PoleVaultPower.com

so I was using a 13 foot 175 pound Pacer with a flex of 15.3, holding at the maximum, I weigh 170 pounds. And on my like 3rd jump it just straight up snaps into two peices like 1/3 of the way from the bottom. It's like a clean snap, like it looks as if somebody just sawed it right there. Does this mean that there was a nick or imperfection in the pole, or was it something to do with my technique...

also, my standards are always all the way back, and I land pretty far into the pit seeing as I usually crush the poles I use. But my coach doesn't let me move up to a bigger pole mostly because I jump negative 1 foot above my handgrip (and because we only have one other pole above 160 pounds and it is the same length), I just cant seem to get inverted enough where my feet wont just drop onto the bar as I go past it, is there anything I should practice or take into account to fix this, i.e the swing up, etc. Thanks in advance for your input.

4 18 PM Eastern Time wrote:so I was using a 13 foot 175 pound Pacer with a flex of 15.3, holding at the maximum, I weigh 170 pounds. And on my like 3rd jump it just straight up snaps into two peices like 1/3 of the way from the bottom. It's like a clean snap, like it looks as if somebody just sawed it right there. Does this mean that there was a nick or imperfection in the pole, or was it something to do with my technique...

also, my standards are always all the way back, and I land pretty far into the pit seeing as I usually crush the poles I use. But my coach doesn't let me move up to a bigger pole mostly because I jump negative 1 foot above my handgrip (and because we only have one other pole above 160 pounds and it is the same length), I just cant seem to get inverted enough where my feet wont just drop onto the bar as I go past it, is there anything I should practice or take into account to fix this, i.e the swing up, etc. Thanks in advance for your input.

Poles can break even if you weigh less than the weight rating on the pole.

Sometimes when they break in two pieces it's because of a scratch or other damage to the pole. But you also said you usually crush your pole, so it's possible you bent it too much. It's hard to say without seeing video.

hey

it is possible you takeoff low and under.. putting more stress on the lower third of the pole.. AND (possibly and unfortunately) that the “corner” of the sail piece pattern could to be at the same point of the most force… and the break.

dj

i think that was the problem. my coach always says I dont "jump" enough and kinda just plow into the pole