15-foot pole block??

[KirkB]

I thought everyone knew this

Not EVERYONE. I didn't.

What I did was keep try to everything exactly the same (same run, same grip, same takeoff, same technique), each time that I moved one flex up.

Riding the pole into the pit without inverting would break this rule. I'm not saying which idea is better. Mine is just one alternative to consider. Your mileage may vary.

Side note: If you have the same (or better) wind speed from the same direction, then all the better. Often, an increase in tailwind would be a good time to move up a flex. (And then in the future, without the tailwind, you retain that same confidence in using that pole flex - because you now "know" the pole.)

I realize that moving up from a 14 footer to a 15 footer is a little more drastic (more "unknown") than moving up a single flex on the same pole length, but I think the same principle applies.

As long as I was landing WELL INTO the pit (at least to the middle of the coaches box - but it wasn't marked back in my day) on my jump previous to moving one flex up, I had strong confidence that by upping the flex, I would still land in the coaches box.

The secret is in doing everything the same, with the CONFIDENCE, COURAGE, and GUTS that you will land safely.

The fear of failure should NOT enter your mind. If you "hesitate" due to fear, your technique and/or speed won't be as good, so you'll fail for that reason.

This quote by English essayist Joseph Addison is applicable ...

HE WHO HESITATES IS LOST ... self-doubt is a prelude to disaster.

Swtvault spelled this out quite well in the "What's the difference between a 5.50 and a 6.00 vaulter?" thread.

Kirk

[KirkB]

Another thing that I usually did was to personally calibrate each new pole, by setting it on two fulcrum points - top and bottom, and then hanging a certain consistent weight on it (I forget the weight, but I think it was consistent with what the Catapole manufacturer used). Then I measured the deflection. The difference in deflection between the pole without any weight and the pole with weight was recorded.

It's not that I didn't trust the manufacturers flex rating. I just wanted to double-check it, for my own satisfaction. I wanted to be POSITIVE that the flex was correct. These days, I'm sure that the flexes are precise, so this is unnecessary.

At the same time, I marked the direction of the prebend on the pole - as per the Jan Johnson 1972 Olympics photo.

One additional thing that I did was to compare flexes by simply putting the pole(s) into the box (or against a wall) and flexing them by leaning into them (facing AWAY from the box or wall). First one pole, then the other. Back and forth. This gave me a feel for the relative flex of each pole. This was IN ADDITION TO the calibration that I did.

Why do this? Well, it might be similar to why you might want to ride the pole into the pit without inverting. You want to get the FEEL for the pole without actually vaulting. You want to TRUST it, by "knowing" its flex.

Just another idea.

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

I thought everyone knew this

Not EVERYONE. I didn't.


I realize that moving up from a 14 footer to a 15 footer is a little more drastic (more "unknown") than moving up a single flex on the same pole length, but I think the same principle applies.

I didn't mean in a meet situation where you know the next pole is only a little bigger, I meant in a practice situation in which you were trying a foot longer pole that you have never touched before, or any pole that is more than 5lbs bigger.

[golfdane]

The secret is in doing everything the same, with the CONFIDENCE, COURAGE, and GUTS that you will land safely.

The fear of failure should NOT enter your mind. If you "hesitate" due to fear, your technique and/or speed won't be as good, so you'll fail for that reason.

Kirk

True!!

Basic rule of pole vault safety. Once a vaulter is having doubts that might jeopardize safety, put him/her on a smaller pole or lighter drill.

I emphasize to any aspiring pole vaulter, that the correct approach to pole vaulting is seeking success, not trying to avoid failure. In fact, this goes for most, if not all, things in life.

Confidence comes from competence. An athlete should know what it feels like to move up a flex, or grip one hand higher, when conditions require it. They would know what to expect, even if they haven't used that pole from that grip. Moving up (flex or grip) should only be done when you are blowing through on nicely executed jumps.