10 lords a leaping

[drinky]

In this article, http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_096.html, Cecil says that Baryshnekov (sp) could leap 6 feet. I don’t mean to be a playuh-haytuh, but what does he mean, exactly?

I can see that if he did one of those freaky split jumps (a grand jete, I think) that the distance from the floor to his, uh, lowest point, might be 6 feet (wow). But I cannot beleive that ANYONE has EVER had a 72" vertical leap - meaning top-of-head while standing to top-of-head while leaping. Even the strongest, nastiest, rim-rockingest NBA superstars have verticals around 45 to 50 inches.

If he could do that, he would also hold the high jump record, if he wanted to, considering that his center of gravity would be about 9 feet off the floor with a 6 foot vertical, and with the proper technique, the center of gravity does not go over the bar, but the entire body does.

Spud Webb, about Comrade B’s size, could dunk, meaning his vertical was about 48 inches. Have you ever seen that guy jump? It looks like he is on an invisible elevator. Going 2 more feet and grabbing the top of the backboard is out of the question. Impossible.

Or maybe I am just jealous with my gravity bound 33 inch vertical. Which, for a 5 foot 4 guy means I can jump high enough to look Yao Ming in the eye.

[Nametag]

The consensus here is that Cecil meant Baryshnikov could get the lowest part of his body about 6 feet off the ground. Vertical leap isn’t really relevant, as ballet leaps are generally a running and jumping sort of thing.

I don’t know who Spud Webb is, but I’ll bet that anyone who can dunk from a standing leap could grab the top of the backboard with a running leap (if he didn’t crash into something). Bear in mind that Baryshnikov was one of the premiere dancers in history, and perhaps the highest leaper in history. As such, he is physically the equivalent of an Olympic athlete, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he could have equalled the high jump record, given the proper training.

[Irishman]

There was a previous thread on this topic. I tried digging up information to confirm Baryshnakov’s high jump record, but could not locate any information on the topic. (Try web searches and see what you get. I got lots of “he jumps like Baryshnakov”. Even asked a librarian, to no avail.)

From what I read on the topic, sources claim there is no distinction between a vertical leap from standing and a running vertical leap. The total height achievable remains the same. I would prefer to see something like a biomechanics study to confirm this, but didn’t turn up anything on that, either.

drinky, your assessment is correct. His lowest point clears 6 feet, not his head goes up 72 inches.

Nametag, Spud Webb was an NBA player who was about 5 ft 7 in tall. http://www.nba.com/canada/bu_dunking.html

[drinky]

We could try to estimate M.B.'s vertical leap like this: At 5 foot 8, he probably has around a 32 inch inseam. If he can clear 6 feet doing one of those split-jump deals, that means that his vertical is around 40 inches. Seems kind of low, but not if you think about the fact that he is not running into it at full speed or even trying for just height.

One component of vertical leaping ability is forward arm speed at take-off. A baskeball player uses a lot of this, but a ballet dancer does not. I’m guessing M.B.'s vertical leap to be around 46 to 48 inches, meaning he could jump like Spudd Webb.

Now as for Dr. J…

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

1911 Encyclopedia entry.
http://28.1911encyclopedia.org/J/JU/JUNAGARH.htm

The standing high jump is rarely seen in regular athletic meetings. The jumper stands sideways to the bar with his arms extended upwards. He then swings his arms down slowly, bending his knees at the same time, and, giving his arms a violent upward swing, springs from the ground. As the body rises the arms are brought down, one leg is thrown over the bar, and the other pulled, almost jerked, after it. The record for the standing high jump without weights is 6 ft., by J. Darby in 1892.

Purdue.
http://purduesports.ocsn.com/trads/pur-olympians.html

1900 - Paris, France - Purdue’s Ray Ewry came away with three gold medals. The Lafayette, Ind., native captured the standing long jump with a distance of 3.21 meters (10 feet, 6.25 inches). Ewry also won the standing triple jump with a jump of 10.58 meters (34-8.5). Finally, he set a world record with his gold medal-winning standing high jump of 1.65 meters (5-5).

So yeah, since Baryshnikov is doing it at a run, I can see him elevating 6 feet into the air. I’m more impressed by Raymond Ewry and J. Darby, actually, doing it from a standstill.

[Irishman]

On jumping, I was able to locate the following:

http://people.westminstercollege.edu/faculty/ccline/courses/phys211/highjump.pdf (pdf file)

The high jump differs from the standing or “Sargent” jump because it is not just a vertical jump, there is also a horizontal motion involved which carries the jumper across the bar. In order for the jumper to achieve maximum height, he must takeoff with the greatest vertical speed possible. The run-up helps the jumper create a more vertical force, which he enhances by swinging his arms and free leg upward before he leaves the ground.

Physics of dance
http://web.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-gollin/dance/dance_physics.html
Basic primer to physics as applied to dance, but toward the bottom is a diagram of the jumping motion showing how the center of mass remains lower than cleared height.

Vertical jump comparing squat jump vs. countermovement jump.
http://www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/ess//linthorne/BiomechanicsAthletics/VerticalJumping.htm

The information especially in that first link contradicts what I’ve previously read that vertical jump height is independent of horizontal motion. I know in physics the two components are separated vectorally, but the mechanics of the human body plays a role in how applying force in one direction can increase the force applied in another.