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i coach high school girls and telling them to keep their bottom arm straight on plant and take-off is easier said than done. does anybody out there know any method to actually get them to do it besides saying its an old boyfriend. its alot harder for them than guys. thanks for the advice.

High school girls are on such short poles, I don't know that their bottom arm should be straight. When I see beginning high schoolers trying to get that bottom arm straight, they usually just jam it straight forward and block out, making it difficult to swing. When I coach, I try to emphasize pushing up with that bottom arm.

Here are some videos of 2 of the top high school girl vaulters.

http://www.carolinaextreme.com/v/BritniLawrence4m.mpeg
http://www.higherflyers.org/kc.mov

yeah, you dont want the bottom arm straight out with small poles.. lol, im not a girl, but i spent last outdoor season using a 13' pole and locking my arm out, and ther was just no way for me to swing.. for such short poles, if the arms locked, then the swings most likely gonna be blocked out.. and it also took me alf of outdoor, and all of this indoor season to fix. not an easy thing to change, so i woudltn advise tryign to force it!

I don't think anyone should be taught to vault with their bottom arm straight, as this often creates the wrong idea in the vaulters mind. Many times young vaulters learn to block with their bottom arm which will cause big problems if they wish to improve.

They should be taught to be tall at take off, arms up if anything.

its really hard for me to get my arm straight jumping on 11.5-13 foot poles... it just isnt going to happen.. you just have to try to better until you are jumping high enough, or on a larger pole..