Why Do High Jumpers Go Over the Bar Backward? (Fosbury Flop vs. Western Roll)
Summary
If you’ve ever watched the high jump, you’ve noticed athletes arch over the bar backward, landing on their backs. This technique is called the Fosbury Flop, named after Dick Fosbury, who revolutionized the event in the late 1960s. It replaced older forward-facing styles like the Western Roll because it allows athletes to jump higher, safer, and more efficiently.
Heads up: some of the links below are affiliate links. Translation? If you buy through them, we get a small kickback to keep the lights on and the blocks set. Doesn’t cost you a cent more, just fuels more calculators, guides, and gear breakdowns for you. So, if you're down to support us and score some cool stuff, click away. Thanks for being awesome! Full disclosure here.
A Brief History of High Jump Techniques
Scissor Kick (late 1800s): Upright, hurdler-like jump over the bar.
Eastern Cut-off (early 1900s): Body more parallel to the bar, with one leg leading.
Western Roll (1910s–1960s): Athlete rolled over the bar belly-down, facing forward.
Straddle (1950s–1970s): Belly-first, with a diving motion.
Fosbury Flop (1968 → today): Back-first technique became the global standard.
Why the Fosbury Flop Works Better
Center of Mass Advantage
In the flop, an athlete’s center of mass actually passes below the bar while the body clears it.
Physics: allows higher clearance with the same energy.
Energy Efficiency
Backward arch stores elastic energy in the body, using flexibility + takeoff force together.
Safety
Foam landing pits (introduced mid-20th century) made back-first landings safe, unlike older sand/wood chip pits.
| Technique | Era | Body Position Over Bar | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scissor Kick | 1880s–1910s | Upright, hurdler style | Simple but limited height |
| Western Roll | 1910s–1960s | Belly facing bar, rolling motion | Efficient for its era |
| Straddle | 1950s–1970s | Belly-first, diving motion | Set world records before flop took over |
| Fosbury Flop | 1968–present | Back-first, arched over bar | Modern universal technique |
The Fosbury Flop in Action
Approach Run: Curved sprint builds speed and angle for takeoff.
Takeoff: Plant on one foot, converting horizontal speed into vertical lift.
Back-Arch Over Bar: Shoulders and head clear first, hips drive upward, legs flick last.
Landing: Athlete falls onto back/shoulders on a foam pit.
Western Roll vs. Fosbury Flop
Western Roll: Belly toward bar, athlete “rolls” over. Efficient for its time but limited in height.
Fosbury Flop: Backward arch + center of mass advantage = consistently higher jumps.
👉 Outcome: Every modern world record has been set with the Fosbury Flop.
FAQs
Q1: Why backward instead of forward?
Because backward allows the center of mass to stay lower than the bar, meaning more efficient jumps.
Q2: Who invented the Fosbury Flop?
American jumper Dick Fosbury, who debuted it at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, winning gold.
Q3: Why did it replace the Western Roll?
The flop is biomechanically superior and became dominant once foam pits made it safe.
Q4: Does anyone still use older techniques?
Almost no elite athletes. Lower-level jumpers may experiment, but the flop is the global standard.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
High jumpers go backward because of the Fosbury Flop.
The flop is more efficient, uses better physics, and is safer with modern landing pits.
Western Roll and Straddle were predecessors, now obsolete at elite levels.
The flop has set every world record since the 1970s.
👉 Related: Learn What Are Pole Vault Poles Made Of? or explore our Event Training Guides for technical breakdowns.
