AI Tutor
Sprinting full speed toward a basketball hoop or a long-jump pit feels powerful, but speed alone won't get you off the ground.
If you don't smoothly transfer your forward speed into upward lift, all that energy blasts you flat forward instead of launching you into the air.

The Physics of the Transition

When you run, you build horizontal momentum, which is the forward motion energy of your moving body.
To jump, your plant foot must act as a hinge, redirecting that forward speed into vertical impulse (a sharp, downward push against the floor that fires you upward).
How do elite athletes set up this sharp redirection without tripping or crashing?

The Penultimate Step

The key is the penultimate step, which is simply the second-to-last foot strike right before you jump.
On this step, you take a slightly longer stride and lower your center of mass (your body's balance point, located near your hips) by 2 to 4 inches.
Lowering your hips compresses your leg muscles like a loaded spring, preparing your body to push hard against the ground on the final step.
Once your hips are low, how do your legs and arms actually launch you?