Cooleo111 wrote: I have been struggling to hit a good takeoff position since high school, and I am trying to work on that currently by long jumping. If you have any other suggestions for this problem, I am all ears!
Yes, LJ will help. After all, if you're over the board on your LJ takeoff, it's a scratch. You just need to have the same mindset for PV. Consider being "under" a scratch, and don't even try to finish the vault if you're under. You need to learn this from short runs and work your way back.
There's a danger that you'll hesitate on takeoff if you're worried about being under, and that will cause your technique to be bad, but you need to work thru that. If you consider your current technique as
already "bad", then you'll force yourself to learn a free takeoff ("on" or "out"
a bit).
It's all about training your body to do what your mind intends for your body to do. It takes lots of self-discipline, but if you decide to do something, your mind should win out over your body. But if your mind tells you that it's OK to be under, then you'll never break yourself of the habit. You're not under that much, but I'm also referring to the better forwards lean on takeoff. They go together.
Cooleo111 wrote: My coach also wants me to have a less-flexed trail leg, and I'm not sure exactly how to go about changing it. I played a lot of soccer when I was younger, so I think my swing is derived from that. I am working on my flexibility, as well as the strength of my hip flexors, and hopefully that will get the job done. Again, any other suggestions are more than welcome!
Just get on the highbar or rings and do lots of reps of the Whip Drill. I've talked about this drill on oodles of other posts, so just search for it with the keywords "highbar whip downswing drill". You'll get 14 matches, so go nuts!
If you're not quite sure what I mean by the Whip Drill, just do them like Amy does!
But remember that the downswing part of the drill is all that's important.
Do about 10,000 of these, and you're guaranteed to rid yourself of that pesky bent trail leg habit!
But ... and this is very important ... especially for you, Cooleo ... when you "go elastic" in the stretched position at the START of your downswing (on the highbar), be sure to straighen your trail leg AS SOON AS you begin to swing. Don't wait until halfway (or even quarter way) thru your downswing to straighten your leg. That's too late! Straighten it IMMEDIATELY, and keep it stretched right thru the chord. When you train this way, you'll feel the increased power advantage of downswinging this way ... and after your 10,000 reps
... you'll transfer this muscle memory to your doownswing on the pole! You'll discover new muscles in your lower back, groin, and upper thigh that you didn't even realize you had!
Kirk