THE PERFECT VAULT!

[powerplant42]

So the vaulter would need a very flexible pole, correct?

[dougb]

The effect of loading the pole during and after takeoff changes the optimum angle. That is the pole lifts the vaulter so if his jump angle
is at 45 deg. then the result will be even higher. Probably the best angle is around 20 - 22 deg.

Tim McMichael said in his Oklahoma pole vault Manifesto:
"The reason for this is that the drive vaulter takes a much lower angle of attack. Petrov vaulters jump up off of the ground and their trail matches up with their steeper attack angle. Double leg swing vaulters also jump up off of the ground while keeping their lead knee low. Their trail leg is further inhibited by the limited amplitude of their lead knee. If the lead knee does not come forward, the trail leg cannot go back. Drive vaulters, on the other hand, drive straight in, and this allows their trail leg to travel straight back till the resistance of the body will allow it to go no further."

Another souce of knowledge on this subject is:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/jour ... 1&SRETRY=0

In any case the jump should not slow down the take off!

doug

[Andy_C]

The angle of the jump will affect the speed at take off. If the angle is too great, it will slow you down. If the angle is good, it will have a (relatively) minimal effect on your speed. The effect of a slight variation in jump angle is quite minimal in pole vault but I'll go through this "theoretical" stuff anyway.

You can try this yourself at a sand pit. Just run an jump several times, each time at a different jump angle. Keep your run-up consistent and take note of your speed. Now with the jumping; do several jumps for take off, each jump being progressively higher than the one before. You're going to notice that the higher you try to jump at take off, the slower your horizontal speed will be. Eventually, the only way you're going to come to the point where in order to jump at a higher angle, you actually have to do a basketball style jump. To explain the forces mathematically (sorry I have to steal somebody's triangle, ignore the extra details. Also note that X and Y values are backwards if you're used to the normal way):



Y = Horizontal Force
X = Vertical Force
Z = Total Force = Maximum force your body can exert, a constant (not a constant in reality considering your body reacts differently along X and Y axis but we'll keep it simple by saying it's relatively constant).

This is an important factor at the last point of contact (last step) of the take off. Since you can only give "Z" amount of energy (remember, it's a constant), the values for X and Y will trade off. The greater the value for X, the lower the value of Y. The greater the value of Y, the lower the value of X. When considering that the last however many steps you took on your run up had most of your energy along the Y axis, at the final step *can* act as a block step (slowing you down) should the Y value be drastically different from your previous steps. The Y value will be different if the X value of your final step is too high (ie. you're trying to jump at a huge angle). Regardless of whatever angle you jump you will still be maintaining some speed due to momentum, but the angle of your jump will (whether negligible or substantial) have an effect on your speed. Wanting to jump too high will cause your body to avert more energy along the X axis, reducing your force output on the X axis, resulting in you "hitting the brakes" on your take off step.


"In any case the jump should not slow down the take off!"

True, it should not as long as you're jumping properly. In response to Doug, a normal jump should not slow down the take-off. But I'm talking about a hypothetical jump with a very high angle, one that you really wouldn't use in pole vault or long jump for good reasons.

I think I have to put this into perspective. This isn't such a huge issue in the pole vault as it is in the long jump for several reasons (I think).
1) We are jumping for height, not for distance
2) We use a pole and gymnastics skills to convert our horizontal energy into vertical energy
3) There are a lot more variables in our event than in long jump.
4) You can say there is a trade-off between the pole to ground angle of jumping at a higher angle and the pole speed you would get from being faster.

In the end, I really do think the issue is much ado about nothing. As long as the pole vaulter is not jumping flat or trying to do a basketball/slam dunk type jump, this really isn't a problem. The pole will do a lot of the work considering that you jump properly. With regards to the 45 degree jump angle, I don't think many people (if any) can run at and maintain top speed while successfully jump at a 45 degree angle (without a pole). If somebody could to it, that would be ideal. I think the 45 degree angle jump is too high because from top speed the athlete will have to jump differently (probably with two feet) in order to achieve it.

With a pole, you want the best pole to ground angle with maximum horizontal speed. The best way to achieve this is with a high plant, solid run, good take off and a pre-jump. For the take-off angle, you need to make sure you are jumping up (not flat) and you are not trying to jump so high that you lose the effective take-off mechanics. The details (ie. 18, 22, 26, 28 degrees ect.) really don't matter as long as you're optimizing your pole to ground angle and your horizontal speed.

[dougb]

Sorry, the above link doesn't seem to work.

Try:
http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~spstnpl/Pub ... (Linthorne).pdf

Speed is everything. ( almost )

doug

[dj]

Good morning

I don’t believe the angle you have been discussing is a product of the athletes “jump” angle. The angle and the data recorded is caused by the horizontal speed at the takeoff and the stiffness of the pole. In other words an athlete can have a eighteen degree measured trajectory on one jump using a 12.8 flex and a twenty degree trajectory on the next jump by using a 12.6 flex pole and keeps all the other parameters, grip, speed, plant reach, etc. the same.

I feel the only advantage of “Jumping” at takeoff is gained by having a higher reach point, which creates a greater pole angle at the plant/takeoff, which assist the vaulter in getting the pole/grip to vertical… which in turn may allow for a higher grip and consequently higher vaults.

So a higher “reach” just before a “free” Simi’ free, almost free takeoff is the biomechanical, physical advantage rather than the measure angle after the takeoff.

The disadvantage is in the potential to loose speed. That is why I think there should be a very strong “impulse”, as in triple jump takeoffs, but the body mass should head for the back of the pit instead of at a increased angle.

The horizontal speed combined with the high plant, plus the pole stiffness of the pole will give you the angle of trajectory. If the pole is too stiff the angle will be greater and you will not penetrate as deep unless you increased your speed from your previous jump. If you increase your speed and keep everything else the same you will bend the pole more, have a flatter trajectory and “blow” through.

The trajectory is in and up to “shorten the radius” enough to gain an advantage of using fiberglass. A steeper angle, to a point, goes back to our steel pole days and removes part of the advantage of glass poles.

dj

[Andy_C]

Good morning

I don’t believe the angle you have been discussing is a product of the athletes “jump” angle. The angle and the data recorded is caused by the horizontal speed at the takeoff and the stiffness of the pole. In other words an athlete can have a eighteen degree measured trajectory on one jump using a 12.8 flex and a twenty degree trajectory on the next jump by using a 12.6 flex pole and keeps all the other parameters, grip, speed, plant reach, etc. the same.

I feel the only advantage of “Jumping” at takeoff is gained by having a higher reach point, which creates a greater pole angle at the plant/takeoff, which assist the vaulter in getting the pole/grip to vertical… which in turn may allow for a higher grip and consequently higher vaults.

So a higher “reach” just before a “free” Simi’ free, almost free takeoff is the biomechanical, physical advantage rather than the measure angle after the takeoff.

The disadvantage is in the potential to loose speed. That is why I think there should be a very strong “impulse”, as in triple jump takeoffs, but the body mass should head for the back of the pit instead of at a increased angle.

The horizontal speed combined with the high plant, plus the pole stiffness of the pole will give you the angle of trajectory. If the pole is too stiff the angle will be greater and you will not penetrate as deep unless you increased your speed from your previous jump. If you increase your speed and keep everything else the same you will bend the pole more, have a flatter trajectory and “blow” through.

The trajectory is in and up to “shorten the radius” enough to gain an advantage of using fiberglass. A steeper angle, to a point, goes back to our steel pole days and removes part of the advantage of glass poles.

dj

Hello,

The angle I was discussing would be the jump angle, alone, if there was a free take-off or pre-jump. I was trying to explain roughly which angle is best for 'giving' the pole energy and why jumping too high would not be beneficial. I'm trying to exclude the pole at the instant of take-off (hence the pre-jump/free take-off) because the pole, as you explained, would complicate things.

That said, I wholeheartedly agree with the content of your post. While the subject matter may not have been completely in-line with what I was discussing, I think what you said is correct and is actually more relevant to improving pole vault results than what I have been talking about, which has mainly been a lot of relatively small theoretical details.

[dj]

Hey

I agree your points have been correct…….

no criticizing at all… just trying to throw some thought into the angle discussion… from a vault stand point and a “perfect vault”.

I think there is a best plant/takeoff position and takeoff trajectory angle that will place the most force in the best place on the pole to cause it to bend correctly..

Peter McGinnis’s work discusses and uses the “top grip” trajectory which can’t be used to judge if the athletes “takeoff” angle was to low, to high or just right. “Just right” is not relative to that data. Neither is a judgment of “too flat” or “too high” based on that data..

What is important about the angle is… does the force that was created when leaving the ground travel through the correct part of the pole to create the best maximum bend and leave enough force combined with the swing force to move the pole to vertical..

Just trying to raise some questions about takeoff angle and if we can even measure what we need to measure concerning angle.

We can’t use the same type of measurement as the long jump because we have a pole in our hands that changes the “optimum” angle thought.

I tend to be on a “lower” instead of “higher” angle… because the pole stiffness will take care of the “higher’ part.

Food for thought..

dj

[dj]

good morning

the title of this thread is "THE PERFECT VAULT" so i'm going to re-post something i have posted before... sorry to take up the space but it seems when i post this... no one responds so i don't know if it is understood or even followed.

If you are not following this procedure from the proper grip, stance, first step to pole carry... you will never have the "PERFECT VAULT". you may have your best vault ever but nothingt near perfect.

How many of you keep the left wrist above the left elbow????

Petrov... 2001

HOW TO HOLD AND CARRY THE POLE

The grip of the pole during the approach is one of the most important details in a modern vaulter’s technique. In order to reach the maximum controlled velocity during the approach and to naturally proceed to the hang on the pole with subsequent muscle effort shift, to transfer from the hang to overturn on the pole, it is first of all necessary to free oneself from the retarding effect of the pole on the pole-vaulter. To a considerable extent it can be improved by the correct pole hold and width of the hold, i.e. the distance between the hands. A modern technique pattern in pole suggests the grip at the distance of 60-70 cm (distance measured from the thumb of the left hand to the thumb of the right hand).

The width of the grip varies from one athlete to another and depends on the athlete’s height and length of his arms, strength of the arms and mobility in the shoulder and especially in the wrist joints.

Taking due consideration of all the advantages and disadvantages of the various grips, each coach establishes the most convenient width for a given vaulter. In my work with Sergei Bubka I had to change the width 3 times, and the optimum grip was established only in winter of 1991. The grip of the pole during the approach is one of the most important details in a modern vaulter’s technical gear.

Acceleration

Acceleration is the ability to reach the maximum of controllable speed within a certain distance.
An important feature of the acceleration is its increment value and the ability to keep a certain speed on a certain running distance.

Dj note… What I have said with my “MID” chart! Two points here… 1. stride length is speed based.. the further out your “MID” the faster you had better be running!! 2. Acceleration and it’s increase in stride length is is proportionate (increment value) but based on how fast you are running.

Acceleration as an element of the pole vault has its own components which are interrelated and which determine the vaulter’s activity during acceleration. Any changes or disturbances in any of the components will retard the speed and efficiency of the acceleration.

dj note… must be natural acceleration.. what this means and how it fits into the run is very important. For example if the vaulter is “jacked up” or has more adrenalin for a big competition adjustments have to be made. The “correct’ adjustment is critical and has to fit the “feel” of the vaulter for that runway,

The length of the top vaulters’ run-up is on the average about 42-46 m, with 18-20 strides. This length of the run-up provides for the implementation of an athlete’s running abilities and allows for a smooth acceleration.

The 1st part of the approach takes place on a distance usually covered in 4 to 6 strides; it is here that the athlete lays the foundation of the approach:
1. set up of a single system: vaulter/ pole
2. evolving pattern of the first strides
3. run-up rhythm (acceleration), length and rate of the strides.

Maximum speed, its rationality towards the end of the run-up is established and depend on the correctly performed first strides.
It is necessary to stress here that the position of the pole and the vaulter/pole system influence the length and pace in the beginning of the acceleration.
Low pole carry in the beginning forces the vaulter to make the first strides more rapid which will result in a fast acceleration, rigidity of the movements and tying-up of the muscles.

Excessively high pole carry in the beginning will make the first strides longer and result in the up-and-down swing of the system’s center of gravity, thus also affecting the smoothness of the approach. In the beginning of the first part the vaulter keeps the pole at 65-75 degrees to the horizon, and by the end, with smooth acceleration he will bring it to 50-60 degrees.

It is preferable to launch into acceleration the single solid vaulter/pole system while controlling it through the left hand. Various changes in the rate of the movements, pole position, irregular running often occur as a result of the vaulter’s attempts to start run with various jumps, imitating the start in long jump and triple jump). All of this gives rise to so many irregularities and errors that sometimes it is hard to understand the reason for the movements.

There are other ways of starting the run – 4 to 6 measured walking steps taken to the starting mark, with the pole held in the same position as for the acceleration run, which is uniform in its acceleration similar to high jumpers who start the run-up with strides. Thus their transition from walking to running is inconspicuous and natural.

dj note… mike tully two walking steps in 1983/84

Concentration before the vault, a desire to vault and confidence that this very vault will be the best are often the decisive factors for successful performance.

If the top of the pole is held a little to the left (from the run-up line), the left hand will be positioned in a more comfortable and elevated position, and the whole vaulter/pole system will become more compact (without shifting forward or to the right).

During the whole run, including the pole drop, the left hand is held high enough and on the same level (chest level).

The left hand provides the direction and the bearing point around which the drop and the plant take place. If this is the case, then during the run it must remain motionless, positioned higher than the left elbow at all times.Any motions of the hand (forward, backward, down or sideways) will break the single vaulter/pole system.

The right hand which plays the major part in the drop and plant, through the support of the left hand, during the run moves more than the left one. In the various parts of the run its work, position and strength of the grip are different.

The second part of the run takes place on a stretch covered in 8 to 10 strides. The main task here is to achieve 90-95 per cent of the maximum speed (note 1) The pole is carried here at about 45/60 degrees angle. In the end of the 2nd part the athlete reaches the maximum stride length. Acceleration here is sustained by the slight movement of the shoulders, synchronizing the work of the upper part of the body with the work of the legs, without, however, moving the pole in any direction. If in the beginning of the run the main effort is made at the push from behind,(note 2) in the middle part, as the speed increases, the athlete is stretching and switches over to the active “drawing through” of the hips forward,(note 3) accompanied by the active counter movement forward of the swinging leg which is bent to the maximum.

The whole foot is placed on the ground.. … with a bias for an instantaneous roll (active placement); the shock absorption phase will increase if the foot is placed starting with the toe.

1. dj note…this is why a 6 step “MID” is not an option but a must!!!!

2. dj note… this is why speed/acceleration is a “PUSHING” action not a “pawing”. Increase your ankle flexibility and you will “paw” less!!!

3. dj note.. this position should create a greater ankle flexion.. resulting in more force created “down the track”, horizontally, from the “PUSH”….

4. dj note.. this statement is a negative.. don’t read it as a positive.. “the whole foot is placed on the ground” doesn’t mean “flatfooted” it means ball of the foot with the toe “up” so the foot hits on the ball with a “reflex’ action from the heel touch. In other words if you point and land on the “toe” you will loose the “rebound” effect because the ankle will then act as a shock absorber and you loose that rebound “hammer’ effect.

Pole Drop

This final 3rd part of the run is characterized by the increased rate of the run while the length of the stride remains the same, thus achieving the maximum speed of the run-up. The length of the strides is a little shorter as compared to sprint, the body is straightened. The length of the strides should not change abruptly. The 2nd last step is longer than the last one by 10-20 cm (optional).

This part in covered in 6 strides and equals to 17,0 – 17,5 m (shown by top athletes of the world) if measured from the back of the box.

The key to the correct vaulting technique lies in practically all the movements of the drop and push part of the run-up – both for the beginners and for more advanced vaulters.

Without changing the running pace and running position, 6 to 5 strides before the push, the vaulter begins the drop. This is done with the help of pulling and rotation (initial) of the right hand.

During the next two run-up strides (4-3 steps) the vaulter’s attention is focused on the slight thrust of the hips forward without losing control over the shoulders, maintaining their leading role in the run-up.

While the right hand is being pulled, the right elbow is gradually drawn behind the back, thus making it possible during the last two run-up steps to lift the right hand with the pole up to the right shoulder.

The left hand remains at the same level as 6 steps before the push; while slightly moving ahead, it controls the height and advancement of the pole. Two steps before the push, the pole is a little higher – 10-15 cm above the vaulter’s center of gravity.

All these movements cannot be considered as a static position; the vaulter has already begun the drop 4 steps back, and here the pole simply crosses its horizontal line.

The drop must not be abrupt (if the vaulter was not late in initiating it), it must fall within the rhythm of the last strides.

When making the last two steps of the drop, the vaulter should not “lose” the pole by stretching the left arm forward (as if looking for support, the box). All the movements during the drop take place while the left hand is kept over the left elbow. During the last 6 strides, and especially during the last 3 steps, the vaulter must keep the abdominal muscles tight without breaking the line of his advancement; this will help him to drive the shoulders back even before the drop. A very important detail of the drop that will save him from squatting at the penultimate step, is riding the pole over the head before the vaulter arrives at the vertical position of the right leg. If he does it on time, then the right foot will take an active step on the late, beginning to accelerate to pole for the plant. The most dangerous moment during the drop is an early touch of the box when the transition is made from the right to the take-off foot.

Take-off and penetration

The efficiency of this phase depends on the vaulter’s skill in the drop/take-off junction, on whether he is able to begin the push before the pole is set against the box. The pole must be smoothly transferred to the plant position when the vertical take-off plane is crossed. The technically correct movement demonstrates the right acceleration of the pole by the moment the vaulter reaches the vertical take-off plane.

The left arm is not trying to bend the pole; it plants it firmly towards the bar and then transfers the effort to the right hand, so that the pole is bent by the impact of the vaulter’s speed and mass. The vaulter, alert to the resilience of the pole, must perform all the subsequent actions on the pole as on a rigid support.

The primary purposes of the support-pushing part of the jump are as follows:
1. to perform the drop and plant with minimal losses in horizontal speed at the angle of 20-22º, i.e. at a tangent to the future swing on the pole;
2. maximum transfer of kinetic energy to the pole by means of the impact made by the “pivotal” junction.

Of great importance in pole vaulting is the depth of the body advancement forward during the take-off. With this in mind, even during the take-off the athlete must release the shoulder girdle from tension and drive his chest forward/upward, while at the same time taking off with the support leg and swinging with the free leg.

The quickness and depth of the take-off greatly influence the technique of all the next elements of the vault: the hang, swing and rock-back. Moreover, the performance of the take-off phase determines the rhythm of the subsequent parts of the vault.

The take-off point of the top pole vaulters of the world is somewhere within 420-440 cm from the back of the box. The taller vaulters take off at a distance of 410-420 cm, shorter ones do it at 430-440 cm.

dj notes… I personally, as a coach that has written my own interpretation of the vault feel petrov would make this statement if HIS definition of a “free” takeoff is anything more than taking off “just before” the pole hits the back of the box. He would have said.. X number of centermeters or something else along that line and as clearly as he feels it needs to be described. I feel what he has written and said at clinics is enough and correct.

Continued acceleration of the last 4 strides is an indication of good skills acquired in this part of the pole vault (pole drop/plant). The speed of Sergei Bubka shown in his best vaults continued to grow until the take-off, as follows:
4 strides before take-off: 9.5 m/sec
2 strides before take-off: 9.7 m/sec
before take-off: 9.9 m/sec.

Recommendations for the take-off phase:

1. Begin the pole acceleration for the “push” already from the swinging leg before the take-off leg contacts the ground. The vaulter needs to create a maximum space between him and the pole. His arms must be stretched, the right arm continues the line of his body, whereas the left arm is at right angle the pole axis.
2. Before the vertical position the vaulter tries to increase this space to the maximum, whereas ever since, and during the whole movement from the take-off he must aim to “rush” as deep upward as possible, trying to reach the left elbow with his head.

3. The foot is placed for the take-off firmly with a quick roll-up on the ball of the foot. The vaulter must pay more attention to the swing with the right leg bent to a maximum in order to move the hips forward, trying to keep the shoulders in the front position, until the end of the hang.

Swing-up and rock-back

Having moved the chest and hips forward during the hang the vaulter begins to draw the shoulders back – mainly through the effort of the shoulder girdle muscles, thus switching the rotation axis from hands to shoulders.

Question: Is the drop of the swinging leg during the hang losing its importance?

Answer: At present the athletes and their coaches should pay more attention to the quickness and the amplitude (depth) of the “drive” on the pole than to the external observance of the position. After the shoulder girdle muscles “switch on”, the vaulter strongly swings his whole body upwards. The rotation axis goes through his shoulder girdle. In this case the swing on the pole is forceful and quick. The pole is bent to the maximum when the athlete’s body takes a horizontal position to the ground, and the shins of the bent legs pass by the bent pole and are raised to the level of the head and shoulders. It is worth mentioning here that the arrest of the shoulders after the deep penetration ensures the drive of the hips upwards to the pole, through active unbending of the left arm, whereas the acceleration of the vaulter’s hips drive upwards was built up by the turn of the shoulders back and down.

there i have done it again.... i think it is worth the space... we continue to come back to the same questions...and hopefully we will unstand that this is the correct answer.

just an example... how many of you plant late and step under?

here's the answer with another question.....

Do you carry the pole in a stable position with the left wrist higher than the left elbow, at all times, right up to the plant?

there is your answer and re-read what Petrov says above... there is a biomechanical/physics reason for those position.

thank you

dj

[Andy_C]

"Do you carry the pole in a stable position with the left wrist higher than the left elbow, at all times, right up to the plant?"

I try to! Believe me. I still have a bad habit every now and then of 'lowering' the pole into the box (particularly when I'm tired) but it's greatly improved from what it was. As far as taking off under is concerned, my personal experience is that the best way to cure the "Taking Off Under" syndrome is to do tons of stiff pole vaulting and stiff pole drills to condition your mind and body into doing things so you don't take off under. You can always find ways to cheat the flexible pole, but you can't do that to the stiff pole. If you take off poorly with a stiff pole you're going to feel it big time.

P.S. Thanks for the article. It was a good read

[powerplant42]

Alright, so I guess there's consensus on take-off angle... it should not change. But now let's examine the take-off's other elements:

(Keep in mind that the athlete has no real physical limitations!)

1. Should the vaulter use a pre-jump?
-As an accessory to this question: to 'grow', or not to 'grow' (through take-off)?
2. Should the vaulter incorporate a 'Bryde Bend' trail leg?
3. Where should the arms be and what should they be doing?
4. Should the drive knee stay 'Petrovian'?

My answers:

1. Yes. The pre-jump, while technically a passive phase, puts the vaulter in a better position for pole strike. The interesting question now becomes this... where should the take-off point be in relation to the box?

(I have no idea about the 'growing'...)

2. Yes. During free flight the vaulter should pick their trail leg up as far as possible... at the moment of pole strike, they should begin the swing.

3. Not totally sure... I have my ideas, but I want to see what others say first.

4. Yes... during take-off, at least. But I'm not sure about after pole strike...

Thoughts?

[KirkB]

1. Should the vaulter use a pre-jump?
-As an accessory to this question: to 'grow', or not to 'grow' (through take-off)?
2. Should the vaulter incorporate a 'Bryde Bend' trail leg?
3. Where should the arms be and what should they be doing?
4. Should the drive knee stay 'Petrovian'?

My answers:

1. Yes. The pre-jump, while technically a passive phase, puts the vaulter in a better position for pole strike. The interesting question now becomes this... where should the take-off point be in relation to the box?

(I have no idea about the 'growing'...)

2. Yes. During free flight the vaulter should pick their trail leg up as far as possible... at the moment of pole strike, they should begin the swing.

3. Not totally sure... I have my ideas, but I want to see what others say first.

4. Yes... during take-off, at least. But I'm not sure about after pole strike...

When you're breaking the vault down into "vault parts", be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking that there's a sharp time division between each part.

I will use the analogy of a "color wheel". Everyone knows that there's 3 primary colors - Red, Green, and Blue. But did you also know that there's Yellow, Cyan, and Magenta - used in color-printing? And if you split the color wheel down into even smaller pieces of the pie, you will find many, many additional colors.

color_wheel.jpg (35.59 KiB) Viewed 10871 times

I found this color wheel here: http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/color_cast/color_wheel.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/color_cast/visible_color_spectrum.html&usg=__hgR7hU6U2YyEgB8c_ZNq1y6IZm8=&h=553&w=538&sz=36&hl=en&start=2&sig2=TGx3lUd1bzJUcHLbpCPD3g&um=1&tbnid=NX7AZzKD2S0ftM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=129&ei=fUI8SdHxDpfysAOw0ai2BA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcolor%2Bspectrum%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX ... but the details aren't important. Just try to grasp the analogy.

The point is that vault parts are like that too. It's not just "run / plant / takeoff / swing / invert / extend / fly-away / clear".

It's not even just "Run. Plant. Jump. Split. Whip. Extend. Fly. Clear". For example, "Whip" represents several sub-parts.

Each of these are over-simplifications of a very complex set of body actions, each melding into the next, just as colors meld into their neighbors on the color wheel.

By analyzing vault videos, we often erreneously try to break these body actions down frame-by-frame, assuming that each single frame belongs within a single vault part.

This of course, is a false assumption. The vault is too complex to break down that simply.

For example, as ironic as this might sound, your body is still "in free flight" for a short time AFTER the pole hits the box. That is, the athlete is still able to manipulate his body parts after the pole hits - AS IF he's still in free flight. That's because the impact of the pole is GRADUAL on the body - not INSTANTANEOUS! It would be instantaneous ONLY if the body and the pole were perfectly rigid.

If we're striving to understand "THE PERFECT VAULT" (as opposed to, say, "intermediate technique"), then we need to keep this in mind. (This is too much detail for Beginner or Intermediate Technique.)

At the bottom of page 1 of my BB thread - here: http://polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=15483&start=0 , I said:

Post #7 - The Bryde Bend in Detail

My vault consisted of these major parts:

• Pre-Vault Preparation (Mental Preparation)
• Pole Grip and Carry
• Run
• Pole Drop
• Plant
• Jump to the Split Position - and Lift Trail Leg Back
• Single-Leg Swing
• Shoot (Extension)
• Fly-Away (Bar Clearance)

I call these “vault parts” so that they’re not confused with “vault phases”. These vault parts weren’t all in common usage in my era, and still aren’t. I realize that, but it’s the easiest way for me to explain my technique part-by-part. Obviously, as with any technique, there’s lots of overlap from one vault part to the next.

Kirk Bryde

You will notice that I've changed my wording over the years - even this year - but the "continuous chain" that I'm attempting to describe is immutable.

"THERE'S LOTS OF OVERLAP FROM ONE VAULT PART TO THE NEXT."

I think that sums it up.

Kirk

[powerplant42]

Before we understand purple, we should understand red and blue... I hear you though, and you know that I know that the vault is like that.