lineout jump

Question
i am a 2nd row forward playing for my local club 1st team and really want to fine tune my lineout jump. i was wondering if you could tell me in as much detail as you like the perfect technique

Answer
Hi Steve,

There are a few techniques so keep that in mind. I will give you what I think is the best. The key thing is to get with your lifters. Practically speaking you are a team within a team. The technique that is the most successful for you as a team will be the best.

Careful about choosing a technique that is good for you but tires our your lifters or vise versa.

It is all about timing. Timing between you , your lifters and your hooker.

The 4 of you need to get together and working it all out and it may take a lot of practice to have things click.

As a jumper the best thing you can do is work on your vertical leap. To find it out get a piece of chalk and jump next to a wall and mark as high as you can on the wall. Having marked the wall while standing next to it first you will know your vertical leap. Working on explosive exercises in the gym and at home (simple two foot jumps up onto a stair works) you can improve your vertical leap.

The lifter behind you should generally be taller and the one in from takes  more of a "guide" or stability function.

Much practice in needed. Make sure to practice drifting forward and back just prior to a jump as well . You may need to beat an opposing jumper who is getting higher than you but getting in front of him. This is good for stealing their ball as well.

Next make sure to give your hooker a good target to hit. Make your hands a target but all ways having them fanned out with the thumbs touching. A good practice technique is for you to hold a piece of card board up with a target on it and practice having your hooker hitting the target. Hold the target up high, low in the chest, in the center of the tunnel etc. Then take away the card board and go to the "thumbs together" action again.

The lifter need to give you the chance to get your upward momentum going before they kick in with their lift. The should be squatting down low (bent knees) and locking their arms straight as you are driving up to make your leap. Just prior to you hitting your apex they should be pushing up with their legs and straight arms to give you the next push.

I feel this technique is best over the long run during a game the jump will be more consistent and stable because the lifters are not using their arms to lift you they are using their legs in a squat fashion. Arms get tired quick, legs not so much.

To advance you can have the rear lifter lift you from under the cheeks of your back-side where your rump meets your legs, and the front lifter gripping you just above the knee.  You will end up "sitting" on the rear lifters hands with the front lifter stabilizing you by the knees.

I could go on an on but you really need to practice a lot. Do so and come back to me with any specific questions.