PoleVaultPower.com

This is my first year vaulting, and I love it. So much.
I'm unfortionately extremely competitive and get really frusterated easily.
I'm really frusterated because I do well (for me) in practice. And I can do drills better than a lot of people on my team who get up a lot higher when we vault for real.
So I don't know why I can't put it all together. I have the arm strength and ab strength to do it. I don't quite have enough speed to do REALLY well, but I have enough speed to get over the freaking openening height. Yet I can't seem to put it all together.
It's frusterating because I KNOW I can do so much better than I am. I'm really willing to do anything I can to get better. I hate being bad at things. I just can't seem to do it I don't know.
I'm just frusterated, it seems like I do well in practice and I improve a lot, and then when I get to a meet I do stuff wrong and I can't even explain what feels wrong or anything. It might be a confidence thing I guess, I have no idea.
I guess I'm mostly just venting (sorry about that). but if anyone has any tips or idea's on putting everything together I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Christie

PS. If this entry seems very weirdly written or something just blame it on the hugemongous bump on my head caused by the stupid bar. gah! Nothing worse than sitting on the mat after totally screwing up all pissed at yourself and then the freaking BAR falls on your head!

Just be patient, im extremly competitive and even if i win, i get pissed when i don't make a new PR every meet. The fact is, our event isn't easy or else every1 would be doing it (like golf) and it just takes patience and time. And stop thinking...when u think u screw up. Don't think, DO.

dont get discouraged! thats the worst thing you can do in vaulting. it's good that your drills are coming along well, thats the first step. Now you just need to learn to put it together on a longer run. To do this, you need a good plant. Make sure you are on a small enough pole, so that you can get the basics down. When you plant, you want your lower arm to be locked out, to bend the pole, but im sure you know that. After that, make sure you swing your trail leg through really well and fast. fast is key because it helps you to hold higher on bigger poles. Make sure you make every part of the jump active. dont just let it happen, make it happen. watch a lot of video. www.stabhoch.com has some good stuff of isbenyeva, the womens world record holder as well as bubka's jump at 6.14m. watch mainly for the things ive mentioned, a strong plant and a good trail leg swing. hope things go well!
-Jeff

Thanks for the advice- and the link! Very helpful
I just want to get back out there and do it. Our vault coach wasn't at practice today... so I haven't gotten to vault sinse I did so horribly in the meet.
My head still hurts though, whoops. lol.
Anyhow thanks for the encouragement and everything... it helps a lot. I'm bad about getting discouraged easily.
Thanks
Christie