PoleVaultPower.com

So i have began practicing with a new college coach and track team for about two weeks now. In high school everything i learned and believed about pole vault was that rowing is not correct and it is why you must tuck and shoot. So i realized that this coach is teaching vaulters and doing drills for the rowing motion after takeoff. I really dont want to make this a part of my vault. I thought about talking to him about this. Any tips for how to approach the subject? I thought of referring him to some very detailed videos about the vault. Just i dont know how he will react to them.

Has your coach had a history of success coaching the pole vault? Are there athletes on your team that 'row' and jump higher than you?

Regardless of what the answer is, do what your coach ask. My biggest thing I like to tell people about the pole vault is that there are a million different techniques and most of them work. But if you are trying to do one thing, and your coach is trying to get you to do another, it will just be a head ache for everyone.

Fyi. Rowing does not always cause tuck and shoot, it just makes it a little harder to swing your hips up high on the pole (like you would on the high bar). The best rowers I have seen I like to say they 'swing and shoot'. The row helps you get on bigger poles, but it makes your swing have to be lower and tighter, but if you are strong enough you can rip out of it too. It is not what I coach, but people have had success with it.

Several good rowers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpg5-R3rbb0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2P4Tg_dCnI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdf8k6XoxbM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48xbIkLWrFw

ALSO: This is not meant to be a discussion about technique. Only that if you chose a college you should buy into the program. So many college athletes constantly complain about how certain training or what their coach is coaching does not work for them, but they never bought in 100%, so they really do not know if it would work or not. Sometimes if you have a good coach and you buy into their program 100% and do not see improvement then the coach will make adjustments from there.

I've been absent for some time and very happy to come back to find that type of response to your question.PV2020 is absolutely correct. There are many vaulting styles but what ever style it is that your coach teaches. It is crucial that you commit 100% and work together to achieve it. (As long as the practices procedures are safe) To many times I've seen great athlete/ coach combos fail to achieve success due to their inability to work together. Great answer PV2020 cudos to you!