Takeoff Point

The takeoff point is the distance measured from the takeoff foot toe to the top of the back wall of the box.

There is no single correct takeoff point. For one athlete it moves with approach speed, with grip height, with jumping ability on the day, and with whether the athlete completes a free takeoff or works through pole resistance. Each of these shifts it by inches, and together they often move the takeoff point within a foot.

The optimal takeoff point is where an athlete can complete a balanced free jump. Too close and the weight and impulse are transferred to the pole too early; too far and the transfer is too late.

This is a practical consideration for each jump. In some conditions it is advantageous to take off closer to the box, so that the impulse transfers to the pole earlier than theoretical perfection would suggest.

The takeoff point cannot be trained by marking it. It is trained through the drop, plant and jump combination, through jumping ability, and through speed.

Coach and athlete should be able to say whether the point was too close or too far without looking at it — by when the impulse transferred to the pole, and how that fitted the whole jump.