Okay Practice, 10-12-08

[KirkB]

My shortest post ever ...

As soon as you put your short run post up, I will post my videos. Deal?

Deal!

[KirkB]

... pole runs and sand-pit drills.

... the biggest pole i could find was a 14' 145. I WAS REALLY FOCUSING ON KEEPING THE DRIVE KNEE UP AND KEEPING THE TRAIL LEG BACK AND REALLY PUSHING THE RUNWAY AWAY FROM MY BODY. ... i felt it an achievment. cause we all know, the only way i managed this, was having that great drive knee, and leaping really well at take-off.

so let me know what you guys feel about this.

Great! You seem to be catching onto all this stuff quite well!

If you don't already have BTB2, I think you'd get a lot out of it. It kind of puts all of these ideas we've been discussing into a nice 308-page package of light bed-time reading. OK, I lied about the "light" part.

If you can't afford it, put it on your [end-of-year-holiday-of-religious-choice] wish list in plenty of time for a mail order from Seattle. Your coach should have a copy too, if he doesn't already have one. Team work, you know.

I don't know why I always seem to be translating PP's posts into English, but here goes again ...

i'll be looking for some...who said it?? swedish steel?? or something like that?? hahaha, a stiffer pole, to vault on

I don't know why PP recommended Swedish steel. Yeh, I used that in my day, as a high-schooler, before I bought my first fiberglass pole, but (1) it was quite heavy, (2) it made an awful clank when it hit the box, and (3) it was only 10 feet long, and you're already stiff-poling higher than that. I very much doubt if PP has even SEEN a Swedish steel pole, let alone vault on it.

Maybe it was the Swedes that first said "I wouldn't touch that with a 10-foot pole!"

Well, my advice is that I wouldn't touch that 10-foot pole with a 10-foot pole! Ha! Ha!

But I think what he was really trying to say (here comes the translation) is that you should FIND A POLE THAT WON'T BEND! With Swedish steel, you're guaranteed no bend. But with the heaviest fiberglass pole that you can find in your equipment room ... well, you know the rest!

I'm not sure of your location, but I'll bet there's a college or ex-vaulter (maybe ex-decathlete) nearby that would give you a fiberglass log for free (or very cheap), if you could only make contact. Try using the Equipment or For Sale forums, and ask around.

One more thing that might tie into acquiring a "stiff pole" ...

If you're already bending the biggest pole on the rack, what are you going to be jumping on next Spring? You solve that one, and you've solved the log problem - all at the same time!

Kirk

[joebro391]

I don't know why PP recommended Swedish steel. Yeh, I used that in my day, as a high-schooler, before I bought my first fiberglass pole, but (1) it was quite heavy, (2) it made an awful clank when it hit the box, and (3) it was only 10 feet long, and you're already stiff-poling higher than that. I very much doubt if PP has even SEEN a Swedish steel pole, let alone vault on it.

haha, when i reffered to a pole as 'sweedish steel' i spimply meant a pole that i wouldn't bend. and yea, if i ever found a steel pole, i'd probably frame it or something instead of vault on it haha

If you're already bending the biggest pole on the rack, what are you going to be jumping on next Spring? You solve that one, and you've solved the log problem - all at the same time!

Kirk

yea, my coach is buying a set of 15' poles, in the next few weeks, so i'll test out those, before selecting which pole i'll be vaulting on in the late winter, and spring. the way i'm vaulting now, i could probably get on a light 14' (full bend) from 5 lefts. which means a 14' 155-ish pole from 6 and possibly a 14' 170-light 15' from 7; however, my coaches and myself would like me on an 8-Left approach, on a hefty 15-footer. who knows, maybe i'll be the third lovell twin (from the case study in B2B2) and then i'll be in B2B3!! haha

i'll deffinately consult you guys though, before i decide to drop $500 on a 15' foot pole for this coming season. -6P

[powerplant42]

I feel that we are about to purchase very similar poles... I have just acquired 500 for a pole, and I'm going with a 14'7'' 175, lowish flex. Try to stay heavy on the weight, light on the length. It makes more vault-sense, and it's cheaper! But we'll see...

[joebro391]

hey, PP, i had a question about strait-poleing into the sandpit and what not. i just wanted to know, whether in the sandpit, or, if i moved onto the mat, should i start swinging up on the pole??? or just ride it through, to the pit, like a regular sandpit-vault??? i hope that makes sense haha. -6P

[powerplant42]

I answered you by respodning to your PM.

But I will add to that response now by saying:

It depends.