Vol.

2b | January 2024

THE COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP

P L A Y B O O K
 PAGE 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Countermovement Jump ...................................................................... 3
Quiet Phase ............................................................................................... 4
Unweighting Phase .................................................................................... 5
Braking Phase ........................................................................................... 6
Transfer Point ............................................................................................ 7
Propulsive Phase ....................................................................................... 8
Flight Phase ............................................................................................... 9
Landing Phase ........................................................................................... 10
Putting it All Together ............................................................................... 11
Summary ................................................................................................... 12

This eBook was produced by the Hawkin Dynamics (HD) Performance Team with
influence from industry experts; Dr. John McMahon, Prof. Jason Lake, Dr. Timothy
Suchomel, and Prof. Paul Comfort and their paper, "Understanding the Key Phases
of the Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve."

McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key
Phases of the Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal,
40(4), 96–106. https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375

THE COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP
What is it?
The Countermovement Jump (CMJ) is a
commonly used test of athletic
performance. It is a movement that
includes both a stretch (eccentric) and
shortening (concentric) phase. The CMJ
assessment is useful for detecting both
athletic ability, and for identifying an
athlete's areas of weakness.
Athletes from almost every sport
incorporate CMJ mechanics either - fully
or partially - in training or competition. The
CMJ assessment includes both
performance metrics and descriptive
indicators—i.e. both how high an athlete
jumped (performance) and how he or she
achieved that performance (descriptive).
We’re looking at the outcome of the test in
addition to an explanation of the athlete’s
movement pattern. The CMJ assessment
can answer questions like; "Was the
athlete quick? Are they slow but powerful?
Was the jump shallow or deep?" There are
several different insights we can obtain
from not only the height of an athlete's
jump but also how they performed the
jump.
Images by Henry Barrera, Director of Basketball Performance at
the University of Alabama. #HawkinFamily
McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375
PAGE 3
QUIET PHASE UNWEIGHTING BRAKING PROPULSIVE FLIGHT PHASE LANDING
FORCE (N)
6 PHASES OF THE
0 1.0
1.4 1.55 1.81 2.42
COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP
TIME (S)
What is the Application in Sport?
With the CMJ being a simple, practical, and
reliable form of lower-body power, it is a prime
assessment that can be used to measure and
monitor athletic performance. Sports such as
football, rugby, basketball, volleyball, sprinting,
etc. can all benefit from CMJ assessments on
force plates. Even sports that do not exhibit a
large vertical component can still benefit because
vertical force is the driver of all human
movement. Even in horizontal movements such
as sprinting, the dominating force component is
vertical.
A force-time curve of a CMJ (shown above)
displays the specific phases of the jump to
evaluate the productivity and efficiency of the
movement patterns.
The following pages will dive deeper into each
phase of the CMJ and how they can be applied to
sport as well as athletic performance.
 PAGE 4

QUIET PHASE
What is it?
QUIET PHASE
"The quiet phase sets the stage
The first phase of the CMJ is the quiet phase for all other metrics."
(sometimes referred to as the weighing phase,
stance phase, or silent period). At this phase,

FORCE (N)
the athlete is required to stand as still as
possible, for at least 1 second. This is the
period before the movement begins during
which system weight is calculated. The system
weight is the athlete's body weight measured in
Newtons and can later be reported in pounds or
kilograms. The graphic on the right highlights
where the quiet phase occurs on the force-time
curve. It is important to cue the athlete to stand 0 1.0 1.4 1.55 1.81

still to keep the validity of the weighing period TIME (S)

high.

What is the Application in Sport?

The quiet phase of the CMJ on the HD force plates allows for the weight of the athlete to be
calculated and recorded, making it easier to track an athlete's weight status. In the HD Cloud
there is a Weight Report that analyzes the athlete's weight, shows the athlete's trend as well as
calculates a percent difference to show if the athlete's weight is fluctuating up or down. The
graphic below is from the HD cloud's Weight Report. The athlete in this example has a green
arrow pointing upward, indicating that she has gained weight in comparison to her all-time
weight average for that particular force plate session. In the HD cloud, the color and arrow
correspond with the percent and direction of change. In this example, the athlete has a 1.8 lbs
increase in weight compared to her all-time average.

McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375

UNWEIGHTING PHASE
What is it?
The second phase of the CMJ is the
unweighting phase, where the athlete begins
the countermovement by first relaxing the
agonist muscles, resulting in combined flexion
of the hips and knees, which also includes
some dorsiflexion. The unweighting phase
begins at the onset of movement which is
usually identified as the instant at which
system weight is reduced below a set
threshold value of force. This phase is when
the athlete drops down and "unweights" or
shows a force lower than system weight
because they are essentially in free fall. This
phase is defined by a negative velocity that is
continuing to descend (increasing velocity in
the negative direction). The graphic on the
right highlights where the unweighting phase
occurs on the force-time curve.
Pro Snowboarder
MLB Shortstop
McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375
PAGE 5
UNWEIGHTING "The first half of the
unweighting phase
can be thought of as
a free fall."
FORCE (N)
0 1.0 1.4 1.55 1.81
TIME (S)
What is the Application in Sport?
The unweighting phase is an important
preparation phase for athletes. Typically if an
athlete is not able to efficiently use this phase,
their following phases will suffer in terms of
performance. Usually the better an athlete
unweights, the more efficient the braking and
propulsive phases are. It is also important to note
that the area of the unweighting phase will be
equivalent to the area in the braking phase.
For example, on the left, there are two force-time
curves from two different professional athletes.
The professional snowboarder (top) does not
effectively use the unweighting phase and
therefore they do not produce a lot of force in the
braking phase. Compared to the professional
baseball player (bottom) who is efficiently using
the unweighting phase and therefore can produce
more force in the braking phase. The reason for a
difference in these two force-time curves could be
due to the sport demands that each of these
athletes face, respectively.
 PAGE 6

BRAKING PHASE
What is it?
BRAKING
The third phase of the CMJ is the braking
phase, where the athlete decelerates (i.e.
“brakes”) their center-of-mass (COM). Braking is
defined (in the HD software) as when the

FORCE (N)
athlete's COM velocity is still negative but is
ascending toward 0 m/s. After the athlete
reaches their lowest force in the unweighting
phase and force returns to system weight,
braking begins. At this point, the athlete
continues to apply force to decelerate their
mass. Visually, the athlete is still moving
downwards. This phase commences from the
0 1.0 1.4 1.55 1.81
instant of peak negative COM velocity through
to when COM velocity increases to zero. This TIME (S)
coincides with the bottom portion of the
countermovement. The graphic to the right
highlights where the braking phase occurs on What is the Application in Sport?
the force-time Curve.
The braking phase provides insight for the
practitioner to quantify how well the athlete can
decelerate their body. In a reductionist view, this
phase can be thought of as the eccentric phase, with
eccentric muscle actions of the legs occurring.
However, this is not entirely true, as both muscle
actions occur.

If an athlete struggles with the braking phase

compared to similar peers, this could tell the
practitioner to focus on movements that target those
Pro Snowboarder muscle actions and qualities.

For example, looking at the professional

snowboarder versus the MLB shortstop - these
athletes play sports that have very different
biomechanical demands. They each possess
different movement patterns as well as absorb and
produce force differently. Generally speaking, the
shortstop would require more braking qualities in
their sport compared to the snowboarder. Therefore,
the baseball player yields a larger braking
impulse to accomplish the jump.
MLB Shortstop

McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375
 PAGE 7

TRANSFER POINT
What is it?
The transfer point, also called switch phase occurs
between the braking and propulsive phases. The
transfer point has yet to be formally mentioned in
research, however, practically it can be thought of TRANSFER POINT

FORCE (N)
as the amortization period or the brief isometric
portion when velocity is zero (see blue dot).

Visually, this is the lowest portion of the CMJ

(when displacement is lowest) and "in the hole" of
the CMJ.

Force at minimum displacement is a metric that

provides the force (N) value at this point. The
impulse ratio is another metric that informs the
practitioner of an athlete's ability to transfer
impulse from the braking phase to the propulsive
phase.
(IR = Prop. Net Impulse / Braking Net Impulse)
PEAK FORCE
PEAK FORCE
0 1.0 1.4 1.55 1.81
TIME (S)
What is the Application in Sport?
We would like to reference Cal Dietz here and his
Triphasic Training book, as well as the famous
"Triphasic V". In Cal's book, he talks about two shot
putters that bench press the same weight, yet one
throws further than the other. He concludes that
the athlete who can throw further spends less time
at the bottom of the "V". Visually, this is the brief
period in time between the descending portion of
the bench press and just before the ascending
portion. In other words, the athlete gets the bar off
the chest very quickly. He is efficient at his transfer
point.
The CMJ is no different. There is a descending
portion (unweighting & braking), and an ascending
portion (propulsive). An athlete who has a smooth
transition from braking to propulsive is an athlete
who is more efficient (athlete B) at transferring
momentum (compared to athlete A). This is an
important quality to maximize jump efficiency and
the athlete's jump potential.

McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375
 PAGE 8

PROPULSIVE PHASE
What is it?
PROPULSIVE
The fourth phase of the CMJ is the
propulsive phase, which has also been
referred to as the concentric, propulsion, and

push-off phase in some studies. The
propulsive phase is where the athlete
forcefully extends their hips, knees, and
ankles to propel their COM vertically. This
phase begins when a positive COM velocity
is achieved (*a velocity threshold of 0.01
m/s has been used with success to identify
the onset of the propulsive phase for large-
full squad data sets). The graphic to the
right highlights where the propulsive phase
is on the force-time curve.
*see paper below
Pro Snowboarder
FORCE (N)
0 1.0 1.4 1.55 1.81
TIME (S)
What is the Application in Sport?
The propulsive phase allows the practitioner and
athlete to visualize how well the athlete is
producing force and power to initiate the push-off.
Here you would analyze data such as average/peak
(relative) propulsive force, or average/peak
(relative) propulsive power (PRPP). Looking at how
well the athlete can transition out of the braking
phase.
The propulsive phase has implications for power
movements as indicated above. Much like the
unweighting and braking phases, this phase can
also be related to certain movements. For example,
if an athlete struggles in the propulsive phase,
Cleans, Trap Bar Jumps, or Pin Squats may be
good exercises to incorporate into the training to
work on propulsive power production.
In terms of sports, we refer back to our
Snowboarder and Shortstop example. The
propulsive force magnitude and time of each are
very different.

MLB Shortstop

McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375
 PAGE 9

FLIGHT PHASE
What is it?
QUIET PHASE UNWEIGHTING BRAKING PROPULSIVE FLIGHT PHASE LANDING

The fifth phase of the CMJ is the

flight phase, which begins at the
instant of take-off. The athlete

FORCE (N)
leaves the force plates with the
intention of attaining maximal
positive COM displacement (i.e.
maximal Jump Height) before
gravity pushes them back down.
As alluded to above, the flight
phase commences at the instant 6 PHASES OF THE
0 1.0
1.4 1.55 1.81 2.42
of take-off (when force falls COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP
below a set threshold) and ends TIME (S)

at the instant of touchdown

(when the athlete contacts the
force plates again and force What is the Application in Sport?
rises above a set threshold). The
The flight phase is simply how long the athlete is in the
graphic to the right highlights
air between their takeoff and landing. It is the outcome
where the flight phase is on the of every muscle action & generation of momentum that
force-time curve. occurs beforehand. In jumping sports, it could be useful
to know flight time. However, flight time is not used in
the calculation of CMJ Jump Height at HD. Jump
Height is instead calculated using takeoff velocity, the
industry gold standard.

McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375
 PAGE 10

LANDING PHASE
What is it?
QUIET PHASE UNWEIGHTING BRAKING PROPULSIVE FLIGHT PHASE LANDING

The sixth and final CMJ phase is

the landing phase, which begins
at the instant the athlete makes

FORCE (N)
contact with the force plate after
the flight phase. In this phase, the
athlete will apply a net impulse
that will equal the propulsion
impulse to decelerate the COM
from the velocity at which it
contacts the force plate through 6 PHASES OF THE
to zero. The landing phase of the 0 1.0
1.4 1.55 1.81 2.42
COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP
CMJ is considered to have ended TIME (S)
when the COM velocity reaches
zero again. The graphic to the
right highlights where the landing What is the Application in Sport?
phase is on the force-time curve.
The landing phase is important and applicable to
The landing velocity of an athlete almost every sport. Landing has always been a huge
focus, especially to reduce the risk of lower limb
will greatly depend on Jump
injuries. With bilateral force plates, the landing phase
Height, meaning the greater the
can show discrepancies between the two limbs and
Jump Height, the greater the
how much force each one "absorbs" (technically
landing velocity will be. produces) on the landing.

For example, in the graphic on the bottom left, the

Relative Peak Landing Force (%)
Sample Framework
individual who jumped in this example absorbed more
force in his/her right limb during the landing phase,
indicating that he/she may favor that right limb over
the left. When looking at force plate metrics after an
athlete jumps, relative peak landing can also play a
crucial role in reducing the risk of injury as well as a
useful tool in return-to-play protocol. In the HD
Software, relative peak landing force is reported as a %.
500% indicates a landing force of 5x system weight.

McMahon, J. J., Suchomel, T. J., Lake, J. P., & Comfort, P. (2018). Understanding the Key Phases of the
Countermovement Jump Force-Time Curve. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(4), 96–106.
https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000375
 PAGE 11

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

The most common metric individuals look for when performing a CMJ is Jump Height. Jump
Height is valuable, but it is not the only metric you should be looking at when using a force plate.

Historically, Jump Height is the most sought-after metric for a few different reasons.
Force plates have been around for over 40 years, but were not accessible to the masses until
recently. Therefore, Jump Height was really the only metric we could closely look at.
Devices like the Vertec, jump mat, accelerometers, linear-position transducers as well as a
wall & chalk, were the affordable options. All of these options over-inflate Jump Height and
don't give us a good look under the hood. They just give us the outcome.
With these devices, Jump Height and flight time were the only variables we could calculate,
therefore, we as an industry developed indexes, testing batteries, and systems that better
helped us understand an athlete's ability. Two examples are Reactive Strength Index - RSI
(Flight Time / Contact Time) and Eccentric Utilization Ratio (EUR). Both are trying to tell us if
an athlete needs more elastic qualities. These devices are good options, however, with a force
plate we can dive much deeper to truly understand an athlete's strategy to produce a jump,
and the engine (driver) that drives the athlete's ability to generate a jump.

Jump Height is the outcome of a chain of events that occur before the athlete leaves the ground.

It is how far the athlete displaces their mass vertically before gravity pulls them back down.
How far they can displace their mass (relative to take-off) is dependent on how quickly they
can move it off the ground.

How quickly they can move their mass off the ground, is dependent on how much impulse they
can generate in the propulsive phase (i.e. Propulsive Net Impulse).
Propulsive Net Impulse is influenced by the athlete's ability to successfully transfer
momentum generated in the braking phase.

The braking phase is dependent on the athlete's ability to efficiently decelerate his/her mass (by
applying force) to prevent him/her from falling to the ground.
The braking phase impulse is dependent on the unweighting impulse. The athlete must quickly
"free fall" from the start of unweighting, apply force at the bottom of the unweighting phase,
and produce force back up to system weight to enter the braking phase.

All of this is dependent on the athlete's relative (i.e. System Weight) ability to
apply force in the time constraints of his/her respective sport.
 PAGE 12

SUMMARY
As seen in our examples throughout this eBook, not every athlete applies force in the same manner.
Assessing the way your athletes produce force with respect to time can benefit them and you when
applying that information to training. Whether you're using the CMJ assessment for monitoring,
benchmarking, profiling, or return to play, it can play a critical role in the day-to-day, week-to-week,
month-to-month, and year-to-year programming for athletes of all levels.

The purpose of this eBook is to clarify any questions associated with the reasoning and application
of the CMJ in sports. The goal is to provide clear information to help coaches, practitioners, and
athletes understand why assessing the CMJ can be useful in the sports performance setting. If you
are a coach or practitioner we hope that you found value in this eBook. If you are an athlete, hopefully,
this helps you better understand why you regularly perform this assessment.

If you have any questions or are more curious about HD you can click on our social links below or
reach out on our customer support page, we would love to connect and answer any questions. If you
are interested in the HD Force Plates you can also set up a demo with one of our team members.

Next in the HD Playbook Series:

The Squat Jump

Created by Karah Bell & Drake Berberet

HD Performance Team