POINTS ON ATHLETIC GAMES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 29

POINTS ON ATHLETIC GAMES.

(ByJMALCOLM W. Fobd, in Turf, Field, and Farm.) Running Broad Jump. The art of jumping to most people is difficult to understand. Jumpers vary so much in build that it is useless to say that a certain athlete can spring well on account of having long legs, or that some other one can spring equally well because he is short, strong and compactly built. Gymnastic instructors often theorise on this subject, but my experience has been that any reason given for a certain athlete's excellence in jumping could be completely dispelled by analysing the build of some other equally good jumper. It is safe to say that the secret of jumping is none other than that attributed to nearly all athletic games where activity is the predominating feature. A wrestler before he can bring about force sufficient to put his antagonist where he wants him must concentrate certain muscles for an effort. Jumpiag requires the same concentration, but it must be of quicker action. There are many different kinds of leaping, but few men are good at more than one or two styles. The reason for this is that there is such a diversity of action in the various jumping events, aud few styles of jumping will develop the muscles used in other styles. Broad jumping, which means clearing a distance, is the easiest to understand, although there are fewer good performers at it than at high jumping. This is because of the difficulty in practising broad jumping, for before one can try, for instance, the running broad jump a level place 75ft or 100 ft long must be found. High jumping needs only a space of 30ft or 40ft and can be practised in a gymnasium almost as well as out of doors.

It is not so with broad jumping, for the athlete to have confidence must land in soft dirt, and even though th< re are gymnasiums with a clear space of 100 ft, a box of dirt for athletes to land in 10ft or 15ffc long and lft deep would take up too much space and be too much of a general nuisance to justify its presence. It can readily be seen that when the facilities for practising high jumping are bo much better than those given for clearing a distance, the latter game should have fewer good performers, even though it is a simpler exercise. Broad jumping, however, is more of a test of a man's spring than high jumping, for there is lees science in it. Running broad jumping consists simply of an athlete running up to a mark on the ground and springing from one foot landing in soft dirt dug up for the purpose, so that there will be no injury caused by a jar from coming in contact with hard ground. The athlete gauges his run so that a certain foot will always be at the takeoff, which is the line from which he springs. In this way the necessary muscles will be developed in the leg used to spring with. The only part in the jump that shows any degree of science is in taking off properly. This means to get the foot on the line where the measurement is made properly, so that no distance will be lost by taking off or stepping back from that line.

The accompanying diagram shows at a glance how a running broad jump is made. The upper dotted line is the course described by the jumper's head and the lower one describes that taken by the feet. It will be noticed that the feet are raised higher while in the air proportionately to the head, and that they are also lowered quicker. But in most cases just before they look as though they would touch the ground they are raised a trifle again until the whole body of the jumper is so far down that he must touch the earth. This, shooting the legs forward as it is called, is done by nearly all good jumpers, and some are under the impression that they [actually take an extra rise while in the air; but the even curve of the head shows that after the jumper has reached a certain height there is nothing to stop the descending movement, and the raising of the legs as ground is approached is done in most cases unconsciously. The effort of the jumper to reach out as far as possible is what causes it. Following is a description of the diagram : Ais the broad jump path, B is the take-off, C is a ditch in front of the take-off, and D is the soft ground. A more detailed explanation of these points ib as follows : The take-off line consists of a joist 6in wide and 3in or 4in thick, sunk flush with the ground with the 6in surface up. Its length is immaterial, and may range anywhere from 3ft to 6ft long, according to the width of jumping path, A ditch is dug in front of the joist or on the side toward the direction the jump is made. The rules say that this ditch shall be at leaßt 6in wide and 3in deep. Its purpose is to prevent the athlete from toeing over the line while jumping, for it can readily be seen that although one may encroach 2in or 3in over the miniature precipice, any further getting forward would result in the foot slipping down in the ditch while in tho act of jumping, which, of course, would prevent even an ordinary distance being cleared.

The place where the athlete lands is dug up to the depth of about a foot. Its nearest edge to the take-off is about 14ft and its furthest edge 26ft ftom the scratch line. The length of this trough all depends upon the class of athletes that use it. If an athlete jumps over 23ft he should land in dirt dug up to the distance of 27ft, so that there is no possibility of his sliding as ho lands in the soft dirt, and being stopped suddenly against the hard ground. Accidents of this kind have happened which have laid athletes on the shelf for some time with a sprained ankle or a strained tendon in a foot.

To cxplaiu the take-off a little further, it may be mentioned that tho reason of its present construction is so that fouls can be easily judged. • The old custom was to have simply a whitewash line on the level path. If an athlete should toe over a quarter of an inch or so it would be apt to cause a dispute. The suggestion of a ditch marking the scratch line would, of course, be considered impracticable unless a square edge could be maintained. Therefore, a board is sunk. All jumps are measured from the edge of this board, which is also the edge of the precipice. If an athlete touches the ground in front of this ditch it is a foul, and as the excavation is 6in wide no one can touch the ground without getting almost the whole foot in front of the take-off on to the flat ground even in front of the ditch, and, of course, any judge would notice that. Tho joist is specified to be 6in wide, because that distance ia sufficient to cover the ball of the foot. If the board were wider it would interfere with the spikes in the jumper's heel. A great many athletes, when they first try a running broad jump with spike shoes, show timidity in running up to the scratch mark and placing their foot on the board on acoount of the feeling that the epikes will stick in the wood and throw them. A few trials at it, however, remove all fear in this regard. Another disagreeable, feeling experienced by uoviegs is

'caused by the liability of the foot going over too far, slipping down in the ditch bringing about a wrenched muscle or tendon. Accidents of this kind are frequent, and only after considerable practice can an athlete run up to the take-off with full force and feel sure of not going over too far. The method used by most athletes in striking the take-off properly is to mark off at some distance back a line on the path and start running from that point, using a fairly regular stride which brings them to the take-off with the proper foot. Some have their marks 100 ft or 125 ft away from the take-off, while others will have an indicator within 30ft or 40ft of the take-off. Those who have marks around the latter distance generally run from 60ft or 70ft, and get a certain foot at their mark and increase their speed from that point. J. S. Voorhees, who formerly held the best American amateur record at this game, of 22ft 7|in, commenced running at a mark 80ft 6in away from the takeoff.

He leaped from his right foot, and would start toeing the 86ft mark. He ran to the take-off with regular strides, measuring but 3ft or 4it at first, but near the take-off reaching in the neighbourhood of 9ft. He was considered very good at taking off, and would lose no more distance by toeing back of the line than is expected of any good jumper. The jump is measured from the take-off, even though the athlete might toe a foot back, so it is to one's interest to get as close to the edge as is possible. When I made the present best amateur record of 23ft 3in in 1885, I toed back three-quarters of an inch from the edge; but on another occasion, when I jumped 22ft lljin, I toed back sin from the edge. Still on another occasion, when I jumped 23ft lin, I toed over between 2in and 3in, and if I had gone over an inch or two further I probably would not have cleared over 20ft on acoount of the spring from the ball of the foot being lost. My system of taking off correctly is in having a mark ranging from 49ft to 51ft back of the take-off.

If the conditions of the day are fair, about 50ft will be the mark, although on oue occasion, when there was a strong breeze blowing in the direction of jumping, I had to go back to 52ft to prevent getting up too near the take-off. When the best record was made my take-off was 51ft, although I started running from about 80ft. My method of running up to the take-off is the same now as then. On that occasion I ran with increasing speed toward the 51ft mark, getting the left foot at that point. That being the foot I spring with is the reason I commence running fast with it. My right then went at about 45ft, left at 39ft, right 33ft, left 27ft, right 20ft, left 13ft, right 6ft, and then the left at the scratch line. These strides might have varied 2in or 3in, but no more, and it will bo noticed that they were about 6ft long to start with, increased to 7ft toward the end, except the last one, which is only 6ffc. All jumpers take a comparatively short stride just in front of the take-off, because of inability to lift well if the foot is put too far in front. A good way to practise a running broad jump is to experiment in taking off properly and jump in a natural way, not paying too much attention to the rise, but making a special point to run up with confidence to the take-off. If one mark does not do try another, but, even after an athlete thinks his distance has been found, he will find that on certain days it will.sait him and at other times it will not. Begin by jumping easily, and after confidence is obtained effort may be used.

do, be continued.)