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As a 14ft pole vaulter in High School, I was thought the top hand and bottom hand separation on a pole would be placed shoulder width apart.
I currently teach this technique to my Jr high pole vaulters.
Last week I went to a locale collage to get some additional advice on some vaulting techniques.
The major thing I noticed was that the vaults would place their top hand on the pole, press their forearm against the pole. This would be were the vaulters would place their bottom hand( at the end of the elbow).
I thought ok, let’s see what these vaulters can do. Not a single vaulter was moving the pole effectively.
So my question is: What is the rule of thumb you teach your pole vaulters for hand placement.

Wide enoguh so that they can control the pole, yet narrow enough so that they can still get both hands above their head.

Your forearm is about as long as your shoulders are wide... Think about it.

powerplant42 wrote:Your forearm is about as long as your shoulders are wide... Think about it.

Powerplant42,
I’m not sure your statement is accurate, my shoulder width is 6” difference from my forearm measurement.
My sons is 4” difference , I also measured one of his friends and found he had a 3” difference and he is much shorter.
Anyone with some additional advice would be apprecated.

What your grip should really be is how you hold a horizontal bar to swing... Hanging from the bar, the CENTER of the hands should be very close to the CENTER of each shoulder, not the inside of the hands to the outside of the shoulders. Is that the confusion? The center/center is almost perfectly in accordance with the length of the forearm... Just hold your arm to your chest! It's basically EXACT!

grubbs.randall wrote:So my question is: What is the rule of thumb you teach your pole vaulters for hand placement.

I teach high school vaulters to grip top hand and lay that forearm on the pole. Place bottom hand one fist width below the elbow of the top arm.

- master

master wrote:

grubbs.randall wrote:So my question is: What is the rule of thumb you teach your pole vaulters for hand placement.

I teach high school vaulters to grip top hand and lay that forearm on the pole. Place bottom hand one fist width below the elbow of the top arm.

- master

Master,
Thank you, I find your set-up procedure more inline in what I’m currently teaching.
Your method is much easier to do a quick visual check with my students.
Thank you again
Randall Grubbs