PoleVaultPower.com

Well here it is guys...and it's Atrocious. If you read my training blog, you'll know that I was very ill. It screwed up my training schedule, about as much as it could be screwed up; not to mention the holidays

Basically, I spent 2 weeks in bed (losing 6 pounds), one out for recovery, vaulted 3 times, went a week and a half, and then had this meet. I wasn't up to full strength (also, spikes were not allowed), so i picked a light pole (14' 145) and ran from a 6-left approach. The only thing on my mind really was my run and being tall at take-off. Let me start by saying that i never swang, on any jump (probably because i was just so worried about getting off the ground. WHAT AN AMATURE MISTAKE!!) But without further ado, here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cpzwNfYPgA

JUMP 1: My coach made me come in at 11' because I didn't know what to set my standards at, and he was too afriad that I'd no-height. Anyway, I took of about a foot out and the pole "spit me out"...enough said about that one

JUMP 2: I was tall at take-off, had a nice drive knee but didn't swing, at all, with my left leg. I kinda just bent my left leg in and "rocked back" I somehow managed a decent extension (probably cause the pole was so light) and went over.

JUMP 3: Very similar to Jump 2; I was tall at take-off, had a decent drive-knee and then just rocked back and extended. I think that i also might have planted a little to the side, somehow, cause you can see me kinda land on one side of the pit, opposed to, in the middle. Anyway, the pole gave me just about NO 'POP' so i decided to bump up the pole rating a bit.

***NOT SURE WHY I KEEP GETTING SUCH A LOW BEND...is it because i'm gripping low and just crushing the pole?? I usually have a decently high bend...what do you think??

JUMP 4: I slowed down AND dropped my drive-knee, so that just didn't work

JUMP 5: hmmm...not exaclty sure what happend on this jump. I was a tad outside, but the jump was deffinately salvagable. I'm pretty sure that it was just the fact that I didn't swing, and it caused the pole to recoil, before i could get my hips up. But I think that there might have more more to it that that. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

JUMP 6: OI, i sure hate that V!! I'm just gonna go out and say, that because I didn't swing, again, that i got 'stuck' in that 'V' position and...you guys see the result

So that's it. I've been doing some swinging drills on whatever i can, inside (basketball back-board, pull-up bar) and when i start vaulting again, that's gonna be my main focus. Alright, thanks for watching and reading. -6P

your run looks pretty good as far as being tall. you dont really stride into your takeoff but you dont seam to accelerate either. the real killer that i see is that you are 1. leaning back at takeoff and as a result 2. you pull down (kills your swing and makes pole bend low). I dont know if you are trying to move over the top of the pole in practice with the top hand or not but that should be the focus. the swing is severely effected by the pulling down. you also seam to in all of your jumps let your body get ahead of the pole ( not moving the top hand throughout the jump) i dont know if i am making any sense here but this is what i saw please let me know if you have and questions as to what i am talking about.

let your body get ahead of the pole ( not moving the top hand throughout the jump)

Definitely a topic up for debate. Look for a thread within the week in the "Advanced Forum" on this.

For now, I've decided that I will comment on healthy jumps. I made a few comments on the Youtube page, and I think that should suffice...

Unless I get bored tomorrow night.

vaulter870 wrote:your run looks pretty good as far as being tall. you dont really stride into your takeoff but you dont seam to accelerate either.

could you elaborate on that?? this might be a little different from what you're trying to say, but according to the mid-mark chart and other running models, you shouldn't accelerate into the take, and the last 3 lefts (6 strides) should just be 'maintaining' the speed that you build in the first part of the run. In my case, that was the FIRST 3 lefts (6 strides).

the real killer that i see is that you are 1. leaning back at takeoff and as a result 2. you pull down (kills your swing and makes pole bend low).

AHHH!!!! YOU'RE RIGHT!!! that's why I kept getting a low bend!! i was leaning back, at take-off. THAT was the answer that i was really looking for. Thank you very much!! But, i still feel that i could kicked my leg through (causing a long swing) and it would 'salvaged' some of the jump, but that wasn't what i wanted to know. You deffinately pointed out to me what i wasn't seeing

I suppose the best way to help with leaning back would be...chest penitration?? not sure, but i think that's a start haha. Any other ideas?? I've always kinda had that problem and it's been in and out of my vault, over the past few months

you also seam to in all of your jumps let your body get ahead of the pole ( not moving the top hand throughout the jump) i dont know if i am making any sense here but this is what i saw please let me know if you have and questions as to what i am talking about.

That i don't understand. In the petrov model, you want to work 'ahead' of the pole, and that's a good thing, because you can more efficiently exploit the recoil of the pole. And about 'moving the top hand, throughout the jump', I don't know if I totally agree with that...hmmm. The vaulter should 'pivot' around the top hand. That 'pendulum' system, is what truely puts energy into the pole. So, unless perhaps you mean "rowing" my hands through?? not sure.

but according to the mid-mark chart and other running models, you shouldn't accelerate into the take, and the last 3 lefts (6 strides) should just be 'maintaining' the speed that you build in the first part of the run.

NO, YOU SHOULD NOT. I think you might still have a headache. There is no more increase in stride length, but there is an increase in cadence, therefore SPEED. There's a lot wrong with that part of your post. What else do you see wrong? Reading through the first part of my e-mail again might help you out.

you also seam to in all of your jumps let your body get ahead of the pole ( not moving the top hand throughout the jump) i dont know if i am making any sense here but this is what i saw please let me know if you have and questions as to what i am talking about.

That i don't understand. In the petrov model, you want to work 'ahead' of the pole, and that's a good thing, because you can more efficiently exploit the recoil of the pole. And about 'moving the top hand, throughout the jump', I don't know if I totally agree with that...hmmm. The vaulter should 'pivot' around the top hand. That 'pendulum' system, is what truely puts energy into the pole. So, unless perhaps you mean "rowing" my hands through?? not sure.

Wait a few days.

And it's "seem".

powerplant42 wrote:

but according to the mid-mark chart and other running models, you shouldn't accelerate into the takeoff, and the last 3 lefts (6 strides) should just be 'maintaining' the speed that you build in the first part of the run.

NO, YOU SHOULD NOT. I think you might still have a headache. There is no more increase in stride length, but there is an increase in cadence, therefore SPEED. There's a lot wrong with that part of your post. What else do you see wrong? Reading through the first part of my e-mail again might help you out.

WHOA, maybe YOU should go back and read those emails from DJ Now, according to Roman (agapit) there is NO more acceleration, into the takeoff. You still haven't gotten the concept, and i've seen you write it SO many time, that just because cadence increases, doesn't mean speed increases. Go back and read those emails that you sent me, somewhere, near the beggining, and then i remember Agapit mentioning it, somewhere. I'll try and find the thread and post the link. -6P

Here's the Link to the thread i was reffering to: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=15410

Agapit's exact quote was as follows:

Obviously, the absolute speed acceleration is desirable. The maximum speed at the takeoff is of the paramount importance. But you would benefit from frequency increase even if your speed stayed the same, however increase of speed is always desirable.

regardless, my current run, emphisizes and increase in cadence, in the last 6 strides. whether or not my speed increases or not, is arguable, i suppose

If cadence increases and speed doesn't, it means you are decreasing stride length! Does "always desirable" sound like it means that you should stay the same speed? I fail to.

And remember (when reading any and all of his posts) that Roman does not speak English perfectly (although he's a lot better than a lot of people on here!), so some information can get 'shifted'. I imagine that if I tried to explain the Petrov model in Russian that I would not do a very good job, even if I had my trusty pocket Russian/English dictionary by my side (which I carry EVERYWHERE ) . Just keep that in mind for future reference (not necessarily this quote/post/topic/issue), so that when you refer to quotes you're aware that there is some reinterpreting to do (as in English too! but here more, especially with the complex ideas he often describes)...

hahaha, true true true. I'd like to think that, and of course there's more room for improvement (there always is), my run at least got better haha. At the end, i slowed down, probably cause i was tired, but in the beggining, I FELT like i had a nice cadence-pickup, in the last 6 strides.

What i want to do, is set up mini-hurdles, 20, in 20 meters, and run 20/20's with them. crazy, right?? haha

in all of your jumps let your body get ahead of the pole ( not moving the top hand throughout the jump)

what i am referring to is that when he leans back he is letting his hips get swung underneth and in front of the pole prematurely. i understand that we are always working in front of the pole. my refrence is simply to what happened to his hips at takeoff. i am still getting used to explaining my self with out someone watching the video over my shoulder

STOP SAYING 'HIS'! I'm right here hahaha

but i get what you're saying now. it's all about timing. thanks man. -6P