PoleVaultPower.com

I am a freshmen this year in high school. I pole vaulted last year and got 8'9", though i didn't know the right technique. i had no coach or nuthing i just learned on my own. I went to a 3 day camp this summer and learned the correct technique but i have trouble getting it down. My problems are that sometimes i pull up with my right arm rite after the plant and jump so my hips go foward. i also have trouble geting my trail leg( left leg) up above my body so i can go up, i only get it to a little over vertical then fly foward instead of up. This is what i think is happening from talking with my coach. i didn't really bend the pole much til the last meet or two last season because my grip went up. but now i am getting plenty of bend in the pole this being my second year vaulting. i just cant seem to get it to help me any. Any advice at all will help please!

if anyone would like i can try and get a video on here of me at practice sometime soon if that would help?

Yes, video will help.

Do u have any other tips for now that coukd help. I have a meet tomorrow. Ive heard that if you are having form probkems a good thing to do is use a bigger poke that wont bend. Should i use one thats bigger tomorow or stick with my size pole that bends alot?

When your pole bends a lot, do you land deep in the pit and knock off the bar on the way up, even though the standards are pushed all the way back? Or are you bending a lot but landing on top of the bar?

If it's the former, you should try a bigger pole. Put the bottoms of the poles next to each other, and move your handgrip straight across.

If it's the latter, hold 6" lower and see if that helps. If the same thing is happening, keep lowering your grip until you land deeper in the pit and are not crashing down on top of the bar.

I do land deep in the pit alot. But if i move my grip to 11" on the pole i seem to get more vertical lift thn horizontal, BUT i seem out of control and loose my form. I am a fast runner so would shortening my approach help?

here is a video of my last two meets. well a slideshow. i cant get the video working.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NhLovax624