The integration of advanced technology has allowed for detailed analysis of vertical jump performance in athletes, with much of the focus on the standing countermovement jump (CMJ/SVJ). This overlooks the value and importance of the approach vertical jump (AVJ), a movement that is more commonly performed in sports.
Vertical jump performance is strongly associated with—and is often the main predictor of—change of direction performance [1].
An athlete may display exceptional braking or propulsive ability while performing a CMJ but perform poorly during an AVJ. A common occurrence is having a similar AVJ and standing vertical jump (SVJ). However, an athlete should be able to jump significantly higher with more distance and speed on the approach.
During an AVJ, an athlete may produce up to three times their body weight on a single leg. High achieving athletes’ CMJ typically displays a similar output using two legs [2]. The CMJ may be more useful in solely evaluating lower extremity output and monitoring changes in neuromuscular readiness and fatigue [3]. Screening an athlete’s ability to perform high force producing movements is essential for prescribing programs for sport performance and rehabilitation.
Therefore, examining an athlete’s maximum force producing and absorbing capabilities is the first step in understanding what areas truly need improvement or maintenance.
Tweet ThisDuring an AVJ, an athlete may produce up to three times their body weight on a single leg. High achieving athletes’ CMJ typically displays a similar output using two legs.
Cameron Cunningham
Making the case for the approach vertical jump
Countermovement jumps with an arm swing can produce force near three times body weight [3]. Broad jumps, repeated jumps, drop jumps (from 60+ cm), and the depth drop all produce ground reaction forces (GRF) of 4-5x bodyweight [3].
The single leg approach jump (SAVJ) results in significantly greater eccentric impulse and GRF compared to a double leg approach vertical jump (DAVJ) [2]. Single leg approach jumps demonstrate greater approach speed and shorter contact time as a result of much shallower hip, knee, and ankle flexion [4].
The AVJ provides insight into an athlete’s jump technique, landing versatility, and their ability to exert synchronized lower body output. It also mimics sport specific scenarios, e.g., finishing a layup, spiking a volleyball, or performing triple jump [4]. The AVJ can help practitioners make decisions based on numerous metrics: jump height, contact time, force output, joint angles, and limb symmetry index (LSI).
The single leg approach jump results in significantly greater eccentric impulse and GRF compared to a double leg approach vertical jump (DAVJ). Single leg approach jumps demonstrate greater approach speed and shorter contact times.
Cameron Cunningham
Technical considerations for the AVJ
Aside from kinetic and kinematic data, the coaching eye may also become useful to bucket athletes based on jump strategies.
For instance, an athlete who chooses a DAVJ as their preferred method is likely to favor the ability to produce large amounts of force in deeper ranges of lower limb flexion, slow SSC, and lower body strength. An athlete who favors a single leg approach jump will bias towards elastic properties such as reactive strength, fast SSC, and shallow ranges of motion throughout the lower limb. Those considerations make the AVJ test valuable when investigating GRF and joint angle kinematics of the hip, knee and ankle at takeoff and landing [4].
The prevalence of the AVJ in sport makes it worthy of further study and understanding. In addition to eccentric utilization ratio (EUR) from a CMJ and squat jump, it may be beneficial to look at the difference between one’s SVJ and AVJ. For jumping dominant sports, this difference can highlight possible strengths and weaknesses. An athlete whose SVJ is the same as their AVJ would most likely benefit from a variety of SSC focus, horizontal deceleration exposure, and jumping technique. In contrast, an athlete who has a 4-5 inch difference between SVJ and AVJ may get more benefit from working on concentric focused strength and power movements while still maintaining their SSC.
Practitioners should use the AVJ to further examine lower body power performance, and as a measurement of static lower body power versus with a countermovement.
The technique of the AVJ requires more attention than a countermovement jump. The countermovement removes the use of arms to focus strictly on lower body output. For high volume jumping sports, technique is important to maximize jumping height and performance throughout competition. Modifying technical areas of an athlete’s jumping pattern can add several inches to their vertical jump very quickly.
Tweet ThisAn athlete who chooses a DAVJ likely favours the ability to produce large amounts of force, slow SSC, and lower body strength. An athlete who favors a single leg approach jump will bias towards elastic properties.
Cameron Cunningham
Horizontal deceleration
Deceleration is rightfully gaining more emphasis in strength & conditioning, in large part because of the extreme magnitudes of force produced during deceleration and the potential risks for major injury (e.g, anterior cruciate ligament ruptures) if the athlete does not have sufficient prior exposure to those forces.
Team sports involve constant acceleration and deceleration throughout competition. The approach jump has a large horizontal deceleration component that a standing CMJ does not. In light of this, practitioners need to understand the value of an athlete’s ability to rapidly decelerate horizontal speed and project vertically with minimal energy loss.
Athletes who perform better at horizontal deceleration and relative horizontal braking impulse generated greater concentric forces and velocities, jump heights, and RSImod values. Higher performing athletes with regard to horizontal braking impulse generated greater eccentric force and power values in the CMJ. The best performing athletes during deceleration were also the best performers during the CMJ.
These findings show the importance of deceleration ability with regard to vertical movements. Because the AVJ uses horizontal deceleration, high performers in deceleration likely will also be the high performers in AVJ height.
Tweet ThisThe approach jump has a large horizontal deceleration component that a standing CMJ does not. In light of this, practitioners need to understand the value of an athlete’s ability to rapidly decelerate horizontal speed.
Cameron Cunningham
Phases of the approach vertical jump
The most common breakdown of the approach vertical jump is the approach, penultimate step, takeoff, and landing.
Approach phase
The approach phase spans from the beginning of the movement until the athlete takes their last two steps. This phase incorporates the distance and velocity the athlete uses to propel body mass from the floor prior to the penultimate step.
Penultimate phase
The penultimate phase of the AVJ encompasses the last two steps prior to takeoff. A longer penultimate phase allows for greater transfer of horizontal speed, lowering the center of gravity, thereby allowing for quicker concentric force production at greatest knee flexion. An adequate penultimate step also results in the lower shank projecting at about 45° relative to the floor, which is optimal for decelerating and allows for translation vertically.
Takeoff phase
The takeoff phase begins once both feet begin to leave the ground, resulting in vertical displacement. Concentric strength plays a large role in accelerating into triple extension prior to leaving the ground.
Landing phase
The landing phase begins once one foot contacts the ground, resulting in deceleration and stabilization of the body mass and gravity. The landing phase is the opportunity for the practitioner to visualize how an athlete absorbs large amounts of force.
Landing phase accumulates force production at takeoff with the addition of gravity, causing the landing to have the highest GRF.
Training the approach vertical jump
Improving the approach phase starts with understanding how the athlete performs during this phase.
Typically, the athlete will either accelerate quickly or slowly creep into the penultimate step. If an athlete is able to bring velocity to the jump, we can usually conclude they can handle high amounts of eccentric force to reproduce and transmit the force vertically. Conversely, if an athlete is slow to approach the jump, they are most likely biasing lower body strength they can use at slower eccentric speeds.
Targeted training for the approach phase includes various acceleration starts (falling starts, push up, two point stance) and accelerations overcoming isometrics.
Athletes will most likely display a small or large penultimate step prior to jumping. Ideally, the penultimate will be the longest step of the approach and allow the athlete to decelerate at an optimal position (shank at 45°) while sitting into about 90° of knee flexion.
Horizontal to vertical plyometrics, depth jumps, drop jumps, and repeated CMJs can train the horizontal deceleration / eccentric phase of the AVJ. Banded penultimate steps and banded penultimate deceleration address this stage of the single leg approach jump.
When evaluating the takeoff stage, pay attention to whether the athlete exhibits deep or shallow ranges of hip, knee, ankle flexion; and whether the athlete reaches triple extension. For the double leg approach jump, program exercises for slow SSC, power movements, weightlifting derivatives, and vertical braking activities.
Finally, for the landing phase, practicing landings via the tuck and roll, and pushing and landing on one and two legs. The latter can come through single and double leg altitude drops.
| Low force | High force | |
| Emphasis on: – ground contact times – motor skill – reactive strength – tendon stiffness | Mixed approach: – contrast training – strength and plyometrics | Fast to peak force |
| Typically beginner athletes. Program small hops and basic strength | Emphasis on force production: – speed of force production – total force production – local muscle strength | Slow to peak force |
| Metric | Single leg approach vertical jump | Double leg approach vertical jump |
| Ground contact time | Shorter | Longer |
| Higher | Lower | |
| Kinematic qualities | Shallow hip, knee, and ankle flexion | Deep hip, knee, and ankle flexion |
| Key performance indicators (KPI) | Speed-strength, reactive strength, fast SSC, joint angle specific | Lower body strength, slow SSC, power, strength-speed |
Tweet ThisAthletes will either accelerate quickly or slowly creep into the penultimate step. If an athlete is able to bring velocity to the jump, we can usually conclude they can handle high amounts of eccentric force to reproduce and transmit the force vertically.
Cameron Cunningham
Pilot data of approach vertical jump in volleyball
The force plate data below is from five female volleyball players, looking at relative braking and propulsive ability. We also examined the difference in jump height between SVJ and AVJ using a Vertec. The examples highlight the variation in relative braking and propulsive ability: higher braking values did not correlate to better approach jump performance. Due to the increased approach velocity and decreased ground reaction time, it is likely the force plate metrics used to correlate to high vertical jump heights will differ with the AVJ.
Athlete 1:
Standing CMJ – 17
Approach Vertical Jump – 21
Athlete 2:
Standing CMJ 20
Approach CMJ 20
Athlete 3:
Standing CMJ 19
Approach 23
Athlete 4:
Standing 17
Approach 22
Athlete 5:
Standing CMJ – 22
Approach – 24
As practitioners and coaches, our goal is to prepare athletes for the demands of the sport and influence sport performance through enhancements in physical ability. To maximize the translation to the sport, we must consider what occurs during the sport and reverse engineer. The AVJ differs from the traditional SVJ because of the increased approach velocity, decreased ground reaction times, shallow lower body joint angles, jump technique, and greater overall force production. Coaches should explore using the AVJ to profile athletes and evaluate their preferred strategy to train accordingly. Perhaps most importantly, we should look at the difference between the AVJ and SVJ to understand the athlete’s ability to produce and absorb high forces similar to what an athlete would display in competition.
Tweet ThisAs practitioners, our goal is to prepare athletes for the demands of the sport and enhance physical ability. Coaches should explore using the AVJ to profile athletes and evaluate their preferred strategy to train accordingly.
Cameron Cunningham
