A Biomechanical Analysis of the Single Arm Versus
The Parallel Double Arm Takeoffs in the Triple Jump

Dissertation by Clifford Larkins, Ph.D.
Chairperson: Dr. V. Dianne Ulibarri



The Purpose of the Study

This dissertation investigated effects of the single arm and double arm swing on triple jump performance. It also compared the performances of this study's novice triple jumpers to published findings for elite male triple jumpers. Seven female interscholastic track and field athletes who had had no previous training in the triple jump were used as subjects for this study. They were matched on their best long jump distance and then randomly assigned to either a single arm or a double arm group. Training methods were developed by the researcher in order to teach the subjects to triple jump using the assigned arm style.


Coach Clifford Larkins--Ph.D. candidate--gives final instructions to his nervous Ypsilanti High School, MI novice triple jumpers before they attempt to triple jump in front of the cameras. They learned the event in one month and they had never triple jumped in competition. Michigan high schools did not then and still does not compete in the triple jump.


Procedures

Four LOCAM 16mm motion picture cameras were used to collect the data. Three cameras recorded a sagittal view of the performance while a fourth camera recorded a frontal view. The film images were digitized and these data were used in conjunction with a FORTRAN program to determine takeoff velocities and average support forces from the saggital views. Balance data for each support phase were obtained by manual techniques from the frontal view.


Results

This study found that there was no statistically significant difference at the .10 level of significance between the single arm and double arm groups for any of the intervening variables under consideration with the exception of support times and horizontal takeoff forces. The findings of support times revealed that the hop and jump support times were similar for both groups. The double arm group's step duration, however, was considerably longer. This gave the double arm group greater horizontal and vertical impulses, an advantage during the most difficult step phase.

More notable was the statistically significant difference between phase distances (F(2,6) = 49.44, p < .001.). The medium-short-long pattern used by all jumpers in this study resembled the Polish style. The subjects' mean jump distance, however, far exceeded any reported findings for elite Polish style triple jumpers. The novices may have resorted to the Polish style because they were not able to rebound from the stress of landing from a long hop. This may indicate that phase contributions may be a function of the jumper's strength, speed, and skill level.