13'6 review

[essxpv91]

height: 5'10 weight: 155

My meet from a couple weeks ago. there was a terrible headwind so i decided to only run 5 steps but it worked out okay. I just wasnt able to go to 7 steps and a bigger pole. Main things iv noticed is that i am almost always under, and my drive phase is definitely lacking. any help appreciated. thanks guys

First jump 13'0 Pole: 14 ft. 155 spirit ( 5 lefts ) handgrip 13'3

Second Jump 13'6 Pole 13'6 ft. 165 older pacer ( 5 lefts ) handgrip 13'3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an6rmrkgW5w

[AvariceDemons]

You being under may have been a result of making sure youre steps were okay with the wind, I also tend to overcompensate when I am jumping into a headwind. Are your steps typically under or just on that day?

Also have you done any work with a penultimate step? Look it up if you do now know what it means. One thing that helped me a lot with driving into the pole was working a lot on the last 2 steps of my jump. It added a lot of extra power into my drive phase and allowed me to move up poles. Also it stopped my from tending to over stride my last steps, helping to make my steps better.

[essxpv91]

Ya ,it really is always under, tailwind head, cross. i have heard the term on here before but am not sure exactly what it is. I'll look it up. My last two steps is also where i usually have to most problem because i am never consistent. i have done terrible my last meets just because of my standards having to change because my jump is inconsistent.
thank you for your help

[KirkB]

According to Jan's Progression Table http://www.skyjumpers.com/articles/pvprogressiontable.html, both your poles are approximately the same stiffness.

36 13' 175 13'6 165 14' 155 14'6 145 15' 135

Does the 13-6 pole feel slightly heavier or slightly lighter than the 14 footer? I'm guessing lighter, because you stalled out a little with the 14 footer. You need to land further into the pit.

Looking at your vaults with QuickTime, frame by frame ...

On your 13-0 jump, you brushed the bar on your way down but surprisingly, it stayed on. What a lucky bounce! At this point, hopefully you went to your lighter pole.

You are definitely under, and you're loading the pole before takeoff. One frame before "thighs together", your pole is already bending.

From there, your body posture is off ... you're leaning back instead of leaning forwards. Many other flaws after that, but they all stem from being under. If you're ALWAYS under (as you say), then you need to lick that problem first. You're probably too "comfortable" being under like that, and you're becoming a drive vaulter (loading the pole before takeoff) rather than a Petrov Model vaulter (free takeoff). The more you delay fixing this "habit", the more difficult it will be to break the habit.

As you know, you hit the bar on your way down. But did you see how close you're landing to the box? Your standards are way too close. Yes, you will hit the bar even more with your standards further back ... and I realize that you had a headwind ... but I'm recommending some major changes to your technique here ... starting with lowering your grip, taking off from further out, and landing further into the pit. Since you went from 5 lefts, then it would follow that you need to do this on a softer pole.

Either that, or just write off this meet as a bad example of how you usually vault, since the wind conditions were so bad. Sometimes that's better than over-analyzing your bad vaults ... just forget about them and focus on your GOOD vaults.

I'm just curious why the officials never moved the pits around if the headwind was so bad?

You actually need a coach standing there helping you with all this. It would be very difficult to coach you on all this by vids only. Do you have a coach that can help you?

On your 13-6 vault, you still didn't land far enough into the pit. Same problem. You weren't under quite so much, but you were still in by at least 9". Your posture was RELATIVELY better than your first vault. I suspect that the more you can get your takeoff out, the better your posture will be on/after takeoff. Work on that!

And remember that if you're going to take off from further back, your going to have to REACH higher on your plant. Stretch (or PRESS or PUNCH) your top hand up as high and as hard as you can. Then when you take off, you'll have really good body posture ... to set up a really powerful downswing ... and with your athleticism, the rest of your vault will be a piece of cake!

And hey, you had another lucky brush over the bar, eh? You hit it with your legs ... AND your chest!

You were really lucky on both those bars!

You already have the strength, speed and coordination to EASILY go a foot higher ... or more ... this year, if you fix your takeoff and other technical flaws.

Good luck!

Kirk

[essxpv91]

The poles feel relatively close, I just felt that I jump better with the 13'6 pole. As for the jumps I was extremely lucky they even stayed on however I do usually land a little bit deeper. The school itself does not even use the pit, only once a year when my team goes and there was no other box to turn the pit around. The school is 2 miles away from the beach but for some strange reason the put it facing the ocean so I never expect to get a good wind there.
I do have a good vault coach but he does not have too much time to spend with us, so my teammates have to help eachother out. Thank you for the tips on getting a free take off, I have become comfortable being under, yet I also feel good when my takeoff is on. I will definitely try to punch up and fix my takeoff.
Again, thank you very much for your advice!