03/25/06 12'

[meeisgood]

Age: 16
Grade: 10
How long you have been jumping: 4th season
What pole you are on (length and weight rating): 13' 160lbs
How high you are gripping: 12' 6"
What bar(s) you are attempting in the video: 12'
Notes: Some head wind, this is me on my five step. I weigh 152lbs and am 6 feet tall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjBS3mAy7Dg

[VaultPurple]

This vault acculay looks really good to be a 12' vault. Your take off may be slightly under but nothing too bad, you keep your trail leg straight through the swing, and your right knee stays up. Your run might could be a little better, you seem to be running a little flat footed, that may be words for it but cant really explain too well what I mean, you also may be stretching a little on the last step.

But anything you change will acculay make you jump less if that is your only pole. Being as tall as you are, you are basicaly jumping over that 12'6 hand grip and barely bending the pole. So any improvements will make you blow through.

Do you have any more poles?

[powerplant42]

Before anything else, carry the pole more upright... ~70 degrees going into your first stride.

Next, get a better camera (unless you don't want a better critique).

[meeisgood]

I have accesses to other poles so changing something for the better would be good. I think my coach is trying to get me a 13' 170 lbs pole, and on my 7 step I use a 13' 6" 155lbs pole. As for a better camera I'll see if my team-mate can bring out a nicer camera than his cell phone.

[VaultPurple]

Figured out whats wrong with your run.... Your roling your feet. This is not a cross country race down the runway, you need to be up on the balls of your feet SPRINTING. Work on some running drills but make sure not to let your heel touch the ground (but your not prancing on your toes either, ankle should be pulled up towards body not pointed down, heel should just barely miss the ground with each step). Do some high knee drills where you do this but every time your touch goes to touch the ground make sure it hits the ground pulling backwards like your feet are going in a cycling motion.

here is a decient video on some good sprinting drills that will help you develop good running form
(best i could find)

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

Just make sure that you always strike the ground with your foot moving towards your body, never jam your toes into the ground as you run.

You learn how to sprint up on your toes and a 13'6 170 will be too small

[meeisgood]

Ok thank you

[powerplant42]

I did not look at your feet, but VP might have merit there... It's tough to tell with the video quality... But anyway, I think that it might be compensatory. In otherwords, it might be because of your pole angle during your run! Think about the biomechanics...

[meeisgood]

I'm really not sure what bio mechanics are, can you explain that a little?

[VaultPurple]

biomechanics are basicaly how your body and pole and all the stuff in your vault and run work together. For some reason PP thinks that you carrying your pole too horizontal has something to do with you roling your feet. I really do not beileve that, but its ur call. Best thing to do would just be .. A) Practice your run and technique with the drills in the video and B) work on your pole cary so that you are propping it up in the air at a higher angle with your left arm, instead of accualy gripping it and holding it there, when you grip it and hold it with your left arm, it can get tiard with bigger poles and start to fall too early.

[powerplant42]

For some reason PP thinks that you carrying your pole too horizontal has something to do with you roling your feet. I really do not beileve that, but its ur call.

Thinking only gets us all so far, so I think it's time for some simple biomechanical experimentation.When you have the pole low throughout your run, you lean back... As in, your transverse plane gets tilted 'back' (it is normally horizontal). Agreed? But what does this do to your legs and feet? Maybe you have to try it...

Here's the experiment... Stand up, and walk. Pay attention to how your legs move and feel. Next, walk on your toes. What feels different? Now try walking on your toes while leaning backward slightly... How does THAT feel in comparison? Can you do an 'A-skip' well while you're leaning back (TRY it)? Why do you think this is?

By the way, there are two possible outcomes (that relate to two different possible compensatoy stride errors)... Can you figure them BOTH out? Which applies in this case? (The key is to pay attention to EXACTLY what your legs/feet are doing WHERE.)