help getting hips up and inverted

[katiesuisse]

I am a female senior. I live in Montana. I jump in indoor and outdoor track. I sprint, long jump and vault. Vault is my life! I'm on a UCS 120 12' this year i'll be going to the 120 13'. I have a pretty decent run, plant and take off. I don't have a video on this computer right now, but I only have a picture to explain my problem. Not to sound cocky, but I have been told by many coaches and parents I have so much more potential then where I am at now. I am close to our school record and I want nothing more! I drive and swing, my feet go up, yet I end up coming straight down on the bar. It's not my height, it's my form. I just need some advice-- thank you so much!

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww47 ... 819_n1.jpg
-- at this point, i end up shoot out and not up! this is my MAIN problem, as well as not letting my left arm cave in, i keep it stiff for too long :/

[altius]

Unfortunately the only thing i can tell you from a single photo is that the pole you are on seems much too soft - not sure what happened earlier because that may the reason it looks like that - but it must be on the verge of breaking.

[Vault101 Boy]

Ok so the position you are in in the picture, is that just about as inverted as you get or is their a part afterwards that we are not seeing? At about that time you would actually drop the shoulders which would bring the hips toward the pole. Work on dropping the shoulders after you swing through, watch videos of Isinbayeva or Steve Hooker, at some point there heads drop down and they are fully inverted, this is not as difficult as it seems but it will take some work to develop it. A solid leg swing would also help, my coach always reminds me that it is a "double" leg swing, but the right leg is much shorter, while the left stays long. (I wouldn't recommend a true double leg swing off the ground). Hope this helps, and if any of the other dudes contradict me, do what they say cause they are a lot more experienced when it comes to coaching than me.