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For the past couple years i have had a relatively large grip, between my top and bottom hand. recently i have been moving my bottom hand further up so my hands are closer together. Does anyone feel that the distance between your hand effects the vault a lot. I feel that it does, now i can really rock back and get off the pole a lot better. how bout you does anyone have any stories, i know theres a local coach around here who teaches his girl vaulters to have a really wide grip so they can get in the pit but they can hardly get back on the pole

I did a lot of closed grip vaulting this fall and I think it's great. My grip now is an elbow + a thumb + an inch or two.

I think there are some benefits to a more narrow grip.

1) I think you can run with your shoulders more square to the pit
2) I think you can have a more effective pole drop
3) If you hit the pocket correctly, it will allow your shoulders to unlock and have a faster swing
4) It can reduce the tendency to tuck and shoot because it prevents blocking with the bottom arm
5) You can swing/invert farther

But these are just opinions from my experience.

The bottom hand does not bend the pole, the top hand does, the bottom simply provides a fulcrum for the pole to bend around and provide balance to the vaulter.

I change to a much narrower grip, a forearm some times a forearm and a thumb if I'm not feeling confident. I notice it helps me hit the pocket better and swing. It's a little harder to control the pole on the approach in cross winds for me however.

i deffinately prefer a narrower grip. it feels like i can get more pop out of the pole when i have a narrow grip. i just let my arms straight down by my sids andd grab the pole to find my grip. ive always thought your grip was a bit wide jake, good move.

yeah everyone saw that my grip was a bit wide, but after having a grip that wide for so long and changing it took like two practice to get the hang of it, just running feels different and the plant you need to be on or your going to go all over the place, but we started on a short run on like a 15 90 and just worked up
now im almost at the top of the 16 90 with a narrow grip and it helps so much, just it allows you to get back a lot easier, and you can get so much more out of the pole, i actually got into the pocket of the pole and just got launched it was a sweet ride, im takin this weekend off and comin back at BU next weekend hopefully put up some decent numbers

yes having a narrow verus a wide grip is better. but having a wide is is also based on the size pole you have. holding shoulder length apart on a 14 50 when you are use to jumping on a 16 50 is too wide.

Jan teaches and believes that from the begining you teach the close grip, low hand hold. this workes very well. i have some new girls here that i am getting them to learn how to jump with their hands a foot apart. once they start to progress i will widen their grip a little but for the most part you dont need to have a wide grip especially when you are just learning. Wide grip teaches your body and your mind bad habits.
If you have any questions about this you can definatley ask Chelsea J. She obviously went through that program and look at her today, oh yeah also Shayla B.