PoleVaultPower.com

Howdy y'all,

So I'm back! After a horrible indoor season and a short rebuilding phase, I've set a new PR!

First videos are from a vault three weeks ago, most of the information is in the video itself (standards, pole, grip, etc.) so I won't go into too much detail here.

Second set is from yesterday, which is when I set my new PR! I no-heighted the day before this competition, which contributed to my choice of coming in at 11', but you'll see how the day ended up.

http://youtu.be/142b634oBGg?hd=1

http://youtu.be/wyg1Jhx7whw?hd=1

Just some general info:
I am 5'9", 165 lbs
6 left run start varies between 78' and 79'6"
Mid between 46' and 47' (cones are at 46')
Takeoff would be ON at 10'6", but most takeoffs are around 11' or so

I'm feeling a whole lot better after yesterday But on a more serious note, my swing still tucks, my inversion (still) needs my shoulders back more, my turn starts at my shoulders instead of my hips, and I'm brand new to avoiding the bar with my arms/shoulders, so my pike isn't solid. Any other observations would be great

Also, I have some film of my long jumps, if anyone's interested (First year jumping, PR of 18'4" so far)

http://youtu.be/m7jzYcc7VVA?hd=1

heights at 11' 12' 12'6" 13' 13'9" and 14'

Really, if you're short on time, just watch the last attempt at 14'

Big competition tomorrow, hopefully some good film

Well with over a hundred views SOMEONE has to be watching these jumps.

Here's observerland, and guess what? I got 14'!

Heights are at 12', 12'6", 13', 13'6", 14', and 14'6"

http://youtu.be/KR4XszBzv44?hd=1

Awesome, but I was just too tired for 14'6". After all, I had already had 11 attempts in competition, 4 long jumps, warm up for long jump, and 4 full run jumps during warmup for vault earlier in the day. Oh well, I'll get it on Tuesday

I noticed that in these jumps I tucked more, my step was all over, my inversion was a lacking, and yet I still managed 14'. Feels good man.

You are are strong and reasonably athletic -and you did improve some aspects of your vault during the competition. But without major improvements in your technique - which you will be unable to achieve in the next couple of weeks - you are unlikely to jump much higher this season. You may have to satisfied with stabilising your performance around 14' for a while - and not becoming too depressed if you dont pr again for a while. I hope you do -but be happy if you plateau for a while. Unfortunately it is not easy to continually achieve new heights without improving elements of technique.

Hey yo howdy

Another PR! Also, I moved up to a 15' 165 pole from 14'3" onward. I feel like it's the right pole for me, I was just a bit afraid of it and it ruined my approach.

http://youtu.be/jaZ6FtMT_LM?hd=1

Heights at 11', 12', 13', 14', 14'3", and 14'6"

Altius, you say I need to improve major aspects of my vault, which one would you have me work on first if I were a student under you? I'm currently working on my swing, which is straight and powerful on the rings, rope, and high bar, and is fairly solid on short runs, yet it doesn't transfer completely over to my full vault. As for the "into inversion" part, it's more of a mental block to me that I'm working on tearing down; someone on here said the vault is like "run, jump, and AGGGH!" whereas for me it's more like "run, jump, stall at L, push up the pole, and AGGGH!" so I'm working on eliminating the stall phase. I feel as if in a few of these vaults I'm in a pretty good position to extend all the way off the top of the pole, and I flag out because I feel no penetration, especially at 14'3"+, is this normal? How would you go about removing this from the vault?

which one would you have me work on first?

A very sensible question because long term your run up and pole carry need to be improved. BUT 1. Look up through your top hand - not forward at the pad - and focus on an upspringing takeoff - not a flat forward take off - this will help you move the pole up and forwards. 2. Focus on driving your right knee in a big circle right over your head - do not let it dangle loosely -it adds nothing to the vault as it is. Driven up it will help take the hips over your head. 3. Work really hard to transfer the long swinging left leg - you claim you have in other drills etc -to the vault. It can add immense energy to the pole -without improving that it will be difficult to move up grips or pole size.

Alan, a lot of my kids this year were looking up at the bar at takeoff, and this appeared to cause them to lean back, block, and have their hips swing through pre maturely. I told them to focus on looking forward at takeoff (not down of course, but a little above horizontal). Would you disagree with this move?

http://youtu.be/lZl4ozsVfFA?hd=1

Couldn't get my darn hips up because I didn't get back onto my shoulders. I honestly do not know why. I'm thinking it could be that I pulled with my top arm, or that my swing was just lazy, whatever it is, I don't like it.

I wont the vault in this meet, but I don't feel good about it. Me and another kid should have had a shootout around 14', yet both of us locked up in the air and the winning height was my 12'11" clearance. Just an odd day.

I'm glad I get to square off with the same guy next Friday at regionals, where a jump of 12'10 will qualify for the state meet.

Well, here's the update;

I cleared 13'10" at regionals, currently seeded 7th in the state, and will compete at the state meet next saturday.

I've been toying with an 8-left approach, and may use it next saturday, but I may just use my typical 6-left.

Since posting more vaults wouldn't be too beneficial, and since posting ONLY vaults seems to be the only thing people do on this section of the site, here's some high-bar drills!

just some basic swing to bubkas, great swings, and cheater bubkas; I recorded these just after a full practice and mowing the lawn, so I was a little tired, but still had some decent drills.

Please, tear me apart on this one, if my high-bar work sin't right, how can I expect my vault to be?

http://youtu.be/ndhZobwlZDU?hd=1

Just a quick point that I saw on your last vid with your jumps. You're over striding in your approach and it's causing you to be really low and flat at your takeoff.

"Alan, a lot of my kids this year were looking up at the bar at takeoff, and this appeared to cause them to lean back, block, and have their hips swing through pre maturely. I told them to focus on looking forward at takeoff (not down of course, but a little above horizontal). Would you disagree with this move?"

Not you are correct. Normally I advise vaulters to look just above the bottom hand -assuming that that is in the correct position. However with folk who take off flat because they are looking at the back of the pad I sometimes tell them to look higher = and assume that they will finish up somewhere in between! A bit sneaky but this athlete is looking for instant cues so he can keep the prs going. So not perfect coaching - but there is method in the madness!

Haha!

I see what you're doing there, and that makes sense.

I tend to pick an object just beyond the pits and about 10' in the air to look at during my run-up, but I have noticed a tendency to look down/let my chin drop either right at or just before takeoff. I also noticed that during my last practice when I focused on swinging quicker and earlier in the vault, I wasn't visually focused on anything at takeoff; I'm thinking maybe by focusing on something post-takeoff my takeoff problems fixed themselves? At the very least the problems involved were voided by an early swing.

The flat takeoff problem I have is made obvious in a few of my jumps, one that comes to mind right now is my last vault at Wayne Westland (the place where I cleared 14'3"). The jump destroyed the pole, but I had no vertical momentum, and was forced to bail.

Last full run practice before the state meet is tomorrow! Still looking for feedback on my high-bar drills