Snapped Pole

[SlickVT]

Poles can't just keep bending, dude. There is a point where a pole has bent past its limit to where its going to break, even if brand new, and I hit that limit every time. The poles were new, and I keep my poles in great shape to avoid breaks. I just put too much energy in it, getting too much bend.

[Skyin' Brian]

Poles can't just keep bending, dude. There is a point where a pole has bent past its limit to where its going to break, even if brand new, and I hit that limit every time. The poles were new, and I keep my poles in great shape to avoid breaks. I just put too much energy in it, getting too much bend.

does this mean that the pole was too small?

[wacky274]

or again, the takeoff could have been flat....just cause a pole breaks, without dings, doesn't mean it's breaking cause you're doing things right....granted, you very well could have been, just pointing out the fact, that other things (minus dings and knicks and just completely overloading it from doing things right) could be at fault for a broken pole

[crumpman]

I have seen several pole breaks and heard several more. All injuries I have witnessed have been minor. All breaks I have seen have resulted in the vaulter landing on his back in the pit. IMO, the most dangerous place to be on a pole break is the official or the helpers, or anywhere around the pit...the vaulter is very safe assuming the technique is basically correct. The flying pieces of the pole are very dangerous to the people near the pit. We have not broken a poll in several years...we inspect our polls often and cut them if they are suspect. We had an almost new carbon poll that a kid spicked on his swing...it was iffy so I took a hacksaw to it. Take care of your polls, learn to vault correctly, and move up when you 1st start to blow through. I have a 9th grade vaulter who couldn't get on a 13/150 indoors, he is now on a 14/160 he has gone through polls faster than any vaulter I have had(13/50, 13/60, 13' 6"/60 in one day)...he probably would have broken a couple if we had not moved up.

[vaultchamp16]

SlickVT "Poles can't just keep bending, dude. There is a point where a pole has bent past its limit to where its going to break, even if brand new, and I hit that limit every time. The poles were new, and I keep my poles in great shape to avoid breaks. I just put too much energy in it, getting too much bend."

Too much bend means your holding TOO HIGH. Let's say your 170 lbs. You should be able to jump on a 13' 160 and simply jump over the pole bending it very little. You can do the same on a 14' 160. When you get to the 15' 160, and you have a good takeoff, your going to continue to blow threw the pole. Not over bend it. It's too small for a 170lb person, but it shouldn't bend all that much if your takeoff is up in the air.

If you grab a 16' 160 and you don't jump off the ground, it will break. "There is a point where a pole has bent past its limit to where its going to break" Jumping up is key. If you bend a pole to the point where it will break, you are not jumping up and your takeoff is causing too much stress on the pole. That's why not everyone can hold at 16'5 and jump effectively. If you "hit that limit everytime" lower your grip, roll the pole over faster and get on bigger sticks.

[SlickVT]

Ugh... Ok, im gonna clear this up. I was jumping on good poles, i was holding low (most were from short runs) and when they broke, the jumps were uncharacteristically good, which means, they were better jumps then I was used to. So, yeah I guess the poles were too small for the jumps, but how was I to know. Like I said, I was holding low enough each time (my most recent break was on a 15 foot 170 pacer carb holding at about 14'3" ( I weigh 170) from 4 steps. I sure as hell am not going to let go of the pole mid jump because "uh-oh this is a good jump, this thing might break". I am not one to brag, but I have a pretty damn good jump and takeoff. From 6 lefts I have used a 195 lb pole. Jumping up is not the problem, not knowing when a breakthrough jump is going to happen is. Anyway, peace out.