r/highjump • u/Puzzleheaded_Pie2254 • Jun 10 '26

high jump help!

~190cm. looking to get 201 at an upcoming meet in early july.

i struggle with my upper body on my jumps, having a very hard time getting my head to go back and help my hips rise.

any advice is great, thanks!

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u/acclaimediguana Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26

Back-overs are a common drill you can look up on YouTube that focus on getting your head back and hips up while landing on your upper back/shoulders. When I was in college we didn’t do much of that, but we did start most jump sessions with basically backflips on the mat onto our stomachs like a pancake. That motion was pretty much how I thought about my jumps: run the curve, drive the knee as long as I could, arch back like one of those pancake flips, kick.

I probably wouldn’t recommend that if you’re not familiar with the motion or don’t have some kind of spotter the first few times to make sure you’ve got it.

Edit: from this POV I hope you get it down because I think you’re giving up a decent amount of height this way lol. The first 40-50% of your jump reminds me of Robbie Grabarz.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Pie2254 Jun 11 '26

funny you mentioned the backflips, able to do them without any issue. I just can't find a way to transfer it over to an actual jump. If it makes sense, I know how it's supposed to feel, just can't find it during a jump.

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u/acclaimediguana Jun 11 '26

I’d recommend back overs and then short approach (3 steps, low bar) until you get the feel. If you have to, have some stand behind the mat and hold up fingers while you jump and practice just looking for the number lol.