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Here is some video from this weeks practice. There are two shots at 12' and one at 13' (plus some miscellaneous others). I think my shot at 13' was the best. I was trying to work on keeping my trail leg straighter in the whip phase during this practice, but the jump at 13' was the only one where I made much progress (and then we ran out of time).

Weight: 140 lbs
Height: 5'8"
Pole: 13' 140 lb Pacer FX
Grip: 12'10"
Run: 4 lefts @ 52'
PR: 13'

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

Also, here is some of the high bar work from the day before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Gr81hDqIw

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Today's practice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q5DeNmw7jE

I like the trail leg on my second half drill (I mislabeled it in the video), but it seems like every time I go over a bungie I panic and break down my form. More bungie jumping?

g00eY wrote: ... here is some of the high bar work from the day before ...

Not bad, G00eY, not bad. But try to do them a little more "like Amy". (Search for: "amy rings")

Let's separate the drill down into it's component parts ...

1. The DOWNswing.
2. The WHIP (at the point when you're exactly underneath the highbar).
3. The UPswing.
4. The follow-thru.
5. The BACKswing.

So the important parts of this drilll are the DOWNswing and the WHIP. If you DOWNswing and WHIP properly, you should feel a tremendous force during the UPswing. It should feel like you're "gliding" - defeating gravity!

The follow-thru is not very important, IMHO. I know many vaulters try to get a little Bubka thing going here (so does Amy), but to me, it doesn't really matter any. The drill is "over" once the UPswing is done (i.e. once gravity takes hold of you again and you begin to use your MUSCLES to keep going up. I don't think you should be training your MUSCLES this way.)

The BACKswing is just a way of getting back into position to do the next DOWNswing. Amy does this VERY well. Do it like her ... the best you can on a highbar (it's easier on rings, but I think this entire drill ... which I call the Whip Drill ... is better on the highbar ... because it's a solid bar you're swinging on.)

G00eY, I like the way you kinda wiggle your chest/shoulders a bit getting into position for your next DOWNswing. Remember in your BACKswing to let your chest go forwards ... so that your trail leg will go backwards ... into an elastic stretch.

Once you're really swinging FAST during the DOWNswing into the WHIP, you'll feel the POWER of your swing as the highbar bends down. It depends on the flexibility of your highbar tho ... a proper gymnastic highbar will bend more than the bar you use. Still, you should FEEL the WHIP.

Kirk

G00eY, just a little safety reminder about those wooden pallets under your pit ...

The one on the left bun isn't too bad, but the one on the right bun is protruding too much. If you were to land on that, you'd injure your foot or ankle. It's worse than landing flat on the runway surface, because you might land half on and half off the pallet ... so you might turn/sprain your ankle.

I can't see the ones around the box, but particularly there, make sure you can't hit them. Not even a little bit. That's the most dangerous area, right there.

In general, make sure that none of the pallets are exposed ... anywhere around the pit. You DON'T want to land on them!

Please point this safety issue out to your coach.

Kirk

Thanks for the help, Kirk. I'll keep your tips in mind for the next high bar session I get around to, which will be on Monday. We don't get to use the real gymnastics bar very often because boy's gymnastics is in season now, so I try to make do with the squat rack.

We just moved the pit out a couple days ago and that video was from the first day we jumped on it. I noticed it, but I guess it slipped my mind that it could be a possible hazard. I'll make sure to move it in before we jump on it again. I know the plant area is clear of pallets.

There is a problem with the high bar drill - you are doing it incorrectly - you must keep the body swinging long - to move the hips up. At the moment you are breaking at the hips which stay down while you feet go over your head. You must ensure that when the legs swing up they are ""connected to"" the hips and take them up above your head. If you dont do this on the high bar you will always have problems in the vault. Take a look at Wendy Young on the BTB dvd.

Training this week has been crazy due to wacky spring weather and rescheduled meets, but I've been working on keeping my hips connected on the high bar drills. Unfortunately I have no recent video of it, but I'll try to get some up soon.

I will also definitely have additional video of me jumping by this weekend.

Here is some video of me going 12'6" at last night's invitational. I'm jumping on a 13'6" 150 (up from a 13' 150). I think my 12'6" jump was the best jump of the night, but I took off 6" under.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7KpHGUoOOg

Thanks for watching!