the human frame. After 53 years of jumping and 34 years of coaching, the event continues to baffle me. Even as a former world-record holder, I realized late in my career that my technique was insufficient because I had not mastered the step phase.
The following analysis breaks down the transition from the “pendulum” errors of the past to the “piston” efficiency of the future, utilizing research to justify why “attacking the ground” is the only way to survive the step. After all, the step is where the world record lives.
1. The Power Source: Why the Step Starts with the Run
It is unrealistic to expect an athlete to execute a technical step without sustainable momentum. Much like a modern sprinter remains in a “pushing” phase out of the blocks, a triple jumper must build force. A sprinter typically begins to decelerate after 60 to 80 meters; the triple jumper’s approach must be designed to combat this inevitable loss of velocity.
The Justification:
Horizontal velocity is the single greatest predictor of triple jump distance (Hay, 1993). Every ground contact disrupts the horizontal velocity, acting as a “brake.” Research on ground reaction force shows that if the approach is merely a “run” rather than a “momentum build,” the athlete enters the hop with insufficient kinetic energy to carry through the subsequent phases. To minimize the “negative impulse” (the slowing down), the athlete must get off the ground as quickly as possible. This requires an approach that transitions from powerful, pushing strides to high-frequency speed in the final six steps.
2. The Hop-Step Angle: The “Run-Off” Technique
The most common error in novices and youth is jumping “up” off the board. An elite takeoff angle is typically 12 to 14 degrees, significantly smaller than the 20+ degrees seen in the long jump. A high hop leads to a steep landing angle, which triggers a survival mechanism—the athlete sticks his or her foot out to prevent a face-plant, creating a massive braking force.
The Justification:
Studies by Yu & Hay (1996) demonstrate that a high vertical velocity at the board increases the landing impact of the hop to a point at which the human leg cannot structurally withstand the force. By “running off the board” and allowing the hips to pass the board before pushing, the athlete minimizes vertical oscillation. This preservation of horizontal velocity is critical for female and youth athletes who may lack the eccentric strength to “save” a jump once the vertical force becomes too high.
The “Controversial” Take:
I believe using the non-dominant (non-long jump) leg at the board is optimal. It prevents the athlete from jumping too high too early, saving the explosive “long-jump leg” for the final phase, during which velocity has dropped and a higher launch angle (15-22 degrees) is required.
3. The Piston (Active Landing) Phase
For years, I believed the step was a “sweeping” action. My UCLA coach, Tom Tellez, corrected this by explaining the leg must act like a piston. Newton’s Third Law dictates that the force we exert on the ground is returned to us. If we “wait” for the ground, we absorb force (collapse); if we “attack” the ground, we redirect it.
The Justification:
The “active landing” or “pawing” action involves a downward and backward velocity of the foot relative to the hip just before touchdown. Biomechanical data indicate that elite jumpers exhibit a “negative horizontal velocity” of the foot at contact. This minimizes the distance between the foot and the center of mass at touchdown, reducing the braking impulse.
4. The Cylinder of Force: Knee Alignment
The most critical technical cue for the transition from hop to step is the position of the knees. At the moment of touchdown, the swing leg and jump leg knees must be within inches of each other. The shoulder, hip, and knees should form a straight line—what I call the “Cylinder of Force.”
The Justification:
This alignment is essential for minimizing the moment of inertia. When the limbs are compact and within the body’s center of gravity, the athlete can rotate the swing leg through the transition much faster. Research on the stretch-shortening cycle (Komi, 2000) shows that a “stiff” perpendicular landing enables the tendons to act like springs. If the swing leg is trailing (outside the “cylinder”), the athlete “mushes out,” increasing ground contact time and bleeding horizontal speed.
5. The “Lift” Before the Landing: The Ride Technique
The saddest part of watching modern triple jump is the lack of conversion into the final jump phase. Most athletes hold their thigh parallel during the “ride” of the step and then let it drop or move straight down into the final takeoff.
To maximize the jump phase, the athlete must raise the thigh slightly at the apex of the step ride. This “up and back” motion puts the leg in a position to “paw” the ground for the jump.
The Justification:
By the final jump phase, horizontal velocity has dropped significantly (to ~5.75-7.0 meters/second). Because the speed is slower than it was prior to the hop and step, the athlete needs more airtime to cover distance, which necessitates a larger launch angle. Raising the thigh engages the hip flexors to “set up” the final piston strike. Without this slight lift, the athlete simply “falls” into the pit.
Conclusion: Fixing the Root Causes
The step phase fails in novice, youth, and female triple jumpers because it is often coached as a passive absorption. By implementing the piston technique and maintaining the Cylinder of Force, we can move away from the “survival” jumps of the past.
Summary of the Elite Step Model:
• The Run: Build momentum for half, then transition to speed.
• The Board: “Run off” it at a low angle (12-14 degrees).
• The Strike: Attack the ground with a perpendicular, “pawing” action.
• The Knees: Keep them close at touchdown to preserve velocity.
• The Ride: Lift the thigh at the apex to prepare for the final jump.
References
Banks, W. Cylinder of Force. Techniques for Track & Field and Cross Country, 2015.
Hay, J.G. Citius, altius, longius (faster, higher, longer): the biomechanics of jumping for distance. Journal of Biomechanics, 26 (Suppl 1):7-21, 1993.
Komi, P.V. Stretch-shortening cycle: a powerful model to study normal and fatigued muscle. Journal of Biomechanics, 33(10):1197-1206, 2000.
Yu, B. and Hay, J.G. Optimum phase ratio in the triple jump. Journal of Biomechanics, 29(10):1283-1289, 1996.
