What happened to my trail leg?

[Thats.What.She.Said]

So I had relays today, and got 1st (based off of misses) individually at 9'6, but my pole vault team got 3rd. Anyways on EVERY SINGLE JUMP i pulled my trail leg in like in the picture here


this has never happened before, i mean sure i have had one or two jumps in a meet like that, but never every single jump

here's the video, info is on it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEitivH7WQE#

[sooch90]

Hi, your jumps look pretty good! In my not-so-expert opinion, I think that the curled trail leg could be a result of several things.

1.) you're taking off a bit under, which will slow down your swing (but this doesn't explain why on this particular day you curled up if you generally jump as under as you did at that meet).

2.) Maybe you're shifting your focus on just trying to invert? This could rush your swing a bit, causing you to tuck a little.

3.) Or maybe, you're blowing through the pole a little, and rolling the pole over before you can really swing to a good inverted position. This would then cause you to rush your swing by tucking in order to catch up with the timing of the pole. However, this doesn't really explain why you were curling in the beginning before you started blowing through the pole a bit.

Those are the reasons I could think of, however I'm sure there are plenty of other little factors that could cause a little change in technique. As a general critique, I don't think the slight curl is a huge issue at the moment, especially because you are first swinging the trail leg so that it is parallel with the runway. I think the more important aspect of your vault that you need improvement on is your takeoff. It's important to takeoff slightly outside of your top hand and to extend both your arms at the plant. To do this, you need to make sure you are getting your last step down and not extended (I couldn't really tell what your last step looks like, so this is just general advice). Also, for the plant, try to think of hitting the pole before the pole hits the box, meaning you should try to be really aggressive and early at the plant. Now, this is a bit delicate because you don't want to block out or keep applying pressure after the pole is planted, but think of the plant is just an instantaneous BOOM, and then no more. Just a quick hit and then focus on just swinging. By fixing the earlier parts of the vault, like the run and the plant, you'll find that the other parts, like swinging and inverting, become a lot easier.

However, those are just my thoughts and tips/advice that I myself have picked up, but I am not a coach or anything. Good luck!

[Thats.What.She.Said]

Thanks!

1) Yeah I have been consistantly under (really need to fix that). hmm do could that fact that there was a tailish wind have caused me to be even more under?

2) Probably, since that has been my main focus for the past couple weeks.

But yeah I definitly need to improve my takeoff.

[powerplant42]

From what I can see (not a whole lot with all those people), you need to work on making your plant earlier. You rush and lean back to compensate (in most jumps), which will just about always cause you to be under.

Another small thing to work on is your heel at take-off... You should almost feel it hit your glute. That is, don't just drive the knee up, drive the heel up into yourself.

[Thats.What.She.Said]

Yeah and its really annoying cause basically up until I went in, there was like no one in the way. okie dokie. I'm not gonna be vaulting much this week cause after wednesday I realized that I really should pull back on the vaulting for a bit before I crash and burn. But I could probably throw some pole runs and walking plants in.

[powerplant42]

Try the sand drills that I recommend to flurbo here: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=17493

[Thats.What.She.Said]

hokie poke. although I'm kinda iffy about sand drills ever since I almost twisted my ankle doing them earlier this season.

ahh poop now my reading skills are failing me, I have a meet wednesday, and its gonna be the most important of the duel meets.

[powerplant42]

Use a shovel and rake to make your landing area as soft as you can.

Remember, foam pits weren't invented all that long ago... If they could do it, why can't you?

[Thats.What.She.Said]

I'll try. I also wonder how long I'll get before the long jump people decide that even though our sand pit stretches across 6 lanes and has 2 actual boards to jump off of, I am in their way, and they can't jump cause of me.

haha well lets just say grace isn't my middle name

[Thats.What.She.Said]

well i moved up to an 11'6 130 on my last 2 attempts at 10' and my trail leg seemed a lot better. now how do i get tighter to the pole when im upside down? cause i keep flagging out up top, granted I'm getting better, but it's still not as good as it could be. oh and besides bubkas, cause i got those down pretty good, its just transferring it to the pole that i need to get better at.
anyways, today's meet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR7dlHjLFcU

[rainbowgirl28]

Rachel, you are doing great. You don't need to be overanalyzing things. Your technique is coming along nicely. I am sure you'll get to vault a bunch with VaultnGus this summer and that will be a good time to work on it.

The only advice I have for you is you need to get un-married to a 10'5 grip. You are improving and your grip is getting ready to get higher. I would keep your standards at 80 always, and wait until you are gripping ~10'7-10'9 on the smaller pole before moving to the 11'6 pole. I've seen you with lots of pole speed on the smaller pole, but you're nowhere near overbending it. When you move up to the 11'6 pole, you're practically straight poling. Which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but your technique is probably advanced enough to handle a little more bend. If you wait to move up to the 11'6 pole until you are a few inches higher in grip, you'll be getting a little more bend on it, and I think things will work even better for you

[Thats.What.She.Said]

haha yeah, idk how much though, since my brother was my ride last year and this summer he's staying out at school cause he got a job there

but me and my 10'5 grip are happily married. yeah its the pole speed that was getting to me, and in a stiuation like that, it was easier to put me on a bigger pole to try to get it. but yeah i normally dont get on it til im up one more grip (10'8)

but about over anylizing it, its hard not to, cause i have a fresman gymnast girl who just started vaulting this year, who managed to pull herself up over 10'. so then my first thought was "thats soooo not fair, i have been working my butt of for 2 years to get here, and she just mosies in, barely practicing, and get 10'"

anyways, thanks!