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I just moved up to a 160 14' Pacer FX pole recently, from a 13'6" Pacer FX, but I am having a little bit of difficulty getting used to this new pole. I was blowing through and really bending the 13'6" pole and landed pretty far back into the pits. But now this 14' pole is a lot stiffer and hasn't been worked in yet (it's brand new). What adjustments do I need to make for this new pole? What should I do at practice? Thanks in advance.

I am guessing you were holding the top of the 13'6 pole and now you are holding the top of this one?

If so, 6" is a lot to raise your grip. Drop your grip 6" and see how it feels.

Drop my grip on the 14' one? Wouldn't that make it a lot stiffer?

MacVaulter wrote:Drop my grip on the 14' one? Wouldn't that make it a lot stiffer?

It might not bend quite as much, but it will roll into the pit a lot faster.

Maybe that won't help, but it's hard to say without seeing any video or knowing flex numbers.

i agree you need to go by flex numbers earl bell taught us to go by flex numbers some 14 foot poles are softer than others i have two 16.1 185 poles one has a 16.8 flex one has a 17.2 it makes a big difference i am a junior in high school and have a great coach tim mcmichael

Timmy ought to tell you it is a sail piece.

I've never quite followed flex numbers, but from what I understand and from experience, Pacer poles seem to be softer than other poles, such as UCS Spirits.

What if I were to just "ride" my pole through into the pit and not try to get vertical with it, until I get used to its flex? Would that help work it in and help me become confident with it?

You really need to learn to understand flex numbers! Without that basic understanding, your success as a pole vaulter will be limited!

The pole is made of fiberglass, not leather like a baseball glove. No need to "work it in".

I know I need to become familiar with them. I don't really have access to a large variety of poles, so I have to stick with the 1 or 2 that my team has for that weight and height. Does anyone know of any good online resources where I can get the basics behind flex numbers and how that effects your vault?

But would having a 14' grip and just riding through without getting upside down and vertical, help me adjust to the longer pole?

MacVaulter wrote:I know I need to become familiar with them. I don't really have access to a large variety of poles, so I have to stick with the 1 or 2 that my team has for that weight and height. Does anyone know of any good online resources where I can get the basics behind flex numbers and how that effects your vault?

But would having a 14' grip and just riding through without getting upside down and vertical, help me adjust to the longer pole?

Your already on here go ahead and search.

If you are blowing through the 13'6" take the same grip maybe 1"-2" more on the 14'. This should be the same as your other pole only stiffer. Which is what you want if you are over bending the 13'6" and landing deep in the pit.

Thanks. I'll go ahead and give a try once it's dry enough outside to vault again.

What you need to understand here is "pole speed." Probably been discussed numerous times on this board, but it never hurts to bring it back into discussion.

Let's pretend that you just had one long pole that you jumped on made of steel that did not bend at all. Let's say you can jump effectively on it and get into the pit safely gripping 13'6. This is because you have sufficient pole speed (based on factors that include your approach run velocity, takeoff force, plant and pole angle at takeoff).

What happens when you move your grip up to 14' on that same pole? You would likely get stood up, land short, or rejected. The increase in grip let to a reduction in pole speed. Why? The amount of speed you created on the runway was sufficient to move that 13'6 grip to vertical, but not fast enough to move a 14'0 grip to vertical. Also, consider that the higher you hold on that pole, when you plant it, the pole's angle to the ground is lower, so the pole has a longer distance to travel to get to vertical, requiring more speed and/or a better takeoff to move it to vertical.

I told you to pretend the pole was a steel, non-bending pole, because it's easier to conceptualize the reduction in pole speed with a higher grip by taking the bending part out of the equation. Probably most of us have experienced this doing pop-ups - you'll generally use a low grip that makes the pole move fast and not bend. If you take too high of a grip, you get stalled out and can't invert. So you logically self-adjust by moving your grip down so the pole moves faster.

Ok, now add flexible poles and bend back into the equation. The principle is still the same - the higher the grip, the more force and/or speed required to move it to vertical. The difference is that on a bending pole, your grip is essentially "lowered" when the pole bends. That "lowered" grip is known as the "chord" of the pole, which is the distance between your top hand and bottom end of the pole. If you move to a stiffer pole with the same grip, the pole will not bend as much, so the pole does not "shorten" or lower the chord as much, so it's essentially like you raised your grip. Now, move to a stiffer pole AND raise your grip and you've really made an effort to reduce pole speed and penetration into the pit.

One more factor to consider...raising your grip does technically "soften the pole," since the closer you hold to the end, the easier the pole flexes. So what you get by moving your grip up is that the pole may bend easier and bend more, but you still reduce pole speed because of the higher grip.

I see kids blowing through poles all the time and lowering their grips to "stiffen the pole up." Yes, it will bend less, but you will blow through even worse because the lower grip increases pole speed.