PoleVaultPower.com

Hey,
I"m a Sophomore pole vaulter in highschool. I've been through three seasons in one year, and I'm only clearing eleven feet. I can bend a pole 10 pounds over my weight and I'm holding at about 12'10"or so. My problem is that I row my arm forward way too much and it stops me from getting inverted. I also think my swing might be a little slow. I can get inverted in a short straight pole drill but as soon as the pole bends I get stuck in a sitting position and I'm not able to harness any of the energy from the bend in the pole. How can I keep my top arm back and not row it across my body, and how can I also improve the speed of my swing? Here are some video examples:
Five Step at about 12'
https://www.coachseye.com/t/7qmS
Four step at about 11'6"
https://www.coachseye.com/t/6ZbA

Your vids are in a private Coaches Eye account, so no one can view them unless they're members. Can you make them public, please?

Also, you should put this thread into the Video Review forum. You''re not an Intermediate yet - you're still a beginner, so it doesn't belong in the Intermediate Technique forum. An easy rule-of-thumb is that you're an intermediate once your PR is above your grip.

beastman99 wrote: I've been through three seasons in one year, and I'm only clearing eleven feet.

What do you mean by 3 seasons? Indoors and outdoors are 2 seasons. What's the third?

beastman99 wrote: I can bend a pole 10 pounds over my weight and I'm holding at about 12'10"or so.

Instead of saying that you can bend a pole 10 lbs over your weight, tell us what your PR is with the pole, along with your weight and grip.

It doesn't matter if you can bend it or not - what matters is if you can bend it with decent technique or not.

beastman99 wrote: I can get inverted in a short straight pole drill but as soon as the pole bends I get stuck in a sitting position

Instead of saying that you can get inverted on a straight pole (drill), show us this in a vid. And put bungee up and see how high you can clear with a straight pole. Let us know.

It sounds like your swing on the straight pole is quit different than on the bending pole. They should be similar swinging techniques (not EXACTLY the same, but similar), even if you're taking less steps on your straight pole drill. That's why a video comparison of your straight pole technique to your bending pole technique would be helpful.

Once I can view your vids (and once you post another vid of your straight pole inversion - over a bungee) I can advise you further.

Kirk

Hey Kirk,
Thanks for responding so quickly. I made the videos public so try the links about to see if they'll work.

Also, I apologize for posting in the intermediate thread, and there is no bungee in the straight pole drills but I can record a new video soon. As for three seasons, I meant 2 outdoor and 1 indoor season. My PR with this pole is 11 feet; I weigh ~155lbs and the pole is a 13'6" 165.

Sorry for all the confusion! I'm new to forums and basically pole vaulting as well. I appreciate your help and let me know if there are any other changes to make in my dialogue or terms! Thanks

Your Coaches Eye vids are visible now.

No need to apologize - I realize that you're a rookie.

Until I see some vids of bar clearances (or attempts), I'm going to refer you to this thread: http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=54946.

Even though your vids are only swing-up drills, I can already see that you're breaking a few of the basic rules. Or trying to break them. One thing about physics is that it always wins! You CAN'T break the laws of physics. For example, gravity is ALWAYS at 9.8 meters/sec.

Even tho they're just drills without a bungee, you're already gripping too high at 12-0.

And when you're gripping 11-0 (as well as when you're gripping 12-0), you're waiting too long before you swing.

For example, in your 12-0 grip drill, you're stalling out because you're simply gripping too high for your technique and takeoff speed. You're also taking off "under", as evident from the pole ending before you take off. You need to be "out" more.

And in both vids, your swing is too late. Technique-wise, it's acually not too bad (lead knee stays up; trail leg stays long), but you're waiting too long before you swing your trail leg. You need to start your swing IMMEDIATELY after takeoff and stretch.

Looking forward to seeing actual clearances over a bungee. Remember to keep your grip low enough so that you're landing in the coaches box - even if this means that your pole hardly bends at all.

Back 50 years ago (before the use of fiberglass poles), the best vaulters were clearing over 15 feet WITHOUT any bend. So (given your current technique and experience) I think you should be able to clear at least 10 feet without a bend (gripping 11-0).

When I was about your age, I personally cleared 10-6 with a 10 foot grip on a steel pole. It's good training to learn this, before you try to learn how to go higher with a bending pole.

Kirk