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I have heard coaches talk about rowing the hands and wondered if that has anything to do with shortening the axis of rotation (from the top hand to the shoulders) to speed up the inversion. Also, at what point in the vault are you supposed to begin rowing (if at all)? I have never really tried to row my hands and am having trouble inverting and think this could be one of the reasons why. I dont really have a coach so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I know that a lot of people condemn "rowing" on this site, but what i am really looking for is any advice to get my swing into a position where my body is parallel with the ground and my legs "covering the pole." Right now, my takeoff and start of the swing look good, but my legs swing up leaving body behind and I get stuck in a sitting position.

I'm basically at the same point you are. What I am going to do to try to help it is to try to make my swing faster and more powerful, and work on keeping my hips close to the bar. As for rowing, I don't know if I'm quite at that point yet, but what we learned at camp is to lay on the ground with the trail leg straight and the lead foot at the trail leg's knee. Then with your top hand straight up in the air and have someone put their fist against it and you swing up by pushing against their fist. Again, like you I've heard a lot of people saying that rowing is wrong too though.

I believe, what people say is wrong, is referring to that hand movement as "rowing". What you should be doing is putting downward pressure on the pole with your arms to help lift your hips, as you swing your trail leg up. My coach tells me the point at which you begin this is when you begin the trail leg sweep, but you should keep pressure on the pole throughout the whole vault, and I believe it is important to never let your hands stop moving.

I don't buy into the "rowing" theory either. It only makes since to swing your hips toward your hands and not your hands toward your hips.

so, what do you tell Spencer, or how do you get him to bring himself inline with his pole until its finish unbending and for him to push off the end of his pole?

"rowing". What you should be doing is putting downward pressure on the pole with your arms

Here is Tim Mack when his trail foot taps, or his body hits full extension.

Here is Tim Mack half way up his swing.

Here is Tim Mack, Sergey Bubka, Tim Lobinger, Tommy Skipper, Tye Harvey and Denis Kholov

Tell me, at what point does their top hand pass their shoulders and start to put pressure down?

advath wrote:Tell me, at what point does their top hand pass their shoulders and start to put pressure down?

Well not sure I agree with exactly what everyone is saying but to answer your question.


Hmm your hands are attached to your shoulders. If your shoulders were applying pressure down and under you towards the pits so the hips can punch through.

Then i would say when you are applying pressure with your shoulders and they reach the pictures you have put then indirectly your hands are applying pressure down.

I like the idea of "rowing". I can understand why some people would say it's a bad coaching tool. But it helps me to visualize rotation around my shoulders in order to cover the pole.

when vaulters and coaching talk about rowing in general to a new vaulter, or one who has mayhbe 3 years experience, my not understand what rowing the arms is just by hearing it. i feel that rowing does display a good understand for a vaulter with examples, and rowing drills should be done daily! they work!

If the top arm is long and static, not flexing at the elbow or wrist, then how is the arm applying downward pressure? Yes, the forces being applied are done with the legs and hips because they are rising while rotating around the shoulders then rising with the extended body. The flexion of the shoulder joint helps raise the hips and feet. Forcing the top hand forward takes force away from the hips and feet rising. Some rotational forces do need to be applied at the shoulders to keep the top hand from getting too far behind the shoulders as you come off the ground. After all it doesn't feel good getting your arm ripped off at the shoulder. We like to teach our vaulters to extend at the plant and while they are coming off the ground. We teach them to lift their trail foot up in the back to help them keep vertical after take off....dot dot dot...bla bla bla...yada yada yada

rotation around my shoulders in order to cover the pole.

That's it.
Here is the drill we do to do that. It's called the Rockback Rack invented by Tim Werner. It holds the shoulders in front of the hands while swinging up on a horizontal bar, just like in the vault.

Read more in http://www.advantageathletics.com under Pole Vault, then Rockback.