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All right, so I'm stuck in a position where my plant isn't improving very much. It's weak and late, and my bottom arm is stuffed right in my face.

I'm working on pole runs, and low grip plant drills, but when I move my step back and my grip up, it just all collapses.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... &plindex=3

Here's a video in case you wanted to see


So, does anyone know any really good drills to improve one's run/plant? Don't be shy! I don't care if it's a really simple drill, or a complicated one. Anything that will help the timing, the feel, the plant, the stride length, etc. I need to get my plant and my run down, and the summer is quickly coming to an end.

Thanks so much in advanced!

i did a lot of weighted sliding plant box drill, making sure you get good at those, where when you run you don't even think about planting and you just feel it and it happens, and there is a drill where you get a partner and you put the pole against a wall, take 3 steps back, walk fast into the wall and jump, have you partner push you into the wall drive you knee keeping your arms out in front and away of your body, and if you collapse your arm, you wont be able to do it, so it helps, well it helped me

Well the thing that comes to my mind when i have a consistently late plant is to bring my hands up a step earlier than i usually do. If thats not working, im usually taking off under pretty badly. If thats the case, do more short run drills or even pop ups and work on jumping before the pole tip hits the back of the box. Thats the kind of thing that takes a lot of time i think. As for your bottom arm, if your plant is up on time and it still hits you in the head, just work on jumping UP at the plant. Thats a mental que to get both hands high over your head, at least for me. From your video though, i think your hands arent in a weak position. When you are gripping at 13 you might not get a fully extended bottom arm but i think thats ok. Maybe more advanced guys on here will catch something im not, but maybe your plant is a little under, causing your hands to not be up at take off. Also Make sure you arent using that bottom arm to help your swing by pulling. I get the feeling you might be doing that a bit. That will kill some of the energy from your swing and might leave you in a "rowing" position behind the pole while trying to stay inverted.

txpolevaulter_k25 wrote:have you partner push you into the wall drive you knee keeping your arms out in front and away of your body

I dont know if thats the best thing to do... I think that sets you up to end up rowing pretty badly. This drill is ok with a real box and a spotter that pushes you, or pulls the pole, to simulate the feeling of finishing your take off in the correct position. But that position is your chest leading, and your hands centered over your head. Your body should be centered beneath your hands in an inverted C, not with your arms in front away from your body. Thats a recipe to rowing your vault and possibly blocking out. Also dont do it against a wall, if the pole slips out you are screwed. Do it in a box.

But still a good idea on the drill, that will help get the feeling of where your hands SHOULD be. I think you already know where they SHOULD be though, its just getting them there is another issue .

txpolevaulter_k25 wrote:there is a drill where you get a partner and you put the pole against a wall, take 3 steps back, walk fast into the wall and jump, have you partner push you into the wall drive you knee keeping your arms out in front and away of your body, and if you collapse your arm, you wont be able to do it, so it helps, well it helped me

No. No. No.

You'll just start locking and blocking.

That's what I hear too. Also, I've heard that sliding box drills, when done poorly/not with care, can reinforce blocking too. Do tons of walking plant drills, like from 4 strides, with a correct pole drop. (I hold lowish on the pole so that it's actually controllable when doing these.) You can do the 1-2-3 plant-2-3 drill too; 1-2-3, pole is now at eye level, ready to begin planting, plant, the plant is initiated with a horizontal and rotated pole, 2, power position/pole at ear, 3, the plant is finished. Then do this jogging, then running, then just build it into your approach run. Do sprint form drills with a pole too, like ostrich steps and straight legs. For you, ostrich steps especially, since you seem to have a rather closed stride.

achtungpv wrote:

txpolevaulter_k25 wrote:there is a drill where you get a partner and you put the pole against a wall, take 3 steps back, walk fast into the wall and jump, have you partner push you into the wall drive you knee keeping your arms out in front and away of your body, and if you collapse your arm, you wont be able to do it, so it helps, well it helped me

No. No. No.

You'll just start locking and blocking.

that was borrowed from don hood

Thanks for the drills guys

Whenever I jump from a full run, I think I tend to stride out towards the end of the run, and I also lean back. To make things worse, I get a late plant. It becomes really difficult because each time I try to get my steps down faster and less out, my plant becomes late. Then when I try to fix my plant, I stride out and become under making it even harder to get a nice plant down. Sigh, oh well, that's pole vaulting.

I like the idea of initiating my plant a step earlier to get it up on time. Also I do know of the 1-2-3-plant-2-3 drills, but I think I just need to practice that drill a little more rigorously and consistently.

keep the ideas coming guys!

thanks

Try getting your hands up on your penultimate (right before take off i believe?) step. That way you will already be tall by the time you take off. Make sure your hands are up and not out in front, though. Sometimes i do that because i like to feel the pole hit the box for comfort before i leave the ground. But you get better penetration by just pushing upwards the whole time.

hey

check the post by ladyvolspvcoach............

dj

Which post may I ask?

txpolevaulter_k25 wrote:

achtungpv wrote:

txpolevaulter_k25 wrote:there is a drill where you get a partner and you put the pole against a wall, take 3 steps back, walk fast into the wall and jump, have you partner push you into the wall drive you knee keeping your arms out in front and away of your body, and if you collapse your arm, you wont be able to do it, so it helps, well it helped me

No. No. No.

You'll just start locking and blocking.

that was borrowed from don hood

Except I'm sure coach Hood said absolutely NOTHING about your arms being in FRONT of you when doing this drill