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what can i do to get more bend out of my pole?
it bends pretty nice but every once in a while i
can feel it really bend and shoot me up and i need
to get it down so i can go higher. know anything i
can try and do to get it to bend more?

Bend is about a strong plant with a strong run...thats all i can say.

bend ~ bad

swing ~ good

Why the heck do you want to make it bend more? if you want to bend something go find a training pole, if you want to pole vault, learn how to do everythign else..

I sense a bit of sarcasm towards this naive young pole vaulter. I think what they are tyring to say is that bending the pole is a secondary aspect of the pole vault. Meaning if you do everything right, the pole doesn't necessarily need to bend. Example, you jump high at the take-off and "jump over" the pole. Do not try to bend the pole. Let the pole bend on its own. Just run down the runway, and try to jump up into the pole similar to, but not exactly like the long jump.

I think another reason for the 'sarcasm' is that it seems like every few days a younger vaulter asks a fundamental question that would be easily answered if they just read through some of the previous posts on the site.
So yeah, a little more patience is probably in order - but I understand what its like to feel like you're answering the same posts/questions over and over again.

Lancer-
I was in your position at one time in my high school career. Big bend = Big jump
or so i thought,
untill i really got a big bend snapped the pole and got the bottom half embedded in my shoulder. I've since moved to college and been coached the right way and learned how to truley vault.
These guys are right on with what they say. at this point you should concentrate on jumping high off the ground... the higher you jump the less the pole will bend. This is a GOOD thing. It will cause you to get in better positions and result in a higher jump in the end. Don't expect imediate results, it will take a little time but you will get it. Good luck.

pistolpete,
thanks for the helpful info. i'm finding out just
about how technical this event really is. i had no
idea because we don't have a pole vault coach
at my school, but i love vaulting and i wana get
better so i'm open to try anything.

007 - A lot of good advice there. Boiled down it means

Aassuming your run and plant are OK -big assumption I know but youve got to start somewhere - it is simple . Take off up and through the pole trying to drive your hands towards the bar - and then swing your body as long and as fast as you can towards that bar. Never try to actively bend the pole.


"We KNOW more than we know!"

Lancer I like think about pole vaulting in its self. I say that because thats exactly what we are doing. Pole vaulting... not pole bending. The 'right' type of bend will happen over time, and if the bend that shoots you up is the "right" one, then eventually it will become habit because it gets you higher, and your take off technique will become more sound--thus causeing the right type of bend. Good luck

i think everything is working out pretty good.
i focussed more on my plant, swing and getting
inverted and staying inverted (right now i think
staying inverted is my biggest problem) but i have
jumped a new pr of 11' and then 11'6'' and hopefully
going to get 12' on Friday...

I once grabbed a 12 or 12'4 pole, just to do a quick jump for fun. Held at the top, and jumped...... The pole didnt even bend a little bit. I basically jumped the 12' pole.