Dropping the lead knee - time for a retrospective?

[vaultmd]

That was a big "Ah hah" for me. Makes a lot of sense.

Thanks, guys.

[volteur]

Right on target. Correct the posture and takeoff mechanics become much better. Coaches and athletes must learn to conceptualize jumping with the quads and not the hamstrings. Achieving a vertical shin angle and pushing down against the ground at takeoff will make the athlete look like a great gymnast in the air.

when i first read your post i thought - side issue the quads - but on reflection it is exactly how you say it, pushing down on the vertical along the line of the shin, and not attempting to pull back with the hammy and glutes. I'm wanting to test this - if the focus is on the shin and the action that is occurring in front of the body, then the the hip position must be forward. Cheers for that Barto simply because it is not an easy thing to get an athlete to activate their hip if they have had a lifetime of not doing so, or even a lifetime of de-activating it. The shin is an easier way in!

[Barto]

Credit where credit is due. Tom Tellez told me that in 1987. It took me until 1996 to understand it.

[volteur]

Credit where credit is due. Tom Tellez told me that in 1987. It took me until 1996 to understand it.

that guy has an impressive resume! You always wonder about coaching ability when the talent worked with is so high. Cheers for adding depth to his coaching quality. Do you know where he might have written about his methods? answered my own question:

not that i've read these (started to but lost interest at the moment)

Tellez biomechanics part 1 http://speedendurance.com/2007/09/03/en ... om-tellez/
Tellez biomechnaics part 2 http://speedendurance.com/2007/09/04/sp ... ez-part-2/

[Barto]

Coach Tellez was/is a very prolific clinician, but never a big writer. 90% of what I have heard him say I've never seen in print.

[volteur]

Coach Tellez was/is a very prolific clinician, but never a big writer. 90% of what I have heard him say I've never seen in print.

can you remember anything else that he might have said? Even if it's non PV related (i was a decathlete)

[Barto]

Gosh, that would take volumes and volumes. Much of what makes up the standard opperating procedures for track coaches in 2008 was first standardized and implemented on a wide scale by Coach T. He would say he invented very little but observed alot.

[volteur]

Gosh, that would take volumes and volumes. Much of what makes up the standard opperating procedures for track coaches in 2008 was first standardized and implemented on a wide scale by Coach T. He would say he invented very little but observed alot.

that's interesting ... standard operating procedures for track coaches in 2008.

Where do i get a hold of this? Is it codified anywhere?

[WarHawkVaulter]

Maybe one thing to keep in mind is their gymnastics training with strength and drills. Many of Petrov's drills and workouts are double legged instead of imitating the takeoff lead knee. Perhaps this may have something to do with dropping the knee. Maybe when doing the drills they feel more powerful using a double leg swing. And on the vault feel the same powerful swing that they do in drills, more than keeping a high lead knee.

Just a thought.

[decanuck]

...unless all US coaches take up and apply the Petrov model they will find the very strange scenario of an Australian winning the Olympic title being repeated. Although next time it really could be a New Zealander or even a Canadian. Now perhaps that is stretching things a bit!

I suspect this was mostly a joke, but a Canadian??? C'mon now...let's not say things we can't take back! lol

I haven't a clue about the Kiwis, but it'll be a cold day in hell before a Canuck wins a pole vault title. The same parochialism you spoke of in the US system pervades us Canadians in a similar way (with a small handful of exceptions). Unfortunately our sporting support structures at the high school, national, and collegiate levels are pitiful compared to those of our southern neighbours, and thus our athletes are unable to overcome their and their coaches' technical deficiencies with as much success, even on a per-capita level.

Plus PV totally lacks the oddball cult following it gets in the states--such as this wonderful site! Also, our Olympic Committee barely even bothers with the summer sports. But mostly we can hardly take our sticks off the ice for two seconds to pick up a pole.

The fact you Aussies win as many Olympic medals as you do--sitting at a population of just over 20 million which pales in comparison even to us--is that much more impressive. But since we can still beat you in hockey, 90% of people here don't care and until that attitude changes we'll have to be content with medalling behind countries like Belarus, Ethiopia, and Romania.

Sorry for going off topic (see there's that Canadianism again...eh?)

[altius]

Eh - indeed!!! But who - apart from me of course - thought that Australia could produce an Olympic champion in the vault. I realise that Canada has bigger problems than OZ in track and field - but not much bigger. It only takes one committed coach like Mark Stewart and a determined individual like Steve Hooker and as we have seen anything can happen. Remember that at one point in his career, and not so long ago either, Steve had the yips so badly that he could not even take off from two steps!!

[volteur]

The fact you Aussies win as many Olympic medals as you do--sitting at a population of just over 20 million which pales in comparison even to us--is that much more impressive. But since we can still beat you in hockey, 90% of people here don't care and until that attitude changes we'll have to be content with medalling behind countries like Belarus, Ethiopia, and Romania.

Sorry for going off topic (see there's that Canadianism again...eh?)

eh, surely with coaches of the quality of Les Gramantik there is some hope for Canadian athletes decanuck? I remember when he re-created Mike Smith, the great decathlete. Mike had two careers - the first was moreso as a sprinter/jumper type with performances of 10.74, 7.70, 2.14, 47.05 and close to 14 flat in the hurdles. Then his long term achilles problems (from childhood) got the better of him which led to the re-creation. This phase involved throwing the shot over 18m, discus 52m, javelin 70+ and the vault up to 5.20. If he could have combined both i doubt even Dan O'Brien could have beaten him in the day. I noticed recently Les is still head coach so i'm wondering what he has up his sleeve?