3-left Blow-Through

[joebro391]

Kinda haven't had much video this year so I had someone take this today just so I could see what I was looking like from 3 Lefts. I'm currently in a different type of shape since my injury and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. Last year, I fell like I was a gymnast that did track and field but this year I feel like I'm getting by with strength and technique. Last year, all I did was gymnastics, vault and a few running workouts while this year I feel like I've just been lifting a lot and vaulting twice a week. Only in the past 2 weeks have I started back to hard sprint-workouts and heavy gymnastics. I know that I've always been slow, but now I'm not even as fast as I was last year. Hopefully now that I'm nearly 100% healed, I'll start to gain my speed and agility back with the edge of having more strength from all the lifting. I worked from a short run the past few weeks (3 and 5 lefts) and only just went back to 6 about a week ago. This past weekend at VMI I posted a new indoor PB of 4.60 with a solid attempt at 4.80. I'm still in the phases of regaining my confidence as well (which last weekend really helped with), so hopefully I'll just keep on my way upward.

ANYWAY, I currently can grip 12'11 on a 14' 140 from 3 when going for height (compared to 13' on a 14' 145 last year), so this jump was just meant to blow-through the pole and make sure to hit all the positions I wanted to during the jump. I actually just started doing these this past December and they're so much fun haha. The pole is a 13' 155 with a 12'-ish grip from about 38' and I'm still 5'8 and 133lbs

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlfgANwKttg

I'm noticing that in the first few steps, I'm really hunched over. I guess I'm doing this because if I'm not exaggerating the lean, I start leaning back at take-off. I like the position I hit at take-off but I look a little blocky. I like the swing that follows, but I'm still not as aggressive as I'd like to be. Another new thing for me, is continuing to move the hands once I begin my swing. I can see a bit of movement, but can probably do this better as well. Not sure what's up with my right leg (strip-aerobics?) but it so-far hasn't transitioned to my full vault.

Let me know what you think. Thanks. -6P

[Polevaulter2012]

What is your right leg doing at around 2 seconds?? You are making an L with your legs.

[joebro391]

What is your right leg doing at around 2 seconds?? You are making an L with your legs.

yea, ummm...i don't know exactly, didn't realize I was doing it until I looked at the video. -6P

[Polevaulter2012]

HAHA alright. I figured it wasnt something you were trying to do. What I think you should work on is a taller run. You are kind of hunched over, but keep up the good work.

[AVC Coach]

joebro,

I'm not sure what you mean by "moving your hands" during the swing.

[joebro391]

joebro,

I'm not sure what you mean by "moving your hands" during the swing.

it's something new for me, but the best example I could find was of Hooker on his 5.96 jump. Look at how he hits, and his chest comes forward while is arms and trail-leg come back and then when he starts his swing, his arms come forward.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJc9dQv4hXI
I always just to just swing to get upside down, but people always told me that I had to keep the hands moving through the jump. Didn't really know what they meant, but the coach I worked with over break (branko720), had me work on it. I definitely can move stiffer poles when I do it properly. -6P

[AVC Coach]

Okay. I guess we're just seeing something completely different or at least perceiving it differently.

What I see is Hooker keeping pressure in his top hand and simply swinging around to meet it (notice his top hand never goes past his forehead until he aligns his trajectory to get off the pole and over the bar).

In your video, it looks like you're just catching your weight in your bottom hand as you start to swing. With no pressure in the top hand, you swing past the pole. It seems like a blow through but the pole only moved as far as it did because it was so small. I think if you did the same drill with the same technique on a bigger pole, you would see the pole come to a complete stop.

[joebro391]

AVC: I see a little bit of pulling with my bottom arm, which I can see being responsible for the pole to stop moving forward, but can you elaborate on your other reasoning for the pole coming to a stop?? The whole concept of moving the hands is new to me, so I'm not sure if I'm doing it well. I still haven't transitioned it to my full run on big pole yet, but did it on my 3rd attempt at 4.80 this past weekend and it caused a big blow-through without a sink in the pole. Anyone else familiar with this?? -6P

[AVC Coach]

There was no other reasoning for the pole to stop. I think what you're looking for with your hands is to keep them moving up. I'm guessing that's what you're talking about when you say "moving the hands".

[Polevaulter2012]

I think that you have to work the arms to swing properly. To me if you say "working your arms, keeping pressure, rowing, or whatever" it all is the same. On the rings or high bar you can not swing without using your arms. You dont want to pull though. I am still in the learning stages of the swing but have noticed when I have my best swing it almost feels like i dont work my arms till I have swung to the top and feel pressure again. But when I watch the video it is obvious that I used my arms during my whole swing. This is just from my experience. I try and work my arms through the swing. This is what I see in the elite vaulters.

[VaultPurple]

Usually when I hear people say keeping hands moving they are referring to rowing. If you try and move your hands forward while you are off the ground and swinging, it is going to push your hips under them and keep you from being able to swing up properly. If you watch the good videos of guys like Bubka and Tarasov, they just swing up over their hand, and the angle from shoulder back to hand never completely closes until they are inverting.

[AVC Coach]

That's a good way to put it, VaultPurple.