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As a freshman i got 11', but the following year i could not get any higher. I know that half the problem was adjusting to new poles. But i notice that i have a hard time rolling at the top and usually have my butt knock it down...

does anyone have any exercises that may help me roll, and also one that can help adject to a new stiffer pole?

What do you mean by "rolling"?
Rolling your shoulders, turning, maybe spinning over the crossbar....

when you say that your butt knocks it off, i'm guessing that when the pole requoils, your shooting into the back of the pit, try to stay close to the pole, and turn into it. This will put your more up, and it will make sure that your turned when you go over the bar.

Correct me if i;m wrong tho.

First of all, 11' is great for a freshman. Some advice I have is that basically, you are in a stage that everyone goes through. A stage in which you are at a certain height, and are staying there for a certain period of time. Everyone goes through this, and it is like a slump basically. So, you will be like this for a while, then all of the sudden, things will start clicking, and you will suddenly jump higher. Good luck to ya!

Question to answer is, are you clearing 11' going over with your stomach facing down or your butt facing down? In other words, are you making the turn at the top? We really need this info to go any further with "help".

sorry for the delay guys. When i say rolling i mean turning onto my stumach while going over the bar. Sometimes ill be able to just do it, but i can caunsiously choose to turn or not....

it can be really basic too...i learned how to pole vault basically on my own, i practice till like 6:30 everyday and is often the last one off the track...i just need some instruction because i just can quite grasp how to do it....

my "coach" says i need to become vertical, and it hsould automatically happen..but i cant get my legs above my hips...

Here is something that might help. I know it really helped me when I was trying to learn to turn over the bar. Think of your right shin (if you are right handed) as the steering wheel of the body. Wherever that shin is pointing, that is the direction your body will go. This is true for all phases of your vault. If the shin of your lead leg is pointing to the right or left as you leave the ground, your jump will angle in that direction.

To turn over the bar all you have to do is take your right leg and point your shin to the left in front of your left leg. Here is what it looks like:

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3640643

If you do this, your body will automatically turn.

As you go higher, the torque of your arms and the length of time you are going up the pole will turn you naturally without much effort. But learning to steer your body with your shin is a good thing, and will help you now when you are not on such big poles. Hope this helps.

Good suggestions and comments. Hellomotto08, also remember especially in practice the goal is not to jump over the bar or bungee, but to execute the mechnics of the vault. If you focus on doing the mechanics you will jump MUCH higher than if you focus on jumping over something. That's why they call it practice!!!

LOL sorry to interrupt Tim, but is that a baby hitting a full inversion and push in your avator?? hahaha that picture is great, where did you get that?

That pic is sooo cool!

I took that picture at an Indoor practice last year. Tiphany was only about six months old at the time, so the jump is not that high, only about 14'6". She's almost two now and took some good shots at 15'6" last week. I'm going to try to get her into the elite vault at Reno this year.

Like the speed suit