PoleVaultPower.com

Altius has requested I post this for him. - master

altius wrote:folk might be interested in the following images 1-5 which show one girl clearing 12'8" after two years training - she is 134 lbs using a 13' 175 lb pole - the other (No 6) is Vicki Parnov at 13'9 ... both suggesting that girls can indeed invert if the they are taught to take off correctly - even if they dont smash the pole with the bottom arm.

that is incredible,,, i vaulted for two years but i cant do that,,,(dont know how to get inverted),,, better luck next year i guess

Oh wow! So... the bottom hand isn't well... I guess all that important? I mean of course it's important, but keeping it extended isn't the most necessary thing? Does it help?

Is it the top arm?

Thanks for post master and altius!

thats impressive..i struggled with the same thing..my bottom hand about nailed me in the face every plant and i was clearing 15...i recently moved my hands closer together allowing me be leaning forward more on takoff which locked out my bottom arm..i have since cleared 16'8 in practice..yet to do it in a meet though..kinda sucks

Wow, that's sick! I hope I can get that high next year.

Its not the bottom hand thats important.
If you slow down bubka's jumps you'll see that his left arm doesn't get "locked out"
Sure his left arm is more out there than this girl but he focuses on rotating from the top hand, having a big pre-stretch in the front of his body so when he contracts those muscles he is is explosive and forceful.

that looks like what I was doing my junior year...my plant was so bad that my elbow came past the pole (as in the picture), but still managed to row and invert fully to jump a PR of 14'9" on a 14'6" 175.

but, wait, who said that the bottom arm at the plant has anything to do with inverting? did I miss something?

Glory wrote:..my bottom hand about nailed me in the face every plant and i was clearing 15...

I used to do the same thing...I actually had marks on my pole from where my helmet would hit it!!

haha..is that why you started wearing the helmet czar?...

Glory wrote:haha..is that why you started wearing the helmet czar?...

lol...no. I started wearing a helmet when I almost missed the pit once...


but I've also actually scratched the bridge of my nose with my bottom hand thumbnail on a jump....

(yesterdayxlyed Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:44 pm Post subject: the Top hand is what's important

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Its not the bottom hand thats important.
If you slow down bubka's jumps you'll see that his left arm doesn't get "locked out"
Sure his left arm is more out there than this girl but he focuses on rotating from the top hand, having a big pre-stretch in the front of his body so when he contracts those muscles he is is explosive and forceful. )

if you look at bubkas jumps his swing is what allows him to do what he does not a big pre stretch...when asked how he broke the world record bubka replied "i had the fastest swing that day." thats the most important part of the vault...so in conclusion it is quite possible for these girls to go even higher, with a bad left arm.

Glory wrote:if you look at bubkas jumps his swing is what allows him to do what he does not a big pre stretch...when asked how he broke the world record bubka replied "i had the fastest swing that day." thats the most important part of the vault..

Remember to always look at or think about what comes before the aspect of the jump you are talking about. The point is that a big pre stretch facilitates a fast, powerful swing.

Glory wrote:...so in conclusion it is quite possible for these girls to go even higher, with a bad left arm.

They do not have a bad left arm. That is an appropriate left arm for their jumping style and situation.

- master