Terrible Technique

[Greero]

This is my second year vaulting in HS. I started my sophomore year and due to the lack of poles was forced to straight pole. I also was coach less. I only managed to get 8'6" and was extremely disappointed with myself. I qualified for state, but got disqualified for weighing over the poles weight limit (180). During the summer I stepped it up and lost 25lbs and went to Earl Bell managing to tack on an embarrassing 2". This season I started off the same way and was extremely frustrated. About three weeks ago I finally found a coach and bought two poles. He has helped me go from 8'8" to my P.R. of 11' and seeding me first in the region (class 1A) at the last meet, though my technique was awful. I was so glad to finally beat the other kid that vaults at my school who is the same age (10'6") but he is still straight polling and we are not exactly friendly. His dad just bought him a new training pole for him to work on bending and I'm starting to fear that he will see the same degree of improvement as me and be number one once again.

My approach is too slow, and my plant is under more often than not, but my real problem is that as soon as i plant my trail leg is curled up and I cannot manage to swing to inversion. I just jump, bend the pole, and curl up into a U-shape and never quite finish the vault. I don't have access to a gym, but I do plan on putting a high bar in my backyard. So after all reading my life story, really I'm just looking for some advice or drills I can to to improve my trail leg and inversion technique without a high bar or rings at the moment. I absolutely hate to lose and am dying to improve (my goal is eventually 14'6", the school record) and any help would be greatly appreciated.

[KirkB]

... we are not exactly friendly. His dad just bought him a new training pole for him to work on bending and I'm starting to fear that he will see the same degree of improvement as me and be number one once again.

While it's good to be competitive, your desire to beat your team-mate sounds rather obsessive. This isn't the usual way that team-mates behave. You could BOTH improve your PRs if you work together, rather than declaring all-out war on each other.

Search PVP for key words like "highbar drill" and the like. The search feature is a little lame, so to find all the posts about highbar drills, you might also need to search for "high bar drill", "high bar drills", and "highbar drills".

My advice to you is to train hard (as you're apparently doing ), and try to (eventually) beat the school record, but be FRIENDLY to your team-mate. The sport of pole vaulting is more about "you against the bar" than "you against your competition" ... ESPECIALLY when your competition is training alongside you at the same school!

Do you guys even train together?

Kirk

[Greero]

Yeah, we train together and help each other, but are kinda rivals in every sport we do. I mean we don't like fight and stuff, I just meant that we weren't really friends and that we are both competitive. We push each other by trying to work harder than the other.

[KirkB]

Yeah, we train together and help each other, but are kinda rivals in every sport we do. I mean we don't like fight and stuff, I just meant that we weren't really friends and that we are both competitive. We push each other by trying to work harder than the other.

OK then, now that you explain it THAT way, that's a HEALTHY rivalry!

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

How tall are you?

[Greero]

I am just barely under 6 foot. Yeah we've known each other since we were kids and are decent friends so its not malicious.