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Today at practice my buddy and I got in this big fight about the standards. He said that it was better for the vaulter to put the standards back to 60 cm so that you can get a full swing and more penetration. I told him that if you bring the standards closer to the pit it will help you develop a stronger take-off and a better swing to go inverted. I got pissed at him because whenever I turned my back this guy kept putting the standards back to 60 cm before I would vault because he thought he was helping me. Can I get your guys' take on this?

leftist vaulter wrote: I told him that if you bring the standards closer to the pit it will help you develop a stronger take-off

i disagree, i think having standards placed further back would help with the take off aspect, it would make you be more aggressive at the take off so that you would penetrate more to clear the bar that is further back, it is similar to putting a bungee at a height that you can barely get your feet over, it makes you put that extra amount into you jump to do what you need to make it.

Basically agreed. The faster you rotate the pole, the deeper you'll land, so the deeper you need your standards.

Anything closer than 45cm is illegal.

as for the reflecting better technique part of your story, thats entirely different

Standard placements are more of a game of which pole you are on, better technique will get you on bigger poles, but if you are on the right pole, your standards should be just about in the middle, if they are too far back, go up a pole or raise your grip, if they are too close, that just dangerous and move down or got to a smaller pole, but for reflecting technique, the middle is best, thats where you want to be, the standards do not however "reflect good/bad technique" the pole you are on vrs. your weight, and where your standards are will reflect it.

if you are on a pole 20 pounds under your weight and your standards are all the way up...obviously not good technique. if they are in the middle, still poor technique, if they are burried deep, then consider a bigger pole, but still its 20 pounds under your weight. if the pole is 50 pounds over your weight, and your standards are at -15 then obviously the pole is too big for you and your form isnt quite ready for that, if the pole is 50 pounds over your weight, and your standards are burried, then your technique is good...but still move up

Standard placement should have nothing to do with your technique, its simple.

Keep them at 80 and get on a pole to jump on in practice at 80. You can still execute a good vault but have your forward progress take you over the bar at 80.

However, if it were IDEAL conditions, to vault as high as possible the standards would have to be on 0, so all your forward momentum becomes vertical. But with a well executed vault, in order to give yourself some room to peak at the top of the vault, the standards should not be closer than 50 ( i think i am quoting one of the great coaches on this site from a post a while back). Thats in meets though, in practice you should need them on 80.

My vote is not listed (safe jump 60-80)

Sorry to confuse you guys. I was a little vague. We were fighting over the standards because we were doing straight pole workouts. My Buddie's swing was way too slow, and he can't jump over 10'6'' because he sets the standards back as far back as they can go. He ends up aiming for the bar rather than going high. About our standards, I'll let my coach know. Some of our vaulters (including me) have occasionally vaulted with the standards at 30cm. On full run throughs I set my standards back to 50 cm.

Anyone whos push off is under a foot should keep the standards on 80 and not get on too big of poles to jump with the standards on 80 until they are executing a more proper vault, i would say.

I was told if you can't clear a bar with standards farther than 60 youre doing something wrong and youre not vaulting very safely.

AR01 wrote:I was told if you can't clear a bar with standards farther than 60 youre doing something wrong and youre not vaulting very safely.

are can jump with your standards anywhere and not do something wrong but if they are closer than 60 there is a chance of not being safe but thats pole vault

I'll make a new pole for votes in the future representing 45-60cm and 60-80cm
Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm definitely vaulting safer and It is true that
you need to put the standards back when you hold the pole at the sweet spot.
It still annoys me when I straight pole because I feel as if I am wasting all of my
momentum going sideways than upwards. I find myself not completing my swing,
but then again, our team is without a coach this year. I'll just have to work harder
on my technique. peace.

Standards really have nothing to do with one's ability to jump. If you're jumping shallow it is dangerous, if you’re going too deep its dangerous. Tall people need more time to get up side down so deeper standards are better, Short people have a shorter turning axis MAYBE shallower is good.

My general opinion is. In training train with them deep so one can get used to jumping deep and being safe, pole vault is funny with that hole death factor. Personal preference and safety are key