The physics of the high jump

The fascinating part of the high jump is your center of mass travels underneath the bar. How is this possible? It's all thanks to the Fosbury flop, developed by civil engineering major and high jumper Dick Fosbury in the 1960s!

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[Phil-xuuk]

Fritz Pingl actually demonstrated the technique 10 years earlier, but it did not get popular at the time because there was just sand on the other side and you had to turn in the air again to land the jump on your feet.

[edwardclark]

I once had the opportunity of discussing the high jump with Dick Fosbury. He knew of my intense obsession with the Russian school of the jump. He simply stated to me, "I simply use increased momentum in the approach as Valeriy Brumel did with my backward bar clearance method. I had no interest or time to learn the Russian techniques." He was a really gracious elite athlete!

[edwardclark]

Anatomically the majority of contemporary high jumpers utilizing backward dive bar clearance mechanics have far less spinal flexibility backward (ROM) than bending forward. The pelvic region of the body is lifted earlier in the backward dive bar clearance method in relation to the straddle method passing over the crossbar.
The highly flexed swing knee utilized in the backward dive take-off mechanism permits a decreased time frame to complete execution. High jumpers utilizing the backward dive technique normally develop greater run-up horizontal momentum, and apply greater downward force at take-off (greater center of gravity vertical displacement) than older straddle approach methodology.

[timtranslates]

What about the curved run up? Why not just run in a straight line but arriving at the same angle that they currently do?

[BruinChang]

Is the main difference between the two the horizontal velocity?

[marklutz]

Nothing to really do with the video, but I've 2 uncles of Indonesian ancestry. Malay and Puerto Rican to be precise. Surname Awal. Both now live in Florida, USA, but originally from NYC. Hello cousin 😁

[ankurphukon]

The term you explained as a "centre of mass" is Actually centre of gravity, not centre of mass. And centre of mass can not change it's referential position, but centre of gravity can.

[GeryAmbrose]

i got embarassed in high jump i need to get better

[Lifeinfullness]

Due to women having a lower center of gravity, do you think this would affect the strategy of high jump for female jumpers?