The Fosbury Flop
Changed Everything!

The fosbury flop, is a technique that turned the high jumping world upside down.

Dick Fosbury, a 21 year old American showcased this new technique to world during the summer games of 1968. Utilizing his new technique he not only captured the gold, but set a new Olympic record with a jump of 2.24 meters or 7 feet 4.25 inches.

This technique allowed him to approach the bar with much greater speed, and jump with his back to the bar.

Before this style was developed, the elite jumpers of the time used many other various techniques, such as the...

• Straddle technique


• Western Roll


• Scissor Jump


• Eastern cut off

These techniques were used because jumpers previously had to land with their feet on low piles of mats, or sand pits. It was only when foam mats were introduced that the flop style could be performed.

One of the first unique aspects of this technique is the motion of clearing the bar "back-first." By leading with the head and shoulders, the body is put into a position where it actually spends a lot of time below the bar.

With the back first motion the body can rotate into a position where the the hips can be raised or "arched" into position for a better clearance.

Look Here To See Video Of Dick Fosbury Using His Technique

The interesting thing about this style is that the center of mass can actually still be kept below the bar as the body clears it. Using the older techniques, the ability to keep much of the body below the bar and still succeed with the jump is near impossible. The flop is a more efficient way to jump!

To be able to get in this position, a different style approach needs to be used. While Dick Fosbury used a "C" shaped approach, the predominant high jump approach used today is that of a modified "J".

The modified "J" allows jumpers to transfer their speed into vertical lift. This is done through a progression of steps that are run straight ahead and then transitioned into a curved run.

The curved part of the high jump approach is where a lean develops. This lean in combination with a vertical take off and knee drive, creates a rotation on the body so that the back ends up facing the bar.

This rotation puts the body into the lying back position that is the signature trait of the "flop" style.

Flop History

Even though the majority of the world had never seen the flop technique until 1968, Dick Fosbury himself had been using and perfecting the technique for years.

At the age of 16 he developed this style out of frustration of not being able to perform the straddle technique correctly. From there he reverted to the scissor technique, where in May 1963 while only being able to jump so high with the scissor, he modified it.

Fosbury began to lift his hips when he jumped. As the hips raised, the shoulders fell back, leading to the back first position.

From this point on he perfected his style. It was so successful that in 1968 he won the...

• NCAA high jump title


• US olympic trials


• The Olympic games in Mexico City

As for who invented the phrase "fosbury flop". He coined it himself, after remembering a photo taken during his high school days where the caption made reference to him flopping over the bar.

For more information on how to high jump using the fosbury flop, it is important to begin with the proper High jump drills.

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