Athletics (British Sports Library)

I f 190 ATHLETICS Some few athletes use a sort of crouch start, but it is not recommended. The athlete travels the initial IO yards of his run pretty fast, makes the pace as hot as possible over the next lO yards, and without diminishing his pace lets the legs work loosely over the final .7 yards, as he draws the body together for the jump. Many jumpers shorten, or "chop," the last two or three strides a little, adjusting the speed to the take-off and in order that the leg may be well under the body when the heel is stamped hard down for the spring. Others hold their full speed right through and yet preserve the proper forward body angle of the sprinter (see chapter on Sprinting). These get the full benefit of their increasing speed which goes into the jump effort. If it is found that the forward body angle cannot be retained, but that the jumper has to reach out for the board, then the chopping of the last two or three strides should be resorted to. Most athletes favour heel as well as sole spikes in their shoes, since the take-off generally commences by stamping the heel of the jumping foot hard down ; but there is a small school which favours a spring from the ball of the foot, and these use sprint shoes without heel spikes. The heel takes the ground, usually an inch or so in front of the take-off board, into which the spikes