Swinging a straight trail leg

[that.rb.vaulter]

How do I swing a straight and fast trail leg...it sounds so simple but is extremely hard for me...I have been vaulting for almost two years and my p.r. is 11 foot 6

[Thats.What.She.Said]

have you tried practicing it on a high bar or rings? cause that would definitly help

[master]

Practicing on a high bar is a very good suggestion. It might not be obvious, but at the very beginning of the swing, it is actually good for the trail leg to have a slightly bent knee; similar to preparation for kicking a soccer ball. But be sure to straighten the leg during the swing (by the time the leg would be perpendicular to the ground) and keep it straight through to the finish.

- master

[Username?]

I can swing perfectly on a high bar and on rings with a straight trail leg, but I don't do it when I vault. So I don't think doing it on a high bar or on rings would help that much, because while your on a high bar or rings you can focus on keeping it straight while your swinging and when you vault it is not necessarily the same.

[KirkB]

It's the repetition on the highbar that will make it easier to do on the pole.

Kirk

[that.rb.vaulter]

Yes I can do it perfect on the bars...however I do agree that if could slightly bend it to get a snap and then straighten it out

[altius]

"Yes I can do it perfect on the bars.." Can you indeed! Then the problem may be that you are not finishing the take off in the vault so your take off leg is never well positioned to initiate the kick whip.

[KirkB]

In addition to what Altius is saying ...

1. I doubt that you've swung on the highbar "perfectly" yet. Do you have the blisters ... and CALLOUSES ... to prove it? Tell me when you've done it 10,000+ times (I'm serious), and then let's talk!

... it is actually good for the trail leg to have a slightly bent knee; similar to preparation for kicking a soccer ball.

2. Although this technique might work well for Master ... and this is fine for beginners and masters ... I don't personally recommend it for intermediate or advanced vaulters. The reason is that in the time it takes to let your trail leg bend a bit, you actually allow your hips to swing a bit too far forwards before you start your downswing. Every millisecond counts! And every extra bit of ELONGATED trail leg downswing counts! So you can actually get a more powerful downswing by keeping your leg completely straight throughout the entire downswing. This does mean that your elastic hyperextension in the backwards C position is slightly different. But by forcing your trail leg straight at the start, you're actually beginning your downswing a little higher up ... giving you a little more oomph! The swing is initiated FORCEFULLY by the quadrceps (even the obliques in your torso play an important role in this) ... the faster the better. This is a little higher up in the leg than the muscles you'd use to kick a soccer ball ... it's more of a straight leg action. I might have said in the past that it's "like" kicking a soccer ball ... and Master is MOSTLY correct ... but that's a generalization.

Having explained this little trick, I wouldn't advise it for anyone jumping less than 15 or 16 feet ... there's just so many other MORE IMPORTANT things to improve! It's probably NOT your weakest link!

Kirk

[powerplant42]

If the trail-leg doesn't flex as the take-off is finished, the athlete is likely to break at the knee at the chord of the pole. I'm not sure if there was some sort of miscommunication/misinterpretation from master to KB to me, but this is a fact. Just want to clear that up.

[KirkB]

If the trail-leg doesn't flex as the take-off is finished, the athlete is likely to break at the knee at the chord of the pole. I'm not sure if there was some sort of miscommunication/misinterpretation from master to KB to me, but this is a fact. Just want to clear that up.

Clear as mud.

Come back and comment on this thread once you've done 10,000+ Whip Drills on the highbar, and then maybe 1,000+ vaults over 4.00m using what you've taught your body to do.

Until then, you're just muddying the waters.

Kirk

[powerplant42]

Altius actually mentions this in his DVD when talking about one of his athletes (Patrick Jesser). Check it out!

[master]

... it is actually good for the trail leg to have a slightly bent knee; similar to preparation for kicking a soccer ball.

2. Although this technique might work well for Master ... and this is fine for beginners and masters ... I don't personally recommend it for intermediate or advanced vaulters.

Take a look at the video sample on NeoVault (I reference this because not everyone has access to the DVD that it comes from) of Bubka as narrated by Altius. Look at the slow mo section from about 4:10 to 4:25. (here is a link http://www.neovault.com/shop_beginner_to_bubka.asp).

Those that don't yet have the book and DVD might want to consider making the investment in it.

- master