Biomechanics Kinematics of Jumping, Literature Review

Literature review Jumping is a movement which is fundamental to a vast majority of sports (Grimshaw et.al 2006). The goal of a jump may be to try and achieve the longest or highest jump possible, as in long jump and high jump; or they may be performed to intercept the opposition for example a header in football or defensive block in basketball (Matavulj et.al, 2001) (Juarez et.al, 2011). An example of a jump is a counter-movement jump as defined by (Marshall Moran 2013) as being a form of vertical jump which involves a preparatory movement downwards before a forceful extension of the hip, knee and ankle moves the body upwards into the concentric phase. A jump which can be related to both vertical jump at toe-off (concentric) and counter-movement jump at the landing phase (eccentric) is a drop jump. Drop jump It is explained by (Hilfiker et.al, 2007) that the drop jump is used in training and in the pre-match warm-ups for sports such as, football, basketball and volleyball where counter-movement in a jump is a regular occurrence. (Bobbert 1986) states how the hip, knee and ankle joints all experience a period of flexion during the counter-movement phase of a drop jump. During this phase the main contractions of muscles are the eccentric contraction of the hip, knee and ankle extensors. (Young Behm 2003) explain that before partaking in a drop jump, stretches for the hamstring, ankle plantar flexors and the quadriceps should take place as these are the main