PoleVaultPower.com

Height: 5'8
Weight: 143lbs
Length and weight rating of pole you are using now: 160lbs 13'7
How high you are gripping on that pole: 13'3 ish
Where you have your standards: 24 inches
Age: 17
How long you have been vaulting: first started 3 years ago but stopped and repicked it up about a year ago properly.

My question is when do you recommend moving up in pole length and weight, I was forced to move up on to my current pole as I snapped my 160lbs 13' pole about three months ago and we had no equal poles. I am easily on my current pole with a personal best of 3.80m, but when I go to competitions I see others using 14' and 14'6 poles jumping either the same height or slightly above me and cant help wondering if I am missing out on 4 metres(this seasons goal) because of wanting to stay on the same pole until I am jumping well above my handgrip. I can vault 3.30m on a 12' 140lbs off of 3 lefts holding at about 11' if that gives you any idea of ability?

Any ideas/suggestions/insight is greatly appreciated.

ps. I live in England so I vault at a club not through school(correct me if I am wrong but that is the american system?) so am able to vault during school summer holidays

There are many things that you could work on to move up to your next pole, but you should wait to change poles until you can vault on this pole with your standards in the 75-80 cm mark (29-32 in mark). Once you are at this point slowly try to move your hand grip, but keeping your standards buried. Once you have done this I recommend a 13'7" 165 or a 14' 150 holding back around 13'3" with your standards buried, if you're not penetrating into the pit enough you should lower your hand grip a little more so that you can penetrate into the pits with your standards buried. Then slowly work up the pole, but always keeping your standards buried.

I vaulted 4.12 meters on a 13'6" 170 (holding 13'), so try to hit every aspect of the technique portion of the jump also instead of worrying to much about moving up poles.

I'm 5' 7.5" and weigh 145lbs I also would recommend finding a weight room for lifting and lifting at a healthy rate. Don't over lift and always have a spotter blah blah blah, *more stuff about safety*, and work on running mechanics. These were the things I worked on in my final year of high school and I went from a 13' 160 Rocket pole to a 14'3" 165 ( 13'6" hand grip) UCS spirit. Improving from 3.96 meters to 4.27 meters (13feet to 14 feet).

Trey.

treykristianPV wrote: so try to hit every aspect of the technique portion of the jump also instead of worrying to much about moving up poles.

These are wise words from a great young athlete!

But does he have a technical model or a system of order to check his key positions? Do you have a technical model Trey?

By the way, congratulations on your results at the Moon Vault.

grandevaulter wrote:These are wise words from a great young athlete!
...
By the way, congratulations on your results at the Moon Vault.

Thank You!

grandevaulter wrote:But does he have a technical model or a system of order to check his key positions? Do you have a technical model Trey?

I try as much as possible to follow Bubka's form. I suggest looking up videos of Bubka's vaults and watch and model after him.
I focus the most on having a good takeoff and keeping a long trail leg through the whole vault, it's not easy to get the technique down, but as you improve it the heights will come. As a for myself I've been trying for about 6 years to get the technique down, and as I've improved my technique the heights have been accomplished.

So what I suggest is to analyze Bubka's vaults as much as possible and having someone video your vaults so you can compare the jumps and know what you need to be improving.

Is this what you meant about technical model grandevaulter?

Trey

treykristianPV wrote: I try as much as possible to follow Bubka's form. I suggest looking up videos of Bubka's vaults and watch and model after him.
I focus the most on having a good takeoff and keeping a long trail leg through the whole vault, it's not easy to get the technique down, but as you improve it the heights will come. As a for myself I've been trying for about 6 years to get the technique down, and as I've improved my technique the heights have been accomplished.

Trey, this is all great advice.

I think you also need a good coach to physically stand beside the runway (to observe and to coach you) as you strive to perfect your Petrov Model technique. This might be what you need to have a break-through season!

Kirk

Thanks to all of you for the advice, made me realise I was thinking about it in the wrong way. I was so focused on trying to move my hand grip up first to the end of the pole then trying to make sure my standards were buried after my top hand was at the end of the pole which led to a fair amount of frustration and lack of progress due to many bailed vaults. I have now lowered my hand grip back to where standards are on 70 cm and ended up equalling my pb of 3.80 with lowest hand grip I've ever vaulted that height with to end up outdoor season at the inter-counties placing 5th.

I try to follow bubkas vault, me and my coach are working on continuing the leg swing until I get all the way back to the pole as I shoot of the pole before my feet come all the way back. I feel this is a pretty common problem but have made good progress using rope drills to get in lots of reps.