Vaulter not leaving the ground

[phscgtra]

I have a vaulter who has jumped 14'6" many times. About a month ago he suffered a bad ankle sprain during a vault in practice. He took two weeks off and began to vault again. Things were getting better until the last two weeks. He now continues to run through the plant and not jump off the ground. Any advice on how to get him back on track.

[IAmTheWalrus]

The easiest way, in my opinion, is to go through a progression of drills, pole runs, short run vaults, and finally full vaults, starting on small poles, to build confidence. Running through is a common and frustrating problem (one that I have faced before), and while it is primarily a mental issue, its roots almost always stem from technical problems. For example the first time I started running through repeatedly I had been running from the wrong mark, and as a result was over striding into the takeoff and felt too uncomfortable to jump. Even though it was a mental problem, the technical problems in my last few steps put my body in a position that it just didn't feel comfortable taking off from.

My advice for you

-Focus on the plant and the run, a nice tall run and properly executed plant make the takeoff much easier and more comfortable
-Use short run vaults on small poles to build confidence
-Keep doing full run pole runs though so that its easier to transition back to the long run
-When you go back to a full run, don't push the grip or the stiffness, focus on properly executing technique, especially plant and takeoff technique
-Take advantage of meets or situations where the vaulter is feeling and looking very good on the runway, this is when you can make transitions back to bigger poles, just make sure you don't force it if they are still feeling awkward at the takeoff
- Don't panic, the most important thing is to get him off the ground and feeling comfortable. If its a small pole or a short run that's fine. Try to minimize frustrating practices and stay positive. I had a vaulter this year who had jumped 15'9 indoors, then went through a bit of a funk. He hadn't been over 15' all outdoors, then at the last meet he went up 2 poles, looked just like his old self, and jumped 15'9. Just stay positive. I hope this helps. This issue hits close to home so I like to help with it as much as possible. Let me know how it goes.