Finally Over 15'

[TylerPorter11]

I did some stairs and pole carries yesterday to work on my good knee-drive while running. Then today I jumped on my small 14'6" 165 from 4 lefts holding at 14'2 and did a few from six with my carbon (15' 175).

I've been working on my run from 4 on my smaller pole and working on letting the tip fall in the box rather than the whole roll my arm around method, I can already tell the difference...

I've also meant to ask vaulterboy how i should proceed in finishing my take off. I see that im under, when I moved back on the run way today and was "out" It felt alot better and gave me a lot more "pop" off the top.

from behind so you can see my run -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXav9QKw9I0

[KirkB]

I've been working on ... letting the tip fall in the box rather than the whole roll my arm around method, I can already tell the difference...

Cool! The "weightless" drop of the pole is needed to start this "slight forwards lean" that you need to prepare for your takeoff. You can't be leaning back at all ... or your takeoff won't be as good. Keep working on that!

I've also meant to ask vaulterboy how i should proceed in finishing my take off. I see that im under, when I moved back on the run way today and was "out" It felt alot better and gave me a lot more "pop" off the top.

If 3P0 doesn't mind tag-team-coaching with me ...

Once you feel like you're leaning forward more during your takeoff ... and once you takeoff more OUT (which you've just discovered) ... then you'll be JUMPING in the right direction ... from the right spot ... and you can put the full power of your run and plant into your JUMP. Once your foot leaves the ground, keep stretching into the elastic C position. That's what "finishing the takeoff" means. But don't stop there. The INSTANT you hit your C, begin your vigorous trail leg action ... using not just with your trail leg, but your torso and arms too ... just like on the highbar.

And don't forget to keep that trail leg LONG!

The most important point I'm making here is to get a good forward-leaning body posture as you "finish your takeoff". Check out Feofanova on http://www.stabhochsprung.com and look at her body posture on/after takeoff. It's excellent! Be sure to step thru frame-by-frame with your right-arrow key.

Kirk

[vault3rb0y]

Sorry for a slow reply- ive been busy with my own problems as a college vaulter entering finals week and championship season!

Exactly what kirk said. If i could add to it with a few simple facts you can apply at any time to help you "finish your take off" better.

1.) the more explosive you are at take off, the more you will finish your take off automatically

2.) The closer you are to feeling no resistance when you leave the ground, the easier it will be to keep your hips centered over your shoulders and so "finish your takeoff" more fully

3.) This is a big one often forgot about. RELAX. In order to finish your take off fully, the muscles from your sternum all the way down your abdomen and down your hipflexor and quad's must be stretched. It's impossible to stretch and contract a muscle at the same time, but a crucial part of finishing your take off. The catch is not to relax your leg muscles at take off, but be explosive, then the instant you leave the ground, allow your body to stretch. Simulate this in your head everytime before you vault by doing a lunge down to stretch your hip flexor, then put your hands up in the air to work on expanding your "finished take off, C position". If you do it right, you will literally feel a strong stretch on your obliques on your left side (for righty vaulters). It's almost impossible not add some serious energy into the vault after you hit this position.

ON your video, you swing well and move your hips well. However, try to move your hips AROUND the pole, not just up the pole. It will feel like you are throwing your hips outward before they move upward. This is a big element of adding the most amount of energy with your swing.

I'm excited to see what happens when you make these changes, keep us posted with video!

[sooch90]

Sorry for a slow reply- ive been busy with my own problems as a college vaulter entering finals week and championship season!

Exactly what kirk said. If i could add to it with a few simple facts you can apply at any time to help you "finish your take off" better.

1.) the more explosive you are at take off, the more you will finish your take off automatically

2.) The closer you are to feeling no resistance when you leave the ground, the easier it will be to keep your hips centered over your shoulders and so "finish your takeoff" more fully

3.) This is a big one often forgot about. RELAX. In order to finish your take off fully, the muscles from your sternum all the way down your abdomen and down your hipflexor and quad's must be stretched. It's impossible to stretch and contract a muscle at the same time, but a crucial part of finishing your take off. The catch is not to relax your leg muscles at take off, but be explosive, then the instant you leave the ground, allow your body to stretch. Simulate this in your head everytime before you vault by doing a lunge down to stretch your hip flexor, then put your hands up in the air to work on expanding your "finished take off, C position". If you do it right, you will literally feel a strong stretch on your obliques on your left side (for righty vaulters). It's almost impossible not add some serious energy into the vault after you hit this position.

ON your video, you swing well and move your hips well. However, try to move your hips AROUND the pole, not just up the pole. It will feel like you are throwing your hips outward before they move upward. This is a big element of adding the most amount of energy with your swing.

I'm excited to see what happens when you make these changes, keep us posted with video!

Hey I have a question about #3. I've often heard the phrase "rigid body" after the takeoff, and I was wondering if this idea is contradictory to relaxing? Or do they go hand in hand?

[vault3rb0y]

You dont want to over relax, or you end up with your bottom hand in your face. Its a tough balance between keeping the pole and your body under control, but being flexible and relaxed at the same time. I would have to hear what someone was referring to when they say keep a rigid body, because in general i would say you do not want to stay rigid. Maybe in a context of being tall and controlled you are rigid, but definitely not in a sense of finishing your take off.

[KirkB]

To me, "rigid" vs. "relaxed" is like when you jump on a trampoline. If you're rigid on each bounce, you'll bounce right back up without any loss of energy. But if you're too relaxed, some of the energy from the bounce will be absorbed in your legs, so you won't bounce back up as high.

So to me, RIGID is good, and RELAXED is bad.

I think you can be stretched into an elastic position by finishing your takeoff without relaxing. If you relax, you'll lose energy ... just like on a trampoline.

3P0, this sounds contradictory to what you're saying, so I'm sure you're thinking of something different.

I know that you understand the physics of this just as well as I do, so I expect that there's just a misunderstanding in terms here.

Kirk

[vault3rb0y]

All i am saying is that in order to achieve a fully extended "C" or "finished take off", you must relax the muscles down your body for at least a fraction of a second. This is the reason why bubka remains so relaxed on all of his jumps. When i say relaxed, i only mean NOT clenching, pounding, or trying to FORCE anything in the vault. You are quicker and stronger when you maintain a calmness and controlled power during your entire jump. Its the same concept with kicking a football or swinging a golf club.

[KirkB]

All i am saying is that in order to achieve a fully extended "C" or "finished take off", you must relax the muscles down your body for at least a fraction of a second. ...

If you're talking about how you must get yourself INTO the stretched elastic C position, then I buy that. You need to be supple to stretch into that position, and you can't be STIFF and SUPPLE at the same time.

However, you need to ensure that your entire body is TIGHT (i.e. RIGID) when the pole hits the back of the box.

If not, severe LEAKAGE (i.e. loss of energy) will occur.

Another example is when you're duck-hunting. Just before you pull the trigger on your shotgun, you need to tighten up your entire body. Otherwise, the kickback will cause your aim to go astray ... and you could even lose your balance. This is maybe not a perfect analogy, but it's just another example of when you need to be RIGID just before "impact".

Kirk

[vault3rb0y]

I think we can agree that its a balance between being firm and controlled, and relaxed and "supple" as you put it.

Only in seeing an athlete jump can be tell whether they are being too relaxed, too rigid, or just right. My short experience has been, however, that nearly all high school and even college athletes are too rigid. You can tell by the posture and "bounce" of their run and how well they extend into their most stretched C position.

[tennpolevault]

I remember vaulting on that pit in high school (well maybe an older version). This video brings back lots of memories from that hill in the background. I was soooo happy when I cleared 13 feet my sophomore year using those mean green sky poles. I felt so lucky just to get to go to "Jefferson" for the Carrollton Trojans. Little did I ever think that 5 years later I would be vaulting 18' 6". Looks like you are on your way too. Keep it up. You are getting some good advice, but really focus on the basics !

http://www.utpolevault.blogspot.com