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my plant has been really really bad for the past couple of months now, it was good for a short time, but now it's really bad. anyway, I was wondering of any of you knew drills that I could do with out a pole, i.e. around the house to help me get used to keeping my arms up and straight. of course I'll be doing box work and vaulting, but this extra practice couldn't hurt, so if any of you know anything, that would really be great. thanks

I work on my rhythmn with a broom at home. There's a whole section dedicated to that in Beginner to Bubka.

I've been working on my plant for 3 years now, and its pretty darn good to say the least, so i can tell you a billion drills to help your plant.

lowers- stand with feet together and hold pole as you would vault. and lower the pole slowly and when the pole's tip comes to eye level, shoot up for the plant in one quick powerful fluid motion. Their are some variations of this, which is hard to explain, my grasp of the english language is not good enough to tell you, altius or one of the elders will know.

sliding box - practice vaulting into a "box" like a portable box, is the only way i can explain it. You set the run up how you would when vaulting normally. Focus on high knees, tall running etc, and fortunately if u do not plant successfully, your arm will not be ripped off by these lil friendly boxs (towels are just as good btw). Again if anyone could expand on these further i am all ears.

transfers - hold the pole at its midpoint and hold it by your sidem just like when you vault. Do rolling ankles for 10 then plant the pole up with high knees for ten.

walking plants - the simplist drill; walk with the pole and plant
eg. *strides* L R L R L *start plant* R L-(take off)

Practice getting your rhythmn correct, so that planting is almost natural to you, as it is to me now, because as you well know, there are plenty of other things to worry about in your vault.

what about just step-ups? 1 or 2 steps in holding normally and push as high as you can. repetition helps.

Repetition helps a lot.

Pole runs are probably the easiest way to help with your plant. On your 3rd to last step, bring the end of the pole to your ribs. On your next step, tightly curl your hand to your ear, and then on your last step, punch the sky with a tall plant. Do these slowly and then work you wasy up to a full run. While vaulting this motion should be smooth.

Repition + repition + repition = perfection.

[quote]Repition + repition + repition = perfection.[/quote]

This argument may have worked better if repetition it were spelled with perfection. (But it is a good point nonetheless!)

Make sure you repeat the right form though. Nothing's harder to break than a drilled in bad habit.