My pole vault accident.

[Barefoot]

Wait... you were stalling out on the 14-170... So you went to the 15-160???

[KirkB]

Wait... you were stalling out on the 14-170... So you went to the 15-160???

I'm wondering that too ... you said the 14 170 was too stiff.

Check the Relative Stiffness Chart that I pasted earlier in this thread. Do you understand what that means?

Maybe you don't understand the difference between pole WEIGHT and pole FLEX?

Kirk

[KirkB]

... I want to move back steps, because 5L isn't really competitive steps from what i see. Usually at meets i am the only one running from four or five lefts. Most others use 6 or 7 which i'd like to move back to. ...

How competitive are you right now ... after stalling out and injuring yourself?

Maybe the guys going from 6 or 7 are more advanced ... and they've already MASTERED 5L. You haven't. There's really no shortcuts to proper technique. If you try to take shortcuts ... such as gripping higher than you're able to handle ... or running from further back than you're able to handle ... then it will just backfire on you!

I know I'm being hard on you ... but I think you need some "tough love" right now!

Kirk

[Barefoot]

I gotta add something else...

A 14' jump on a 14' UCS pole means you are pushing ~13" and lines up close to DJ's mid chart for grip to bar height. This is not terrible from a 5 left, I'd say its pretty decent. Going to a 6 left, provided you work the run off the runway first is not a bad idea, and a much better idea than pushing your grip on poles you are not comfortable with. The added speed will actually help the speed of your swing and your penetration.

So I'd say work to achieve the 6 left... then see how the bigger poles feel... after you are blowing through 80cm.

[perezn03]

Well, first thanks all for you advice!

Next to answer your question,
All poles UCS
from 5L the 14 165 is good. standards at 75. At 5L when i moved to the 14 170, it was too stiff. i stalled out. But what i thought was that maybe since the 14 170 is relatively stiff? and that maybe a lighter 170 would be more applicable.

From 6L i usually used the 14 170. but when i kept coming out, id hit the bar on my way up, given that i dont come off perfectly at the top as im still working on my top end, my coach and i still feel that i needed a stiffer pole. My coach though thought that maybe if i had more fiber glass, it'd compensate for the blow through. What i mean by blow through is that the pole is WAYYY past vertical.

my 4 and 5 are pretty solid and i know i can always height from them. My 6 step is consistent. I know i haven't fully mastered it. But i still need to move back to it because of my pole situation.

my 4 step pole i blow through, so its only good for heights up to 12. THat pole is a 13 175. I have made 13 from 4 steps multiple times. and i have on another thread videos of me kicking a bungee at 15 an 15 6 from it.

My 5 step poles are all too soft. i have a 14 155 and 160. The 165 i use is from Coach Cauthers and St.Lawrence from the Hudson valley flying circus. So i dont have access to it all the time.

my 6 step was the 170 which my coach and i had felt wasn't sufficient enough to continue to higher heights as it would go way past vertical.

[Barefoot]

"From 6L i usually used the 14 170. but when i kept coming out, id hit the bar on my way up, given that i dont come off perfectly at the top as im still working on my top end, my coach and i still feel that i needed a stiffer pole. My coach though thought that maybe if i had more fiber glass, it'd compensate for the blow through. What i mean by blow through is that the pole is WAYYY past vertical."

Okay... I get what the thinking is here.

Questions to ask yourself and your coach... are you blowing through because you have too much pole speed, or because you are coming out early or is the some other technical defficiency?

If you are truly blowing through then the 15-160 should be doable with the same grip, maybe adding a finger or two. My personal opinion is that a "two pole" increase with a two grip increase is a recipe for getting jacked. Without seeing more vaults I can't really say... Ultimately I try to err on the conservative side with my vaulters, precisely for the reasons Kirk has laid out. Moving up a whole grip is a big move on an unfamiliar pole... two grips is a really big move, with commensurate risk.

[perezn03]

I understand what your saying, And i completely agree that this move was way too much. I will do my best yo upload another video of me using the 14 170. But the angle is not the best. I appreciate the time you both are spending to help discuss my issue!

[perezn03]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH44UmuJnLs

This is a video of me jumping no the 14 170. 6L
Bar 13 6 grip 13 7
standards about 80.

My step is really under. about a foot.

[Barefoot]

Yeah, looks like the step is under. Also looks like you are taking off a little flat, though being under doesn't help, you might get a better use of the 170 by increasing your angle of attack. You do have a lotta pole speed, but more bend than you need on a 14' pole. Try pushing the pole more to vertical with your hands and jump at take-off. You want to moving the top of the pole toward the bar more and driving the box a little less... this will also help in swinging to the top of the pole.

[perezn03]

alright! thanks, i will work on that once im back and healthy again.

[KirkB]

... by increasing your angle of attack. ...

To spell this out a little clearer, if you lower your grip, then the angle of the pole when it hits the box will be higher. This ... in turn ... will give you better pole speed and a better opportunity ... without fear of stalling ... to improve your technique.

Kirk

[perezn03]

I see. Now, would that be effective enough to allow me to effectively use the 14 170? (gripping down) even though my pole speed is already too much?