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Ok well I'm new here, and I don't belong to any other forums, but I thought I'd give it a shot, I seem to be having this problem with my shoulder... It keeps popping out of place while I'm vaulting. Sorry I don't have any videos of when it happens, but I had a meet on friday where my shoulder popped out at an easy 11 foot practice jump. My coach said it looked good until the part where I didn't stand up afterwards.
But I was wondering if anyone had had a problem that is kinda similar to this.
I'm on a 13'6" pole weighed for 180lbs, and I weigh 180 lbs, and I'm also 6'4" tall.

If you would like more information, just write back and I'd be happy to provide what I can

FYI I put this here, because I thought it had something to do with my technique, not my training

Just one more thing that I forgot to mention, During the summer I was doing fine on my 14 step, but now my arm pops out on 10 step, but does just fine on 8 step. I tried the practice jump on 10 step, but the week before I did about a 10' jump on my 8 step and nothing happened

where are your runs from? because you could be either too far inside and its yanking you or you could be too far outside and are stabbing the pole in the box and it would yank your shoulder way out of place

woah, theres no action in vaulting that should pop your shoulder out of place. My guess it, after the first time it happened you didnt give it the time to recover. When you stretch the ligaments and in your shoulders when it pops out, you need to give them time to tighten back up when your shoulder is in the right position. If it keeps popping out, thats really bad. I would see a doctor and he will probably have you ice it for quite a while, then start doing light exercises until you have the muscle groups back. Its something that need to be done if you really injured your shoulder like that.

I saw a doctor, and he recomemded me to physio, so I just finished that, it was for 4 weeks, so I wasn't vaulting for 4 weeks, I was exercising it. also I know I'm not inside or outside... by the way, incase I didn't mention it, it's not my top arm, it's my block arm popping out of place

The fact that you call it your "block arm" my indicate part of the reason you are having shoulder trouble.
How wide is your grip? Do you keep the bottom arm straight? Are you a block and break vaulter?

My grip is shoulder width apart, maybe a hand more... my bottom arm is not straight, it is bent, I call it my block arm, because it blocks me from running into the pole on takeoff... and I don't know what a block and break vaulter is

log2 wrote: I call it my block arm, because it blocks me from running into the pole on takeoff

Actions come from ideas.....

At a moment when you want everything focused forward and upward, the concept of "block" is, in my limited opinion, incompatible. It sounds as if you are getting your arms up and bracing for impact at the box.

The moment of the pole hitting the back of the box should be an elastic, dynamic, or fluid moment. If you have redirected the energy of your run and are actively pushing your hands up at that moment, then you and the pole are moving together - you will not run into the pole if it is moving with you. There should be no shock or jolt to brace for.

At 6'-4" you are blessed with a very large takeoff angle. With your height, the pole you described and the grip width you provided, I am guessing that your left hand is at eye level when the pole hits the back of the box. Review your video and see. When the left hand is at or below the level of the eyes at take off, the tendency in all of us is to push the hand out instead of up. That turns a forward and upward motion into a mostly forward motion, and that places pressure on the shoulder.

These are just ideas. Without watching you jump I really have no definitive answer to your shoulder problem.
Hope this helps!!

Check your plant. If your shoulders aren't in the right place when you plant then your bottom hand's shoulder can get pushed back behind the other shoulder, which shouldn't be happening. Actually quite the opposite should be happening. The pushing shoulder should be ahead of the swing shoulder. When the push shoulder gets back behind it gets way too much stress and can cause pretty bad injuries.

Hey thanks for the responses... sorry it's been a while, I've been busy with school. but I saw a sports doctor and she said that I have Multidirectional Instability, which seems to be the most common shoulder injury in athletes, she said that it was posterior more than anterior because of the swinging motion... Just thought I'd get you up to date, so she said to try to strengthen it and to stay off the pole for a while... I've got two weeks so far.

As for the new posts, Anti-Gravity I find your post very interesting, because I think that my left hand is at eye level or maybe a little lower, so I was just wondering if a narrower grip would be better or worse? And I just measured my grip for you, it's a little more than 2 feet wide, So I think my left hand is a little above eye level.
But when I do hit the box, it does feel like it jerks a little, especially on the top arm... And something I just remembered.. I used to block way too much, on eight step, I basically stiff arm it. so when I go to ten, I must be pushing too much.

Skivaulter - I don't think my shoulder goes behind my top arm shoulder, I would have to review that, but it might be if what I said above is happening, the hole stiff arm thing.

Thanks for all your replies, please feel free to keep suggesting things for when I get back to vaulting which should be about a month or so...

Note: I found a web site for those interested on learning about multidirectional Instability, Posterior Instability, and Anterior Instability - http://www.aafp.org/afp/990515ap/2773.html

One of my vaulters complained of bottom arm shoulder pian early this spring. Narrowing this grip to the point where his hand was above his eyes ended the pain. Will that work for you.....I just can't say without seeing you jump.

I will tell you to give careful consideration to skivaulter's post. A couple of my vaulters and I were curious about the effects of leading the plant with the swing shoulder. The result was instant discomfort and a lot of pressure on the left shoulder - even with grips as narrow as 1 foot. Be very observant. What may look "square" at takeoff may really have your swing shoulder in the lead.

My "grip width theory" would place enough pressure on the shoulder to cause discomfort but skivaulter's "alignment theory" would definitely deliver enough pressure, and pressure in the right direction, to dislocate.

Thanks for the reply anti-gravity.. I will definetly try narrowing my grip when I get back to vaulting, but for now I think I'm going to do some basic drills to get the rythm back and the proper motions, trying not to strain the shoulder... But I'll let you know how it turns out.