Steve Hooker

[yankee814]

I keep reading on here that the russian model is the only effective way to jump 6 meters and beyond. However, if you take a look at the following attempt of 6.16 meters by steve hooker, you can see he does a tuck and shoot:
[url]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou7blc4w ... re=related[/url]

Can anyone dissect this jump, cause it seems to go against everything I've been reading here. Thanks!

[powerplant42]

That's not a tuck and shoot. Look more carefully.

Hooker uses the Petrov model (it's not the 'Russian model'). He is coached by Alex Parnov, an individual who has probably studied Petrov for too many hours into the night!

[VaultPurple]

I would not call it tuck and shoot but I would not call it Petrov at all.

Lets just call it Hooker.


The only real petrov part of his jump is that he is a continuous motion vaulter, but he does have to tuck the left leg to cover the pole. So it is kind of tuck because he has to tuck that leg a little, but he never waits and then shoots, he just continues the swing up and off the pole.

But for starters on what makes it diffrent...
He is under so he does not have a petrov inspired free take off.
He also does a lead leg tap.
Then he has to bend the left leg to cover the pole in time (this could be due to the slowed down rotation speed from the leg tap).



... Just what I observed

[KirkB]

I think the "tuck" in the tuck-and-shoot is sometimes misinterpreted.

The main distinction between tuck-and-shoot and Petrov is that there is no pause in the tuck with the Petrov Model. But all Petrovites bend at the hip ... and at the knee ... to varying degrees ... so there's always a "tuck".

The main distinction is that tuck-and-shooters PAUSE in a tucked position, whereas Petrovites don't. And what tuck-shooters do with their arms is COMPLETLY different than what Petrovites do with them. That's a bigger distinction than what the legs do.

Count the number of video frames when the vaulter is "frozen" in the tucked position ... in the "flat back" position. If it's zero, he's not a tuck-shooter. If it's half a dozen or more, he is. (These numbers are only approximations ... used only as examples.)

If it's between 2-5, then it depends on what his INTENT is. He's either a Petrovite that had a bad jump ... so could not continue his upwards motion, or ...

... he's an elite tuck-shooter (by intent) that is now improving his technique by gradually reducing the amount of time spent in the tuck.

Hooker is a Petrovite ... "pure Petrov". His long, deliberate swing is a thing of beauty ... he transforms his downswing into his upswing and his upswing into his extension in one beautiful continuous motion. I don't think he bends the knee of his trail leg any more than Bubka does (challenge this if you like ... I'm not positive on this point). Even the dropping of the lead knee is OK by Petrov himself ... just a style difference from the classic "keep the lead knee up".

Kirk

[vault3rb0y]

it depends on what his INTENT is

Hit it on the head. You cant assume that because he takes a jump a certain way that he believe that it is superior in technique. He has some petrov influences, but ive grown to think that unless petrov coaches you year round you are not "pure petrov". You are a half-blood, but sometimes the cross breeds can be even better than the originals. The more you learn from as many coaches as possible, the better. If you choose to follow the russian model to a tee, you should understand WHY its superior, not just trust that its better than other models because bubka and isi use it.

[baggettpv]

Geez guys, it just wasn't a good jump (based on what he is trying to do). Maybe good enough for 6.00 tho.

Rick Baggett
WSTC

[yankee814]

Thanks for the feedback!
Kirk: I didn't realize that petrovers bend at the hip. That point really cleared things up for me.

[KirkB]

Kirk: I didn't realize that petrovers bend at the hip. That point really cleared things up for me.

Even in the 6.40 Model ... which I regard as an "advanced" form of the Petrov Model, Agapit says that you need that whipping action ... the action of your body going from an inverted C to a C (i.e. from an arch to a hollow) ... instead of keeping your body completely straight.

He advocates minimizing the arch (by swinging immediately), and minimizing the bend at the hip ... but he says there's still SOME bend.

The point is that the Whip is extremely important, and you can't whip your trail leg past the chord of the pole if you keep your body entirely straight. You just shouldn't do the extreme ... which is to tuck up into a ball. THAT'S what a tuck-shooter does.

If you look at my pic on Post #5 of my Bryde Bend thread here http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=15483&hilit=bryde+bend+kirk you'll see that I'm clearly bent at the hips. If I wasn't bent at the hips, I couldn't extend nearly as powerfully ... so I bent my hips this way intentionally.

I don't think my trail leg knee was ever bent much at all, but as you saw with Hooker's techique, he does bend his trail leg knee for a few frames. These are all just style variations of the Petrov Model.

Kirk

[baggettpv]

Let's see, Not all jumps are perfect! None of them are as a matter of fact!
Now let me help to give you guys a way to look at this tuck and shoot stuff. The body needs to go thru the "Cord of the pole" (a 45 degree angle out of the box) as a straight line. Top hand, shoulders, hips and straight swing leg. If it does that and then the straight leg breaks at the hips the change in rotation transfers to the top hand. This is basic gymnastics. Try it on a high bar. Your hips get flung to the bar so be careful on your effort. If the vaulter is not in synch then the most obvious correction is to bring the knee's to the chest in a back flip motion. The french pushed this idea back in the '70's but it didn't quite work out because of the preciseness needed to make it work. Some said +- 5 degrees = a foot.

That about it from me, Come to a clinic or listen to Alan,

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC