Efficient Landing

The compromise between distance and landing

The landing is the final phase where the athlete materializes the distance gained. The goal is to touch the sand as far as possible without falling backwards over the mark left by the heels. This requires maximum forward extension of the legs.

However, the more the legs are extended, the more difficult it is to maintain balance after impact.

The athlete should seek to place the heels at the point where the parabolic flight curve intersects the sand.

If he attempts to extend beyond that point ("over-reaching"), his heels will touch the sand, but his hips will fall behind them, subtracting distance from the official measurement.

The mechanics of the final extension

To execute a good landing, the athlete must raise the knees to the chest in the final phase of the flight and, just before impact, extend the legs fully forward.

The feet should be in dorsiflexion (toes pointing to the sky) to maximize heel clearance.

Simultaneously, the arms, which may have been behind or above for balance, should launch aggressively forward or perform a downward and backward sweep at the exact moment of impact.

This arm action transfers momentum forward, helping the body weight to shift over the feet and not get stuck behind.

Lateral absorption and exit

Upon contact with the sand, the knees must flex ("collapse") in a controlled manner to absorb the impact.

This flexion allows the hips to move forward past the heel strike.

A common technique is to allow the knees to bend and the body to slide to the side (lateral landing), which helps to avoid falling straight back.

The most costly error in this phase is stiffness: if the athlete keeps the legs stiff at impact, they will bounce backwards or hurt themselves.

The instruction is to "attack the sand with your heels and let your butt go over it