PoleVaultPower.com

Anyone else having trouble with speed? Or really good at it and is willing to give advice? >.<
I'm a beginner at vaulting and I'm also a distance runner. I don't do well with sprinting and I'm not very sure how to improve on it (besides sprinting more to see if there's any improvments x[). Does anyone have any advice on form or techniques?

I've been told I have perfect sprinting technique...in the 400m. Don't know if sprinting mechanics will help in the vault though, because they are very different (and sometimes contradicting). So the question here is, are you looking towards getting faster as a sprinter or a vaulter? Because IMO, they are two different things.

If you can't run without a pole, how on earth do you expect to be able to run WITH a pole!?

I can run with the pole, but I can't sprint very fast.

I want to improve on getting more speed for vaulting.

When sprinting on the runway, would it not be good to stride?

Anyone can 'run' with a pole... Running with it correctly/efficiently is a totally different story, and takes years to really start getting the hang of.

hey

look on the other index's for the MID and Approach Run..

i just put a chart on for the first 10 steps of a sprint or approach run.. and the "MID" chart covers the last 6 steps of a lj/tj/pole vault run..

the acceleration chart can help your speed with and without the pole.. the focus should be to "strike" the track below the "mass" and "push" yourself down the track... never reach or let the toe get out in front of the knee cap... hammer action..

dj

I made the complete change from long distance to pole vault about a year ago. I quite literealy ran about 14 in the 100 then.
Best thing I have to do is a lot of quick leg stuff. Really get those fast twitch muscles moving. 20 20s, Quick high knees, A-Skips, Sprint up the stadium (used metal ones with steps close together) and get knees high and hit every step as fast as possiable, 30 yard sprints, resistance 30s with a sled or parachute. Anothere one I liked to help hold form in pole vault over longer run was 30yards in 30 seconds of high knees, and then once you hit the 30, sprint as hard as you can for 70. The last one was about the longest distance.

You have been running distance, so right now your biggest goal is just waking up those fast twitch muscles.

Thank you! I really appreciate the recommended workouts, i'll definitely start working on it! (I'll probably skip a lot more of my distance workouts now and work with the sprinters...)

And the chart was also very helpful! Thanks!

Sort of unrelated, but important...

After analyzing your signature, I suggest that you: move your standards back 30cm!!!

before you do anything, just make sure you know how to run.


from what i have been told, you should:

1. have great knee lift
2. run as tall as possible; never lean forward or backward
3. make sure your chest is always slightly in front of your hips
4. NOT move the pole around while you're running
5. shorten your strides/ground contact as you get closer to the box. your rhythm has to get quicker.

you really don't need great speed to vault (obviously it helps) as long as you understand those aspects of your run you're giving yourself a great chance.


as far as getting faster, that's actually easier. look up plyometrics and start them in the offseason. start squatting, deadlifting, and power cleaning in the weight room. and of course just practice proper running form. you should take off.

If you want to be a sprinter, you should be in the weightroom fairly often.

If you want to be a pole vaulter, stay away from that until you've reached a very high level of personal performance.

Something to mention is that the center of mass of the vaulter is pushed forward by the weight of the pole. This means that the vaulter will have to strike slightly further out in front of themselves than they would in a regular sprinting action.

Something to add, I really would not recommend that a 95lb-14 year old girl do tons and tons of weights and even plyometrics. Personally, the most I would have somebody like you do in terms of strength training would be some gymnastics stuff as well as some medicine ball work (even then I would be careful not to go overboard). If you wanted to add more strength training into your regimen, I would do it gradually as you grow older and develop physically. It's VERY easy to over-train a young adolescent with weights and this will often cause injury. You can slowly add weight training into your regimen (if you and your coach choose to do so) based on a qualitative assessment on your build and physical maturation. Put simply... "can you take it?" It's a serious question that is not intended to put anybody down. Remember, everybody is young and physically underdeveloped at some stage! Some girls can get very well built and will be able to take weight training while they're relatively young but others will have to wait until they mature in order to do it.

Also, I would like to outline some differences between a pole vaulter and a sprinter:

First off, as a sprinter absolute speed and good running form are all that really matter. It's different with pole vault, yes you may be able to run faster if you had huge powerful quadriceps.. but remember, every pound you put on is another pound you have to bring over the bar. The weight distribution of a pole vaulter can also be quite different from a sprinter. A sprinter can get away with enormously powerful legs and below-average upper body strength (relatively speaking), a *good* pole vaulter cannot. Every pound you put on in your legs will require more upper body and core strength to swing up properly, therefore everything must strike a balance. You may be able to rocket down the runway, but once you get in the air you won't be able to "catch the recoil" of the pole because of a slow swing as a result of your heavy legs. Yes, you'll bend the living daylights out of the pole but you'll never make good use of your energy. Our sport is MUCH more complex than sprinting and a vaulter who simply thinks "FASTER! STRONGER!" will not achieve anything substantial. Of course speed is important, but it is by no means the be all and end all.

If you do want to improve your running in both technique and speed, I recommend doing:
60m sprints
100-200m sprints - longer distances are useful in teaching people how to run in a relaxed manner. I think this is very important and always under appreciated. I've seen a lot of vaulters who are waaayy too tense on their runs. There's a very big difference between aggression and tension. But also don't do enormous distances, it's not really achieving much for pole vault.
Uphill running - if you want to build strong, *lean* leg muscles this is where it happens!

One last thing: all beginner vaulters should be primarily focused on achieving good technique (including running technique). Yes running is very important but if you start training like a sprinter, just remember you've also got a pole to carry! Invest your time wisely.