Vaulting Pole Review

[Lagjump]

VAULTING POLE REVIEW
By A POLE VAULT CRITIC


MOTIVE; I took on this venture out of curiosity and as a school thesis as one pole manufacturer told me “All poles are the same a pole is a pole!”

METHOD: Here is what I did;
· I bought three poles that I could jump on. (15-155 15-160-15-165)
· Paid for them all. With hard earned cash.
· I did not get help from any company in fact I am anonymous.
· I did use Skypoles last year so I am a little partial to those.
· I did not buy a carbon pole as at my level of jumping that was just throwing money away.
· I am an amateur vaulter jumping 15’2” as a personal record.
· I weigh 154 lbs and hold 14’9”.
OK here is my personal take on them rating is 1-10 10 being the best.
This is my story! This is one guy’s personal opinion; I am not a pro/ expert/ or a fully accomplished vaulter. But I had fun testing them, but this was very expensive !

1. FINDING A PLACE TO ORDER (Availability)
I ordered the following poles:
10 3-Pacer Gill FX: that was a snap I called M-F Athletic 1-800-556-7464
10 3-UCS/Spirit: that was a snap I called M-F Athletic 1-800-556-7464
10-Skypoles: (I own three bought them two years ago)
6 2-Nordic: (M-F offers but did not stock so I got mine from a local dealer.) The dealer did not know anything about the poles.
8 3-ESSX: (M-F offers but did not stock got mine from Earl Bell 1-800-753-7225) Well these people helped me select the right pole.
3 3-Altius: ordered two poles from a dealer. I had a 15’3”-160 Altius AAE did not have stock.
I did not order BSN/Catapole/ M-F Rocket/ Ontrack/Big Bend as I was told these are private labeled brands where they are made by one of the 5 main manufacturers.

2. PRICES
7 Pacer Gill FX: $363.00
5 UCS/Spirit: $ 391.00
8 Skypoles: $350.00 two years ago today the are 360+
9 Nordic: $349.00 with pole tube
6 ESSX: $390.00 with pole tube
10 Altius: $275.00 today two years ago I got one for $260.00 good price if you can get them.

3. DELIVERY
10 Pacer Gill FX: Thanks M-F Athletic Co. I got them in three days!
10 UCS/Spirit: Thanks M-F Athletic Co. I got them in three days!
10 Skypoles: I own my three poles purchased two years ago. Was told no changes in the poles
5 Nordic: Took me a little while to get, I ordered 15’ they do not have 15’. Had to order 14’9” length.
6 ESSX: This took about a week, not bad got two waited eight more days for the third one.
0 Altius: Still waiting for the other two poles I ordered I have no clue?
4. PACKAGING
6 Pacer Gill FX: Paper tube was very thick, no staples
6 UCS/Spirit: Paper tube very thick, no staples
4 Skypoles: I threw the paper tube away when I got them.
9 Nordic: PVC very nice cap was taped on? And was lost in transit. The tube is very lightweight and really protects the pole during shipment.
10 ESSX: WOW this was neat it was a plastic tube too (Black) with some kind of screw cap. Had a clear plastic sleeve on it too! I have to add that there was something very special! Included with the pole was a picture of the pole tested on their pole machine. It had a serial number on the pole and in the picture. I compared the pictures to make sure it was not the same pole with the number changed and the bends were different. So they are taking a picture of each test. Expensive but my confidence level of the pole just went up!
5 Altius: The pole I own came in a paper tube that I threw away.

5. POLE APPEARANCE
10 Pacer Gill FX: Beautiful looking pole very nice pole label. Clean looking! Label changed color when you turned it. Best label I have ever seen!!!
6 UCS/Spirit: Great label system nice looking clean wrap. Very nice Magenta label was smaller than the other poles.
5 Skypoles: Well this one is not fair as the labels are battered up from use. Mine are GREEN
9 Nordic: Nice labels nice clean wrap different look. Nice big label
3 ESSX: Plain, looks like other poles, a lot of red in the label, a lot of words and warnings in the label, Name Essx-Extreme is very long? Signed by Earl Bell that was cool an endorsement!
2 Altius: Plain label I have liked them from the start. Label is mushy seems adhesive of label gets hot and runs. My label does not look pretty anymore.

6. POLE FLEX
The poles had varying flex number and due to the different sizes in length it was difficult to determine the flex numbers equality. They all feel like the size they say are on them with exception the spirit is slightly softer and the Nordic are much stiffer. Not knowing much about flex number I asked and got nothing from any manufacturer about them. On a website http://www.polevaultpower.com I saw a way to measure flex numbers with a weight and two saw horses. This proved to be unsuccessful as the numbers were not the same on any one pole.
Again the poles seem close and if not exact it was like soft to heavy in the range of the model number with exception the Nordic that I expected to be softer due to the shorter length but they seem 5-7 lbs stiffer!
NOTE to reader: I am not an expert in this field so these are personal opinion with no facts or studies to substantiate my findings. This was the most confusing part of my survey!!!!!
10 Pacer Gill: Flex number was hidden in the engraved model number.
10 UCS/Spirit: Flex number was hidden and could be seen
6 Skypoles: My flex numbers are not visible any more I have them marked down somewhere?
6 Nordic: Flex number was different! Not sure how this works
10 ESSX: pole was rated 156.2 lbs.??? That was different but saved me from trying to find out if it was a soft, medium, or stiff flex!! The second one was 160.6 lbs??? Third one was 165.0 lbs. These had a flex engraved and an EB flex? I called Bell Athletics and was told that the EB flex was Earl Bell’s flex number written on the pole. They said that this is a way for them to compare all poles and maintain a constant number for their comparisons. Again I do not understand this part and I have one Skypole that has an EB flex on it too.
9 Altius: Normal flex number.
7. SOFT SIDES
10 for all poles as all poles had their soft sides lined up with their natural curves of the pole!
8. DIAMETERS
8 Pacer Gill: Moderate size fits my hand same as my skypole
10 UCS/Spirit: Slightly smaller measured about .033 smaller. This was the best pole to hold.
8 Skypoles: Moderate size fits my hand same as my Pacer
8 Nordic: Moderate size fits my hand
9 ESSX: Moderate size fits my hand
8 Altius: Slightly larger measured about .025 bigger.

9. INITIAL BENDING AT TAKE OFF
9 Pacer Gill: Moderate bend, kind of low but come back well!
10 UCS/Spirit: Bend very easy soft in the middle as you rock back. I blew through the two smaller ones and the largest one fit the best. This brand pole was the easiest to bend. However I kind of got two poles I cannot use. Hello Ebay!
10 Skypoles: These poles are great and I like them, the bend well and come back fast. They all feel the same and consistent.
4 Nordic: I had difficulty getting in on these poles. Hard to get in on, with a very low bend too!
10 ESSX: Nice easy bend and came back fast. A smooth transition off the ground.
10 Altius: this has always been a great pole on days when the wind is in your face. This is a very good pole.
10. RETURN OF THE BEND
9 Pacer Gill: One pole was real fast and the stiffer ones were slower.
7 UCS/Spirit: comes back moderate, well soft. Easy to bend, easy to jump on.
10 Skypoles: I have always like these poles
4 Nordic: really fast, returns real fast tough to keep up with!
10 ESSX: nice return powerful and very smooth / similar to the skypole in some ways?
9 Altius: This is very good poles. Easy return.

11. POLE CONSISTENCY
9 Pacer Gill: Overall this was a very consistent pole from one to another. I had to make only sight changes in my timing. The stiffer poles were not the same but close.
8 UCS/Spirit: Pole seemed to change the timing from one pole to another? But was easy to adjust, as it was very forgiving.
10 Skypoles: I have always like these poles very consistent.
4 Nordic: Tough to tell each pole was really different? Each bent different.
10 ESSX: each pole felt the same and each timed the same! Did not need to adjust it is different than the other poles?
5 Altius: I was not able to compare I only had one pole.

12. RESULTS
Are based on a two-week period of jumping! Giving each pole the test as if it was a meet. Waiting a day between tests. Skipped one day in the test due to bad weather.
9 Pacer Gill: Each pole felt the same and they were consistent. I banged the bar all over at 16’0” but got a Personal record WOW. I seem to keep getting real high in the air but come down on the bar hard. (I attribute this to my jumping and not the pole)
8 UCS/Spirit: Cleared 15’6” and was a personal record until I went to the Pacer. It was the easiest pole to jump on and I hardly had to try. Each pole seemed the same however very close to each other in sizes? Seemed all were medium flex. I ran out of poles quickly??
8 Skypoles: In the test cleared 15’0’ but have jumped 15’2” on them.
2 Nordic: If I could get on them they would sky me! Could not get on the two bigger ones. Sorry could not clear a bar. I attribute this to the sizing of the pole not the pole. 14’9” is an odd size for me. But they came back really fast. Very fast return returned to vertical before I could get my feet up.
10 ESSX: It felt totally different!!! Hard and firm feeling in the center with a nice even bend. Each pole was the same feel unlike other poles they are different from each other.
Felt like my skypoles but came back harder???? Jumped 9” over my personal record with plenty of air over the bar at 16’0” I am surprised how they felt. I cleared the bar with ease. This was very very different?
7 Altius: This is a very good pole. Did not have others to test, but could jump consistently every day in practice with this pole. I can always jump 15’ with this pole.

THE TOTAL TALLY
Pacer Gill FX: 107
UCS/Spirit: 100
Skypoles: 99
Nordic: 76
ESSX: 102
Altius: 78
SUMMARY
1. Pacer Gill excelled in all areas including performance. And I am told many World-Class vaulters use this pole
2. Essx could be in there as a top choice if they would improve on their weaknesses; Deliver, price, and their label. I also do not know of any World-Class vaulter using this pole? Earl Bell designs it, however most of his vaulters are using Pacers.
3. UCS/Spirit was better than my favorite going into the test, but seems to me to be old technology. However some of the best jumpers are using this pole. And I think that would add to the appeal and the demand for the pole.
4. Skypoles my favorite going in is also old technology, however is very reliable pole and a great value. A good stand by! Some World =Class girls use this pole.
5. Altius is a very good value if you can get them. A great warm up pole and excellent pricing, although I hear the World-Class vaulters cannot get it.
6. Nordic as I am told that there are a lot of Europeans using this pole due to availability. I see this pole struggling in the USA. Unless it can get a better clue on delivery, sizing, and the vaulters needs. There are many World-Class people in Europe using this pole?


FINAL SUMMATION
All poles are not the same!
And as a result I am going to rethink and decide which one I might jump with this season?
Pacer? or ESSX?

I got an A on the thesis!

[Bruce Caldwell]

Hello that was a nice survey! Yes you are correct we need to work on the label, the delivery and we feel the price is worth it based on the research we have done on the poles.

Thank you for the comments

Bruce Caldwell

[OAKPV2004]

A LABEl is nothing. they don't reAlly matter aT ALL.

[tmilhon]

Nice review. I'd have to disagree with you though on picking pacer over essx. Ive jumped on everything you tested except the nordic and by far, nothing is better than essx. In fact my short run poles are spirits and I can't hardly jump on them anymore. I've changed my jump alot since I got my essx poles, but i've also been averaging a new PR every third track meet. Last year indoor season my best was 15'1". This indoor season i've improved by almost two feet and jumped 4 PR's along the way, all on Essx poles. The proof is in the pudding man. And who cares about a label or the appearance, a PR is a PR. The reason the essx poles felt smoother and faster than any other poles is because they are built that much better. still the best way to hit PR's is with hard work, but the having the right stick in your hand when the chips are down is very critical.

Any way neat article, and keep up the good work with your new PR's.
tmilhon

[Lagjump]

Ok to answer many of the questions I have received!
1. I remain anonymous as I do not wish to piss the manufactures off.
2. Yes, it was expensive, however my Dad in KS and My Mom in CA. bought me a couple of sets of poles for me at Christmas time That is what I asked for. My school bought some and I paid for some too. I brought three from my high school.
However it was a creative way to get several poles to use.
3. Yes, I do realize that a better label will not allow me to jump higher. Sorry ESSX
4. Yes, I have made a decision, I have selected Pacer over ESSX as they get me higher in the air than the ESSX.
5. Yes I have jumped higher. I have clear 16'4" with both poles since the review. I like both poles, but I seem to get higher in the air on the Pacer, but I do have trouble getting over the bar and into the pit at times. I believe this is due to my technique not the poles.
6. No, I do not work for a manufacturer.
7.No, I do not wear a helmet.
8. Yes, I was able to move my grip up an inch or so on the ESSX and the Pacer. In college you do not have to hold below the ring.
9. Yes, I am more consistent on the ESSX pole.
10. The Pacers are a cheaper pole. OK I will still consider ESSX if I cannot get this penetration thing worked out.
Thanks for all the email

lAG

[vaulter580]

here are my thoughts::

(this is not ment to start another pole riot)
i punch the hell out of the pole at take off so this is my opinion for someone with similar technique.

i jumped on spirits in H.S. and finished up with a PR of 16'5".
when i came to college i bought a set of pacer carbons and jumped over a foot higher almost right away.(i jump for ASU and have been training with earl bell every since i started in the 9th grade, so there wasnt a big change in technique)my current PR of 5.49m was on a pacer carbon

i really like the constant pressure provided by the pacer carbon pole, and they are much lighter than regular glass poles. the spirits just feel "soft" after the initial punch, but like i said, this is only my opinion.

and as far as essex goes, i jumped all of my short run PRs on them, and if i could get a set of essex carbons then that is what i would jump on

[Bruce Caldwell]

LAGJUMP
Thanks for your reply to the review on vaulting poles!
As a result we have a new ESSX Label coming out for our poles soon.
Watch for it, as the new label will blow your socks off!!!!
We do however realize that labels will not help you to jump high, but we agreed with you and others it was time for something different.
Well thanks for answering my questions along with others! You are fortunate enough to own more vaulting poles than most schools can afford!
Keep in mind personal records come from clearing the bar.
I respect your choice to jump on the pole that throws you the highest as well as one that will allow you to win meets.
I wish you good luck on your jumping this season.
Bruce

[zack]

I've seen the new Essx label and its sweet! It looks way cooler then the PacerFX.

[rainbowgirl28]

As a result we have a new ESSX Label coming out for our poles soon.
Watch for it, as the new label will blow your socks off!!!!
We do however realize that labels will not help you to jump high, but we agreed with you and others it was time for something different.

The new ESSX label is indeed awesome!

[theflyingkorean]

Great review! Thanks for all that time you spent!

[Bruce Caldwell]

http://www.essxsport.com/photos/

[Lagjump]

HELP ON MOVING HANDGRIP UP AND LONGER POLES!

I am having problems on my Skypoles! I switched to Skypoles 15'6" as that brand was my favorite before the pole essay over ESSX 15'9". I still like Essx Poles but a ca. coach suggested these instead!
These are 15'6" poles and my grip is up.
I keep getting in the bucket position and cannot get out of it.

The poles are smooth and fit me size wise-same as my weight, but I cannot get my hips up?
The softest one really bends and I go no where, I am not able to penetrate. any suggestions.
I am holding 15' 3" right at the ring.

I can clear 16' consistently but on shorter poles 15' with a 14'9" grip on poles 5 lbs over my weight.
HELP

LAG