approach trouble

[jump!]

Sometime's on my approach, i have a bad tendency to slide the pole into the box too late. My coach has had me lower the tip of the pole to below eye level, but it still happens sometimes. I'll stab the pole into the box, plant, and find myself stood staight up in the box on the pole stalling out. I was wondering if there was something i may be doing wrong. any ideas?

[yankee814]

practice with the collar mat covering large portions of the side of the box and do three step drills with a pole drop
When you go back to your full run and the regular box size, it'll appear like its huge!

[powerplant42]

That's probably pretty dangerous. I wouldn't reccommend it.

Do you mean the pole tip is below your eyes for your ENTIRE approach? That can actually make it much worse... Not carrying correctly (especially to that degree) means you can't run correctly, and not running correctly means you can't plant correctly.

Cure: pole runs, walking/jogging 3 step plants on the track and in the sand, 20/20's.

[souleman]

You're probably coming in under as well so you are not in the position for a tall plant. Get DJ's mid mark chart and start using it to verify that your run is on. Weightless pole drop technique (AKA Bubka) is also something that will benefit you which by the way starts at the 6 step mid mark. Make sure that your right hand plant action goes from basically from the hip, up and forward. A great exercise for this is to practice with a baseball cap on (bill going forward the way the hat was designed to be worn in the first place). As your right hand passes from the hip to the top, you should be able to (figuratively and literally) knock the cap off with your right thumb were you to stick the thumb out a little bit brushing the bill of the cap. This drill also prevents the round house plant (dropping the hands, bringing the pole backwards and then up and around for plant) and the twisting of the shoulders at plant which in turn causes the "whirlybird" and lands you on the left side of the PLZ. Keep the plant forward and up.

[MattM]

So it sounds like you need to work on your pole carry. Start by standing still, and slowly lower the tip of the pole down. When it reaches a little above your head height, then your hands start coming up until you hit a nice and tall plant. After you do these for a few times, then move to a three step (not three stride) plant drill. Start with your right foot forward, keep the pole tip on the ground. On the first left step, you should move your right hands slightly above your hip. On the second step, your right hand should be right by your head, and on the final step you should have your plant up high. Do these over and over again, after you've got it down with the tip on the ground, start with the tip parallel to the ground and do the same thing, slowly lowering the tip while walking through. Keep things constant, not jumpy, so when you do this your hands will be going up at a constant motion, not in separate motions.

After you've got the three step down, then move to a six step (again, steps, not strides) with your left leg forward to start. Start with a semi-high pole carry, and take your first three steps while simultaneously lowering the pole tip, at the end of your third step it should be a tiny bit above your head height. Once you've done the first three steps, then incorporate the three walking steps that you just did into it. Do these over and over again until it is drilled into your mind.

Eventually, you will be able to add more steps, and increase speed, but always work on these. No matter how good of a vaulter you ever will be, you can always improve on your plant.

[rainbowgirl28]

Hold lower until your plant is more consistent.