Districts, attempt

[Haverford123]

districts in my area is 12ft 6 inches and i really want to clear it!
i dont know if this is a realistic goal but im shooting for 14 by the end of the season

one grea thing i realized in my vaulting was that my grip was way too wide before,, i now have my grip about an elbow length + fist distance apart if that makes sense,, (little closer than shoulder length).

So closing in the grip helped me get inverted better and stay closer to the pole which helped me get 12ft gripping 12, on a pacer 140lb 13'1 pole
i felt like i maxed out on the pole so i switched to a 150 13'3 holding around 12'6,,, (weight 125, height 5'9)

i felt like i didnt get as much penetration on the 150 pole,,, but these are the vids i have,,,
first one is the 12ft jump and the rest are on the 150, any critque will be appreciated!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-PeA3VJX84

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_sjVZNmRFk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNU0hdXSwgk

(btw, i cant seem to keep my trail leg straight through out the vault, is this important?)

[AR01]

You're not maxed out on a pole until you are blowing through it. It wasn't necessary to get on that bigger pole since you were still landing a reasonable distance in the pit.

Also, you said you were gripping 12' on that 13'1...why wouldn't you slowly move your grip up by fingers before moving to a stiffer and longer pole?

[Haverford123]

my grip on the smaller pole used to be around 12'4, but i realized that i blew through too much on the pole when i held higher so i decided to hold lower and close in my grip which helped me jump higher,,,

i wanted to try the 150 to see if holding around 12'6 would make me blow through and it didnt, jumping on it really took me up faster although i landed close to the pit mostly, but i figured through practice i would learn to keep the trail leg straight and really load up the pole to get me up higher,,,

another option is to use a 14'3 130, gripping 12'6, and climbing this pole but im very hesitant in jumping on 14 ft poles,,,

im hoping ican maybe get on a 14'3 145 by the end of this year but im not to o sure about it.,.

[powerplant42]

O.K. First thing, keeping your trail leg straight throughout your swing is VITAL, IRREPLACABLE, UNDISPUTABLE, and well you get the picture. That's an extremely important element of the vault.

You turn your shoulders in order to plant. Once your carrying a 17'1'' 205 then this might be alright...

You don't get a free take-off, and even worse, you take off under. FIX THIS!!! This is probably what's killing your swing, and it ultimately makes you kind of curl near the top.

Lastly, don't get on any big poles until you can do the stuff above well enough to blow through.

Good luck!

[Haverford123]

Thanks for the comments, from reading up different posts i learned what a free take off was,, petrov model,, etc,,, i didnt realize how under my take off was until i had to make my team mates record my jumps and take pictures of it...

but your last comment, my coach told me we should never blow through on poles but im not sure what that means... i do blow through on the pole i used for th 12ft jump but i do not blow through on the 150, bigger pole, and im asuming if i fix up my step and learn to use a midmark ill be able to do a free take off and attempt to keep the trail leg straight and all that nice stuff?

i find the mid mark thing hard to use,,, i havent found any info. that tells me how to use it or i just dont understand their descriptions of it...

but currently i run from 79.5 ft, which i found out im always under when i use it but i screw up in my jumps when i move back,, and tthe 79.5 always changes dpending on how i feel, and run day to day... (7 lefts,, im swithcing to 6 lefts b/c i think i accelerate faster)


last time in practice i was jumping on a 14'3 130lbs Altius holding around 13',,, 6 lefts from around 71ft (which was probably under,,)

[vault3rb0y]

Ok listen, this is important- work on only one thing at a time. Any vaulter under 19'6" can make a list a mile long of things you are doing wrong. The important thing is being able to pick out what needs to be fixed first.

In my opinion, your biggest problem is your run and hand position at takeoff. The cadence of your run should be speeding up as you approach the box. That means your legs are turning over quicker and quicker. This is going to speed you up, and keep you upright and stable so that you can jump with a lot of impulse off the ground. You should be jumping up at the plant, everything at the plant goes UP, including your hands and your drive knee.

Right now your run is the same speed the entire time, and you actually increase your stride length into the box. You are doing this because you feel the need to get to the box as soon as possible. Just RUN and ACCELERATE into the box. Also at the plant, as soon as the pole tip hits the back of the box, your hands "row" forward. This bends the pole, but makes it impossible to get inverted. You won't make pit any easier by rowing the pole forward. Work on keeping your hands directly over your head at the plant and during the swing.

These things are way easier said than done. If you did the research you said you did on the petrov model and the free take off, you already know that. But that also means you are dedicated enough to work on it and get it done. You CAN do it, and if you do, you CAN jump 14' by the end of this year. I don't say that because of amazing athletic ability but determination. I can tell you really care about it, so start slow and dont get frustrated with it, but here are some ideas to work on your run and hand position:

Get BTB and read the run and pop up section


First, do poles runs without a pole but make your cadence speed up. You should be turning over as quick as you can your last 3 strides. Do about 4 or 5 a day before you do pole runs.

Next, Do this with a pole. Work on being at full CONTROLLABLE speed at take off. Work on being able to jump tall, fast, and quick off the ground.

If you have mini hurdles, work on high knees and running through them with a pole as well, again speeding up your cadence. Run on your toes like i said.

Start on the runway with a pop up, accelerate into the box and jump with as much angle off the ground as you can. Use these same principles with a small bending pole on a short run until you can do it right. Only then, try to put it back to your long run.

Its a long process but it pays off big time. Especially if you will be vaulting with me next year at Penn State.

[powerplant42]

but your last comment, my coach told me we should never blow through on poles but im not sure what that means... i do blow through on the pole i used for th 12ft jump but i do not blow through on the 150, bigger pole, and im asuming if i fix up my step and learn to use a midmark ill be able to do a free take off and attempt to keep the trail leg straight and all that nice stuff?

Blowing through just means that your landing near the back of the plz or are just mushing crap out of a pole...

I'm starting to use midmarks, and I can see how much it's going to help. If you want to get a full understanding of it, pm dj about it, but basically it's just a mark placed by your fourth left/right out that can be used to see what problems are happening during your run. If you miss your midmark, then there are problems that need fixing in the FIRST part of your run. If you hit your mid but take-off way out or under, then there are problems in the last part of your run. Do you get the concept?

[souleman]

On your 12 foot jump you are no where near blowing through the pole. Look where you land in the pit. Your feet are hanging over the box. Stay on that pole until you are always landing dead center of the pit. Fixing your take off and getting it more "free" will help with every aspect of your jump. I'd also like to see a taller run and plant. I have a term for the run. I call it running "strong" not "long". What this means is a higher knees, more upright posture and a springy plant and free takeoff "pop" off the ground. Good luck. Get the stuff corrected going down the run way and the rest will start to fall into place AND you will then need to be on that bigger pole. Later.........Mike

[Haverford123]

im holding 12ft on the 12ft jump, if i hold any higher i blow through,,, the reason why i look like im not blowing through is because i had to hold lower so i dont blow through... ill record one of the jumps to show you what i mean... but i agree with having a strong tall plant which im trying to work on,,, with a free take off which is really bothering me cause its so hard to do for me cause im so used to bending the pole before i get on my takeoff...

[Haverford123]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM3NTsumO_M

that isnt me but i was wondering if thats an example of having a free take off?

when i saw his jump in person he looked like he was under but had such a straight trail leg i was jealous... haha

[powerplant42]

Yes, that's a free take-off.

If you're blowing through when you cap the pole, find out at what relative stiffness on that particular pole you DON'T blow through on, and then move up pole weight by that much. OR, if you simply rotate the pole too fast for your own good, then it's time to move up in length.

[sooch90]

im holding 12ft on the 12ft jump, if i hold any higher i blow through,,, the reason why i look like im not blowing through is because i had to hold lower so i dont blow through... ill record one of the jumps to show you what i mean... but i agree with having a strong tall plant which im trying to work on,,, with a free take off which is really bothering me cause its so hard to do for me cause im so used to bending the pole before i get on my takeoff...

The higher you hold, the less you'll penetrate or "blow through". Sometimes it may seem like you blow through more if you hold higher because maybe your body gets more warmed up or you begin to hit a better takeoff, but gripping higher does NOT mean more penetration (it that's what you were saying).