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I know people ask this all the time but... I am currently on a 13' 145 pole. And i cant seem to clear anything with it anymore because im landing so far into the back of the mats, my standards are completely burried. The only time i can use it is when there is a very strong headwind. When there is a headwind I can clear 11' 6". My school has a limited number of poles, the next one up is a 14' 150. I hold the 13' at about 12' 6" due to the weight rating label. I can barely hold the 150 at 12' cause i can't get into the pit at all. I end up falling into the box. The pole does not bend at all. How do i switch or should i even switch? I weigh 145 and am about 5' 10". I am 18 years old and this is my first year vaulting. Oh, and does bending a pole help you penetrate deeper than just stiff poling it?

The 13' is a ucs spirit and the 14' is a skypole

That is a big jump between poles. A 14'150 would feel like a 13'170 if you're holding 12'6 on both poles.

If you can borrow a pole, try to borrow a 13'150, 155 or a 13'6 145.

If you can't borrow a pole, the trick to making your too small pole work is going to a shorter run. If you are currently taking 6 lefts/12 steps, move up to 5 lefts/10 steps. This will slow you down and hopefully keep you from blowing through so much, which will give you a chance to keep improving your technique.