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This is only my 2nd year vaulting but I'm on my way to 13'6" really soon. The pole I was on before (145 lb Skypole - 13'6" holding around 13') started double-bending when I was on it so I had to move to a new pole (155 Pacer - 14' holding about 13'9"). I know the skypoles are very slow and changing to a pacer is a big change. Im able to get above 13' without any finishing at the top (meaning pullthrough/pushoff), but thats because i can't get into the pit.

Here is a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bUQDqUmpJ4

Tear it apart if you must, but I would just like some help.

Try lowering your grip on the 14' 155lb Pacer.

General rule:

Too much bend + little penetration = lower grip

Too much bend + too much penetration = next pole

little bend + little pentration = go down a pole

little bend + lots of penetration = raise grip



It looks like you were getting too much bend with too little penetration, so lowering your grip should help you

Thanks, I'll try that out. Unfortunately I have Regionals tomorrow, so this might be interesting haha.

I will try that out, but is there anything I can do to stay at the end of the pole? I, for some reason, feel safer at the end of a pole rather than a few hands down. Just wondering...

In order to get up on a 14 foot pole you need to;

1) Improve your run, You're running long not strong
2) Improve take off mark. You're way under
3) You're blocking with the bottom arm, Stops momentum and pole speed
4) If there would have been a bar up, you would have been looking at it.

Too much to do in one day. Take sooch's advice and lower grip and extend on the top and get over the bars. One thing you can do before tomorrow's meet. As part of your warm up, do 10 to 20, 50 to 90 foot up hill pole runs. find a hill by the track that you're competing at and run up that bugger with the pole in the proper position working up to full out. This will get your knees up and your posture a little better. It will also cause your steps to be a little closer which in turn may get you a little farther out for take off. If you hit it right you'll blow through that pole so bring a bigger one but don't move your grip up any higher than where sooch has told you in his post. Good Luck...........Later..........Mike

Thanks a lot, both of you. I wasn't planning on staying at the top for tomorrow anyway.

When you say Im blocking with my bottom arm, do you mean I'm not breaking it and preventing myself from full inversion? If so, I have to collapse it sooner, am I right?

That's not what he means. He means that you're too strong with your bottom arm at take-off. (Although I thought you were ok in this aspect, your arm isn't really locked and it doesn't seem like you're pushing with it... maybe I'm wrong.) This is what you mean, right souleman?

I know my plant isn't too pretty, but with regards to the bottom arm I was taught that it doesn't need to be straight, just firm. Well, firm until it needs to be collapsed.

I made it to sectionals using the old 145 Skypole I was on, but a few hands down so i wouldn't mush it as much. I wasn't able to get into the pit with the 155 Pacer even moving a few hands down. But thankfully I have practice tomorrow and maybe I can get better/more video of my vault.

Agree with Soul on the run-up part. You are not that far out, but your take-off is slightly flat simply because your take-off leg is collapsing (improve your muscles ability to withstand the impact (plyometrics)) in the stance phase. IOW, you are almost running into the pole.

You roll the pelvis is a wee bit to fast with the polespeed you generate. IOW, increase polespeed by any means possible. Better run-up, slightly more active take-off (will come when improving your strength and running form). Your last stride is too long, which accounts for some of the collapsing in the take-off leg. A shorter stride will allow for a more active take-off and a higher launch angle. It would also place you spot on on your mark.

That really helped, thanks a whole lot. I actually tried running differently today and it helped a lot. My take-off mark was just about perfect and pushing the pole up with both arms straight also helped. I was able to get into the pit after doing some hill runs as suggested (helped keep my knees up, shortened my stride, and got my speed up) but still not deep enough to where I would clear anything.

I didn't get any video but I'll try to tomorrow.
Thanks again.