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hey so today we realized that i get stuck in the bucket quite a bit so my coach told me to drop my shoulders. how do i do that?

i have the same sorta problem, i swing into a postion with my ankles and feet lined right up... how can i corredt that, it has become quite a bad habit, and it's made it quite difficult to clear 14' lately... if anyone knows of what i speak, and knows how to make it die, please help!!

To me, it sounds as if you are cutting your swing short by focusing too much on the rock-back. If you can focus on a longer swing( swinging to a point where your hips are above your shoulders) you avoid the "bucket".I have a vaulter who you could see on video swing to a point where her hips were level at best with her shoulders. When the recoil started she was folded in half at the hips in a pike position-forcing the hips out and down. Once she swung longer/higher and dropped her head back she is now getting in a good position to work with the recoil. Penetration into the pit also improved.

Another thing to add to the longer swing is try to have a more aggressive row. If you watch Toby Stevensons's vault, You will see that his row and swing end with the shoulders below the hips.

I have a team mate who does the same exact thing. For him it seems to be a combination of pulling his legs under him instead of swinging his leg long at takeoff, and instead of rowing with a long right arm he pulls the pole into his chest, locking him into the pike position with his upper body above his hips still.