Hand Grip Question

[bushy_12]

I was looking at Bubba's chart and it indicated that in order to jump 14'6" a vaulter should have a 13'9" hand grip. (http://www.bubbapv.com/Pages/dj.htm)

Unfortunately, I have a UCS Spirit 14'1" 140lb pole that has the pink safety tape around 13'7" (which is the highest I guess someone can hold).

Do I have to buy a 14'6" pole so I can grip 13'9" in order to jump 14'6" OR is there a possibility of jumping 14'6" gripping around 13'7."

BTW, here is a video if it helps.

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?titl ... 1519736469

[dj]

hey

those grip to vault height numbers are averages... you can definately "out jump the chart" so to speak..

t-mack 16-4 grip 19-4 jump...

dj

ps.......... of course practicing with a higher grip will let you know where you should be for competition..

[Juergen]

I am not an expert but I would like to point out something my coach has been telling all the vaulters on our team.
Pause video right where you start to leave the ground.
From your video I can see that you are collapsing your left arm and almost hitting the pole before fully swinging up. What you need to do (so I am told and can see from videos of olympic vaulters) is keep you body away from the pole by keeping you bottom arm straighter (stronger).
This should also increase your bend; even though it looks fine.
Search youtube for olympic pole vault and other professionals jumping over 16' and compare to your video.
Overall good jump though from what I can tell.

[Haverford123]

are you recommending vaulters to lock in their left arm? cause the only thing that helped me do was 1. not get inverted, and 2. row with the pole like rowing a boat... which got me no where,, olympians dont lock in their elbows... everythign goes UP with them on take off,
also its not about the bend... i bend the pole like crazy but dont get as much height as other vaulters that have little bend...

busy 12,,
can you tell us more info on your jump such as weight, height,, etc...

[powerplant42]

Haverford just hit a big one... but I don't think that's what he was saying, just that it needs to be strong, not locked, but I don't know.

The biggest reason this is happening is because he's TRYING to get a free take-off (I hope...) but he's way, WAY under.

[Haverford123]

bushy 12, you go over the bar with your feet first and then turn instead of turning and then going over the bar... i do this.. except going over 12'6 and dont really know how to fix it.... not sure if its a problem either but thought i should throw it out there....

[OH-IOvaulter]

Flexion of the Tibialis Anterior during the pull turn should help solve all of the above problems. It keeps one's legs in close to the pole during the turn instead of extension which pushes one's legs over the cross bar instead.

[OH-IOvaulter]

But to answer the original question, definitely don't buy a new pole, keep working off the top, you should be able to go close to 15' or 15'6" with a 13'6" 14' grip.

[master]

Flexion of the Tibialis Anterior during the pull turn should help solve all of the above problems. It keeps one's legs in close to the pole during the turn instead of extension which pushes one's legs over the cross bar instead.

That sounds like a good thing to focus on. I don't know whether I can break my old habit of pointing my toes, but I will try. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm sure I have been told to do this before.

Old mind, old body. Hard to teach it new tricks.

- master

[bushy_12]

thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I am having a hard time keeping my left arm at least a little more straighter.

[Sandi]

i have the same problem and it drives me absolutely INSANE because it makes it so much harder to get a free take off. plus i have a habit it taking too big of steps and reaching a little so i end up 6 inches to a foot under almost every vault. i just gotta get my feet down, and work on my arms when i plant because my left arm is never strait when i take off and it needs to be! i have a horrible plant....but im workin on it!

[vaultman18]

i have the same problem and it drives me absolutely INSANE because it makes it so much harder to get a free take off. plus i have a habit it taking too big of steps and reaching a little so i end up 6 inches to a foot under almost every vault. i just gotta get my feet down, and work on my arms when i plant because my left arm is never strait when i take off and it needs to be! i have a horrible plant....but im workin on it!

Why would your left arm "need" to be straight when you take-off. A straight left arm will not help your take-off to be free. And I don't see how it possibly could.