Shoulders Back

[crayford]

Hello again, it's been a while since my last video posting due to overall cruddy performances from me but I think I'm back on track.

FINALLY, after 8 MONTHS of working out, practicing, and going to meets, I'm back to where I was 8 MONTHS ago. Some of you may remember my video from last year's Grand Haven Beach Vault and watched me clear 12'6" for the first time and nearly clear 13' (the pic of that vault is my profile pic). ANYWAYS, finally I have reached that height again.

I am 5'10" 150lbs with a 7-stride starting mark of 90'4", mid at 47', and takeoff at around 11'6".

In the first video the bar is at 12'6" and the standards are at 25. I am on a 14' 165 lbs spirit gripping at 13'1".

In the second video the bar is at 13' with the standards at 32. I gripped up on the same pole to 13'3".

I realize I am not swinging with a fully extended trail leg, nor am I getting my shoulders below my hips during my extension phase. Due to the latter of the two faults I can not efficiently pull and turn, which is why my turn is over the bar instead of before it.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDXus05kIss

[bel142]

Morning,

I really am enjoying what I am seeing. You have a confident run and a wicked great take off, your hands are on time at impact, you set up the bottom very nicely. A couple of things are holding you back. Your hands are on time if not early at take off, but I would like to see your drop coming a step earlier. When you starting picking up bigger poles I don't think you would be able to get away with a 1.5 or 2L drop. I think as you start to bump up grip a 3L drop is going to help you a heck of a lot more in terms of timing.

You have a great take off BUT it is not solid... in fact its kinda soft. Right after pole tip hit you allow body and hips come through and you (as you noted) pull the legs up. The ultimate goal is to hit the cord of the pole with your body as a complete unit. Swinging from the top hand and not the feet, or hips.

If I were you I would find a pair of rings or a trapeze bar with a high ceiling and long points of attachment. Swing very gently and as the body passes vertical control the hips and legs to you hit a straight line from the point of attachment through the rings to the foot. Then as you pass through zero you start to swing forward. We are talking about a tiny amount of movement, you will start to feel tired in your low back and the hip flexor of your drive knee while you do this. But the ultimate goal is to teach your self what it feels like to keep the leg extended. After doing this you go to a high bar and you will really be able to feel where your hips are. Then maybe in training drop the run to 3Ls with a tiny pole and hit take off and try to maintain a solid body position.

Again there are a bunch of things we can talk about but I going to focus on that. If you fix the bottom generally the top will take care of its self... Again lots of good things going on. Good show.

-bel

[crayford]

Doing this drill you proposed, should i start with a overall swing around the point of ring/bar connection to the ceiling and slowly swing with the swing of the rings/bar itself through the bottom of the overall swing? If I am reading right then I continue to swing through this point from the rings/bar and my body is solid, but is it solid with my trail leg back, inline with my body, or forward due to a break at the hips? From what I have read on this website I should try to avoid the whole breaking idea (even though it'll happen naturally), I'm just curious as to how this wold come in to this drill.

Also, would I be completing my swing or just getting to the point where I've swung through the bottom? I imagine that swinging fully would be incredibly hard without the momentum but I'm not sure exactly when I should stop swinging with this drill.

Just looking for some clarification; thanks for the help!

[vault3rb0y]

You need to be more solid with your hands at take off. Right now it looks like the pole is hitting you, instead of you hitting the pole. Specifically, your hands come immediately behind your head a little too far, and your bottom hand lacks the pressure necessary for a more smooth transition from ground to take off. If you hit your take off with solid arms (in a sense of maintain rigidity, not locked out) the pole will keep moving much more easily off the ground. Your hips will not begin getting sucked under the pole, and it will not look like you are stiff vaulting before your swing. Slide box while capping a soft pole would be a good exercise, and when the pole makes impact keep upward pressure and dont let your hips get sucked under.

Your vault looks really good, and keeping your hands solid and pressing up at impact is what i see giving you a much more smooth take off and making your progression into the 13's 14's and 15's come much sooner than you might think!

If you want to see examples of what I'm talking about, look at video of bubka or Isi, and I will conceed that their hands DO move slightly behind their head (ideally no more than their bottom hand being directly vertical), however they do this while maintaining pole speed and keeping their hips behind the pole and in line with their shoulders. The key is to keep pressing up before you begin your swing. This keeps your hips back and keeps the pole moving smoothly off the ground. When you do swing, however, let all your weight sink on your top hand. You do this well already, im just clarifying. As a que, remember that "everything in the vault goes UP". From your take off, drive knee (and foot up through your butt), hands, and hips.

[crayford]

ok so I tried to follow your advice in the last two meets I've had. The first one was last wednesday, I jumped 12'6" again but almost had 13' due to being able to move up to a 14' 170lbs spirit.

The second was yesterday where I PR'd by 1" (12'7" now) after moving on to the 170 after clearing 11'11". This meet was our Conference meet and I ended up getting 4th place (woo! shiny new medal). I want you guys to specifically watch my three attempts at 12'11" (well, not so much the first one, but that one did affect the other two attempts). From what I can tell on my second attempt I had the height needed to clear the bar, but I splayed my legs and basically prevented myself from turning.

Again, any help is going to be appreciated!


Sadly, youtube does not seem to be working on my computer right now so I'm uploading from a friend's house. I'll post the links as soon as I get them!

[crayford]

OK so, My vaults last Wednesday;

12'6": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzj8bNKzB3Q

13': 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X8ePdJPCtw
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kTXNhlaCXM
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73rvp2qcsBE <-- moved up to a 14' 170lbs.


And last Friday; (all on the 170)

12'3": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHZT0qb9Sqk

12'7": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bloWyGszIl4

12'11": 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUj9H7qJvuU
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYSDF6hLOqA
3) Didn't swing properly, didn't extend up the pole, didn't have a good enough attempt to even show :p

[KirkB]

... My vaults last Wednesday ... 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYSDF6hLOqA

On this 2nd attempt, it's actually quite good ... compared to your other vaults. Your body posture right after takeoff is fairly upright, and the pole bends away from you nicely ... whereas in other vaults, you've been way under, giving you little or no chance that you're going to swing properly.

Your biggest fault in this attempt ... leaving minor flaws in your run, drop, plant, and takeoff aside ... is that you drop your lead knee. You need to develop your core strength enough to be able to keep that lead knee up. Then you won't be tucking ... or getting behind the pole. Work on your abs all summer and fall ... in prep for next season. Rings and highbar! Swing, swing, swing!

Kirk

[dnike13]

Agree with everyone else. Look at your right hand at the top of your vault. You will notice that your hands are constantly moving past your body. What you need to do it try to get your right hand to your right hip. This will allow you to turn in the smallest diameter possible and you will continue to swing up to vertical. Hope this makes sense.

[KirkB]

... What you need to do it try to get your right hand to your right hip. ...

This makes perfect sense. However, it's too late to worry about this AFTER your swing. Your SWING is what will fix this. Keeping the lead knee up, and driving the trail leg down will give you the stronger swing that you need.

But you won't have a strong swing if you're "under".

Kirk

[crayford]

Kirk-

Do you mean "under" in the sense that I let my hips swing forward early (as previously commented on by bell and vault3rboy) or do you mean it in the sense of my take-off being too close to the pits?

If you watch the jumps in my original post you'll see that my foot just barely leaves the ground before the pole tip hits the back of the box; I was under the impression that this was a "free takeoff" and could not be "under." If I'm wrong please don't hesitate to correct the problem, my meet to qualify for states (12'10") is this Friday and I could really use a little extra boost.

[KirkB]

Do you mean "under" in the sense that I let my hips swing forward early (as previously commented on by bell and vault3rboy) or do you mean it in the sense of my take-off being too close to the pits?

I meant that your takeoff was under ... but now that I've looked closely a second time, I see that you and Bel are correct, and I'm wrong. Thanks for questioning me on that!

It was an optical illusion ... the problem is NOT that you're under on takeoff ... you have a mighty fine takeoff, particularly on your last vid. The problem is twofold ... you're dropping your lead knee, and your core is not rigid. Together, this is causing the "mush" of your body as it swings towards the pole.

I think if you can possibly hold the lead knee up, and then swing the trail leg thru LONG, you will have the right action. I don't think you can strengthen your core before Friday so I think the best you can do this week is to just get that trail leg MOVING! Keeping the lead knee up is a longer-term project.

All of Bel's analysis and advice is dead on ... follow it!

Good luck on Friday!

Kirk