Unread postby powerplant42 » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:55 pm
Most people skip over or brush off the small, yet very important bit of technique that involves the transition from the free pole drop into the plant or pole drive preceding take-off. That is, the bottom arm/hand must stay HIGH! I'm assuming that the vast majority of vaulters don't really pay attention to this, or, as is the case in the good ol' USA, they aren't even taught the Petrov model or at least by a good and knowledgable coach. The bottom hand has to stay high in order for the best plant timing and take-off posture and readiness. One must think about which is better: a low lever, or a high lever? A higher lever eliminates the need to bring the pole up very far. A low lever complicates the plant's timing and accuracy by creating a difficult situation to control a pole, especially the longer and heavier poles. The lower the lever is, the quicker you need to be able to make the transition from pole drop into pole drive, and the quicker you must drive the pole in order to have a good take-off position.
"I run and jump, and then it's arrrrrgh!" -Bubka