COACHING QUESTIONS

[John]

Need a little help here....I vaulted in High school a few years back, and I an now coaching pole vault for the school district I teach in. I am pretty good at getting kids the basics of vaulting, but I have now have 2 kids who are better then I ever was.....so I have a couple of questions so I can help them out a little more.

#1 I have a Sophmore who PRed last year at 10'6 he is up to 12' as of last Friday. We have a meet Saturday....what height should he start at. He started last meet at 10'0 should we stick with that or wait another height or two? He has only made 12' in a meet once. VERY consistant at 10 and 10'6"

#2 Difference between mushing out a pole and blowing through a pole?

#3) both my so. and Sr. are at 12'...they really have great plants and awesome take offs......yesterday they both kept hitting the bar (12') with thier feet as the pole is recoiling from the bend. I moved their standards back about 4 incehs from their normal spots and they will hit it with their feet on the way up. How do I help them.....?

[ashcraftpv]

1) start at 10'. Its always good to open at a height that you know you can consistently clear without much effort. Plus, you don't want to have any misses at your early heights....those are the ones that come back to bite you on the tie breakers....

2) They can mean the same thing

3) IF they are hitting it with their feet on the way up, then they need more room, so you should move the standards back more.

[altius]

#3 There could be many reasons for this. Most common are
1. Bar too close
2.Pole too soft -and is rolling forward too quickly for them to get back in time
3. And most likely if the poles are OK and stands at maximum back - with boys at this performance level - they are simply not able to come back to cover the pole fast enough and are getting kicked out instead of up.

However take a look at their head position as they invert. If their head and shoulders are up - head looking at the bar or conversely they throw the head back - both will cause their feet to drop out towards the bar.


Thought for the week "What is technically desirable must be physically possible".

[pistolpete6994]

mushing a pole is, to me, when the pole has a low bend and comes back very slowly. crushing a pole is when it has a high bend and roles in so quickly the vaulter does not have time to complete the vault.
As for the standards i would incourage you to move them all the way back, 32" i believe, have them train here and compete here.
Finally as for their feet hitting it I am guessing at one of two things, granted I've never seen them jump, they are ethier blowing through (crushing) or they are peeling off the pole too early. or a combination of the two.
hope that can help, awsome job improving them that much in a year,
congrats

[John]

They both get their feet up to the top of the pole nicely, but just dont seem to get inverted. The one kid has the most awesome plant and take off I have ever seen, but he sits in an "L" shape with his legs up, shoulders never rock back. Trying to do drills to get him back, but nothing has clicked yet.

When we do short runs (3 lefts) lower grip on the pole man he get completly inverted!!!! But when we go longer runs and he bends the pole he goes back to sitting.

ANY THOUGHTS??!?!?!?!?

[vcpvcoach]

They both get their feet up to the top of the pole nicely, but just dont seem to get inverted. The one kid has the most awesome plant and take off I have ever seen, but he sits in an "L" shape with his legs up, shoulders never rock back. Trying to do drills to get him back, but nothing has clicked yet.

When we do short runs (3 lefts) lower grip on the pole man he get completly inverted!!!! But when we go longer runs and he bends the pole he goes back to sitting.

ANY THOUGHTS??!?!?!?!?

Try to move him back to four steps and do the same drill. Then, move him up a hand or two until he almost stalls at the top. (I can't stress enough, ALMOST STALLS. He should fall into the landing zone every time.)
Next, move him back to five steps. Again, move hime up hands while stressing that he needs to invert.
Move to six and so on until he is inverting on his normal run.
It can be a long process but the results should show in the end.