Stop Making these 4 Jump Mistakes

I am about to coach my 6th Jump Clinic of the year and I can already tell you the 4 most common mistakes I’ll see. Don’t worry, I used to make these mistakes too, and more! Jumping did not come naturally to me. Every time my wheels left the ground I’d end up sideways in the air then subsequently sideways on the ground. It wasn’t until I spent an entire summer working on my jumps, and riding flat pedals, that jumping finally started to feel more natural, controlled, and fun!

So if you too find yourself an awkward orangutang in the air, don’t worry, there’s hope! Check out these 4 common mistakes and their corresponding fixes to start leaving the ground with more confidence and control!

#1: Stop Squashing your jumps

One of the first things I do when I coach a jump clinic is have people jump. Not on their bike, but on their feet! Go ahead and try it. Stand up and jump. Jump Up! Jump high! Notice the movement patterns that occur in your body. You bend at the knees, drive force through your feet down into the ground, and then…jump UP! If you never fully extend your body, you will never jump very high. A common mistake people make is they stay low and crouched all the way through the jump. I call this “the squash.” It’s like trying to jump but keeping your knees bent the entire time. The fix? Instead of staying low, practice getting high! Some people like the phrase, “stand up to the jump,” or “hump the bars.” Imagine you are trying to jump (on your feet) from the face of the jump to the landing of the jump. Then perform that same movement pattern, but on the bike!

#2: Stop “popping“ early

Timing is one of the 3 key components to good jumps. A common question is, “when do you ‘pop’ or fully stand up on the jump? I like to work backwards and ‘pop’ or fully extend as the front wheel is leaving the lip of the jump. It you’re too early, you never get very far off the ground, which is a good strategy if you’re trying to “scrub” or absorb a jump! But if you want to get air, then you need to be patient with your jump. The Fix? Be patient and aim to fully extend as the front tire is leaving the lip!

Jump Tips

Body Positioning:

In the example photo you can see I am holding the bike to allow the athlete to feel where their body should be as they are going off the lip of the jump! Pro tip: keep the upper body relaxed.

Timing:

Aim to be in this “triple extension” position as the front wheel of the bike is leaving the lip of the jump.

#3: Stop leaning back

A lot of people I coach lean back as they go up the face of the jump. Or, they push their body backwards thinking they are pushing the bike forwards. Both create problems as you move your center of mass farther away from the center of mass of the bike.

Let’s go back to the example of you jumping off the ground from your feet, not your bike. There is zero backwards movement. You crouch down and shoot straight up. Do the same thing you do in your body on the bike! The fix? Drive your knees into the face of the jump as your approach.

NOTE: The caveat here is there are types of jumps such as jumps with a very mellow ramp, where you will want to lean back and employ more of a bunny hop technique in order to get more air. But, when you are starting out, I like to keep things simple and straightforward, and master the basics before moving on. So get comfy with compressing straight down, and jumping straight up before you start to add a bunny hop into your jump routine!

# 4: Stop Pulling on the Bars

It’s easy to trick ourselves into thinking we are catching more air by pulling the bars up. But remember that in-the-air sideways experience? We want to avoid going sideways (at least until we’ve mastered the basics). As humans we all have muscular imbalances, and when we pull on the bars of the mountain bike, we never pull evenly. Thus, tugging on the bars to get “more air” results in the dreaded bar turn, which often results in landing with the bars turned and we all know how that ends. The fix? Relax! Relax your upper body. Shake out your arms, roll back your shoulders, get loose! Jumping is about timing, and driving down through the hips and feet, then standing up (or jumping) off your feet and driving your hips forwards!

In conclusion, when you first start jumping, set the bike down and just jump. Walk over to a jump, and jump! Jump from the lip to the landing. NOTE: if they are dirt jumps DO NOT stand on the lip, and always be careful of other riders coming down the trail. But think about what you do in your body, before you take it to the bike! It’s really helpful to have a friend film you in slow motion from the side, not straight on. This will allow you to see what your body is doing relative to the jump face. If you’re looking for more jump tips, check out my blog post, better jumps in 3 steps, or better yet, sign up for a jump clinic!

Happy Jumping!