2. The past president of Bolthouse Farms, Scott LaPorta pursues a number of
active interests. Scott LaPorta particularly enjoys beach volleyball.
The jump in beach volleyball requires different mechanics than does the
same motion on the indoor court. First, the beach volleyball player must
approach the net with strength and decisiveness. A long stride into a two-
foot landing lays the groundwork by packing the sand down under the
player's feet, while concentrating power in his or her core and lower body.
From this two-footed landing, the player squats slightly. Equal weight is
distributed over both feet and the back is slightly curved, so that potential
energy is channeled into the legs, back, and glutes. The arms are extended
slightly backwards and low to the sides, in preparation for the initial upswing.
As the arms come into the air, the momentum begins an unwinding motion
of the upper body.
3. This in turn creates an upward momentum that helps to
reduce the load on the lower muscle groups as they contract
and push the body up and out of the ground.
The jump itself should be flat-footed. This is one of the most
important departures from indoor volleyball technique, which
recommends a pronated approach wherein the weight is
concentrated in the balls of the feet. For the beach volleyball
player, however, this causes the front of the feet to sink into
the sand and minimizes the power of the jump itself.
A flat-footed jump features the feet at a 90-degree angle to
properly concentrate the required force. While the feet may
pronate in the air, a flat takeoff allows as much of the stored
power as possible to translate into height.