which side to hold the pole

[slx2009x]

Hey well here my dilemma, my dominant hand is left but my dominant leg is left too. Last season was my first year doing pole vault and at the beginning i held my pole on the left side with top arm being left and jumped of my right foot. During the season it didn't feel right to me but how could i know how its suppose to feel. I told my coach and she told me to switch to the other side with right arm as the top arm and taking off on the left foot. At a pv camp i couldn't seem to get the swing down and told my instructor (not my coach someone else) that i I'm left handed. Then he told me I should try out the pole on the left side again. I don't feel like i can jump high vertical enough on my right foot...

Anyways my question is, What should be a deciding factor of which side to hold the pole on, my dominant leg or dominant arm?

[nitro]

Id go with which ever one feels right. BTW my friend is left handed and converted to jumping right handed and has jumped 16 10

[ATranPV]

I would go with the dominant hand.

Don't get me wrong, the trail leg is very important in the vault but if you don't have a nice high, straight top hand, there is no take off.

I'm kinda in the same situation. Im right handed and just had a knee injury on my left knee. But I believe you should go with the pole on your left side and train your body to swing jump off your right.

[rainbowgirl28]

I am in your situation and I have always vaulted right handed. If one foot is noticeably more dominant than the other, you're going to have a much easier time vaulting off your dominant foot.

[AeroVault]

Since you are still new to the sport, you have the advantage of still being impressionable. It may feel strange vaulting either left or right handed, but that happens regardless of what your dominant hand/foot combination is.

I cannot give a concrete answer either way, but I would suggest vaulting right handed. The only reason I say this is because you have jumped all your life and know how to do that off of your dominant foot. Although the hands require more coordination at takeoff, it is something that is learned while vaulting and you can still develop that skill. Whichever way you learn, over time it will feel more and more comfortable.

[KirkB]

Good question!

There seem to be mixed opinions on this so far. Maybe a poll would be interesting, if anyone knows how to do this.

My personal experience is that my right leg is much stronger than my left leg, but my right and left arms are somewhat of equal strength. Coordination-wise, I'm right-handed.

I vaulted right-handed/left-footed early in my freshman year of high school, until I realized that I could jump much harder/further if I jumped off my right (dominant) foot. The same week I switched, I actually equalled my PR. (I don't know why I never thought of switching earlier.)

Don't get me wrong, the trail leg is very important in the vault but if you don't have a nice high, straight top hand, there is no take off.

I disagree with this. I think it's relatively easy to train yourself to reach up high and straight with your non-dominant hand. And it's not the trail leg action after takeoff that's critical. It's your jumping ability on takeoff. A lot of vaulters don't understand the importance of jumping hard on takeoff.

PV is like LJ. How far would you jump in LJ if you jumped off the wrong foot? I guess there's the answer for you - choose your takeoff foot based on which one you prefer for LJ! And the greater your difference in LJ, the greater your difference in PV.

Kirk

[powerplant42]

It is probably the best option to go with the dominant hand, because that should make the plant an easier thing to learn. However, there are notable exceptions, like Isinbayeva, who is left handed but vaults right handed.

[golfdane]

?????

Normally, if your dominant leg (the one you'd prefer to kick a ball with) is your right leg, your take-off leg in long jump and high jump would be the left (exceptions occur). The most important thing for your take-off leg, is eccentric strength (not concentric), and the difference between the legs are negligable in that area. The strength of the hip flexors in your swing leg is of major importance (probably strongest in your dominant leg).

I strongly suggest taking of on the opposite of the dominant foot.

[jennyluvsgym]

umm well i would go with your dominant leg
sorry this isnt helpful.
im no expert.

[powerplant42]

If you don't think your post will be helpful, then why post it?

I think this is funny: BTB2 addresses this issue on page 106... the page that most people don't have! http://www.polevaultpower.com/store/images/pg106.jpg

[VaultPurple]

i think if you have the choice you should try to go right handed just because it will make everything easier to learn since the majority of videos and everyone else is right handed. We had a left handed guy on our team this year and it took me forever to try to explain everything backwards.

It is a whole lot easier to just build up some muscle and improve your jumping ability in the weaker leg then to become ambadextrious. I have tried vaulting left handed just to see how it felt and about killed myself!

[VTechVaulter]

go right handed. if your left leg is strong, jump off it. PLUS... as dumb as this may sound... IT IS EASIER TO COACH A RIGHTY. leftys look strange even when they do things right.