Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Postural Organization of Gait Initiation for Biomechanical Analysis Using Force Platform Recordings
Published on: July 26, 2022
Does foot pitch at ground contact affect parachute landing technique?
John W Whitting1, Julie R Steele, Mark Jaffrey
1Biomechanics Research Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Abstract:
The Australian Defence Force Parachute Training School instructs trainees to make initial ground contact using a flat foot whereas United States paratroopers are taught to contact the ground with the ball of the foot first. This study aimed to determine whether differences in foot pitch affected parachute landing technique. Kinematic, ground reaction force and electromyographic data were analyzed for 28 parachutists who performed parachute landings (vertical descent velocity = 3.4 m x s(-1)) from a monorail apparatus. Independent t-tests were used to determine significant (p < 0.05) differences between variables characterizing foot pitch. Subjects who landed flat-footed displayed less knee and ankle flexion, sustained higher peak ground reaction forces, and took less time to reach peak force than those who landed on the balls of their feet. Although forefoot landings lowered ground reaction forces compared to landing flat-footed, further research is required to confirm whether this is a safer parachute landing strategy.
Related Concept Videos
Projectile Motion
Projectile Motion
When an object falls under gravity and has no horizontal...
Motion of a Projectile
Horizontal motion, governed by the initial kick, maintains a constant velocity throughout the flight of the soccer ball.
Impact: Problem Solving
By designating the launch point as the origin and utilizing kinematic equations, the vertical component of the projectile's velocity at the point of impact is...
Drag Force and Terminal Speed
Taping Over Different Ground Profiles
