Rope Vaulting - Yay or Nay?

[IAmTheWalrus]

I've always enjoyed rope vaulting and thought that it was useful in learning to use a long trail-leg swing to get inverted. I remember the first time I tried it I was awful, and kept trying to pick me feet up to my hands as I was swinging... did not work at all. After watching my coach do it for a while I realized that if I started with my trail leg forward, then extended it back after I jumped off, i could accelerate it forward much faster than the rope was swinging, and get inverted. (I later learned utilizing about the stretch-reflex afterwards). It didn't immediately help my vaulting, but I think later down the road when a few other things clicked for me I saw benefits from it, but there's no way to prove that its because of rope vaulting.

Also, while the videos show two legged swingers, I've seen Matt Scheffler rope vault, and he uses a one legged swing. (He could also get about 3 ft higher than me on the rope vault, he created a lot of momentum with his swing.)

[Capt Caveman]

Looking at the video posted on another topic recently is rope vaulting/drills similar to ring drills? Reading through all the pros/cons/arguments in this thread and looking at the similarities between a rope and rings do they fall into the same catagory? Would everyones opinions about the rope not also be true of rings?

Maybe this is a new topic but they seem so similar I thought I would start here.

[KirkB]

... Would everyones opinions about the rope not also be true of rings? ...

I don't think they're very close. With rings, the apparatus doesn't SWING, and you don't try to clear a bungee.

There's also no danger in doing rings ... as long as you hold on.

Even if you were to compare the swing of your body on rings to the swing of your body in rope vaulting, I don't think they're very similar.

Altho I've never personally tried rope vaulting (over any serious bars), I've done enough SWINGING on a rope (but not letting go) to have a feel for what it's like ...

I still think that the rings and highbar give you a better simulation of a vault ... in the bottom half of the swing ... with less risk of injury. For vaulters of most abilities, I don't think it's time-effective for the top half of the swing to be purposely trained [much].

I would recommend rope vaulting only as a supplement to rings and highbar ... definitely not in place of them ... provided all safety precautions have been taken ... and provided that the vaulters NEED to get the feel that rope vaulting gives you ... as opposed to just goofing off.

Kirk

[IAmTheWalrus]

To add to my previous post, I think rope vaulting is more of a "proof-of-concept drill" for the energy input with the swing. Many young vaulters try to pick their feet up or tuck into a ball to clear a bar, but trying that on the rope is ineffective. The vaulter is forced to develop some semblance of a fast, long trail leg swing to rope vault successfully. I wouldn't classify it as a drill, because you are really isolating one component of the vault and working on it, and once you can do it well, I don't think continued practice helps that much. It is very fun though (when done safely).

[KirkB]

... The vaulter is forced to develop some semblance of a fast, long trail leg swing to rope vault successfully. ...

Wally, that's a good point that I hadn't thought of.

Kirk

[joebro391]

To add to my previous post, I think rope vaulting is more of a "proof-of-concept drill" for the energy input with the swing. Many young vaulters try to pick their feet up or tuck into a ball to clear a bar, but trying that on the rope is ineffective. The vaulter is forced to develop some semblance of a fast, long trail leg swing to rope vault successfully. I wouldn't classify it as a drill, because you are really isolating one component of the vault and working on it, and once you can do it well, I don't think continued practice helps that much. It is very fun though (when done safely).

idk, i think if you do it enough, REPETITION, REPETITION, REPETITION, you'll develop some positive muscle memory that'll help in the vault. -6P

[pv161]

I found the video of Bubka rope vaulting. It's posted on our website in the video section. he seems to be standing on raised platform of some kind since he has some forward swing, then climbs the rope and swings to a tuck and shoot over the bar. click on the link below

[altius]

I would suggest that what is shown here is completely different drill from the rope vaulting drills being defended by some on this site. The size of the pad he is landing on is one give away but another is that there is virtually no swing. A good exercise = especially if you favour agapit's 6.40 model.

[KirkB]

...I found the video of Bubka rope vaulting. ... he ... climbs the rope and swings to a tuck and shoot over the bar. ...

I wouldn't call this a "tuck and shoot" at all. On the contrary, it's one continuous SWINGING motion ... as Altius alludes to.

It simulates a STIFF pole vault (notice the narrow grip) much more than the "rope vaulting" demonstrated and discussed so far in this thread ... and for that reason, I really like this drill ... a LOT.

An aspiring HS vaulter should not expect to execute this drill as easily as Bubka. You must keep in mind that Bubka could stiff vault quite high ... I forget how high ... but if he lived in the bamboo or steel pole era then he'd still be an elite vaulter ... perhaps in the 15-16 foot range. He makes it look easy!

You'll have to work your way up to the fine form that Bubka demonstrates. It requires a LOT of coordination and strength. All your other gymnastics and weight training are needed to get to Bubka's level in this drill ... you can't expect to master this drill in your first day ... or even first year ... of trying it.

Doing this drill will improve your stiff pole vaulting PR ... and stiff pole vaulting will improve your PR in this drill. Both will improve your flex pole vaulting PR.

Kirk

[Capt Caveman]

I have watched that video a dozen times now and comparing it to the other rope vaulting videos I dont understand how it is not rope vaulting. It is also very clear that mid swing he is in a tuck position. Am I watching the wrong video, is there more than one Bubka video on there?

[KirkB]

... comparing it to the other rope vaulting videos I dont understand how it is not rope vaulting. It is also very clear that mid swing he is in a tuck position. ...

Caveman, take a closer look. This is a QuickTime video, so you can step thru it a frame at a time ... forwards and backwards ... by tapping your left-arrow and right-arrow keys.

Yes, this is rope vaulting ... since he uses a rope to clear a bar. But the emphasis is not on the "shoot" or "extension" part of the vault as per rope vaulting with a much longer rope over a much higher bar. Instead, the emphasis is on getting a good DOWNSWING and then continuing that downswing into an UPSWING which in turn gives you the momentum to continue extending up and over the bar ... all in a CONTINUOUS MOTION ... without PAUSING in a tuck.

Yes, there is one frame which you might call a "tuck". ONE FRAME. The fact that he doesn't PAUSE in the tuck is why I don't call it a tuck. To me, a tuck is when you hold that position for several frames.

In fact, he would not clear that bar if he paused in that tuck. This is why I like this drill so much ... it promotes THE CONTINUOUS CHAIN ... which is exactly what you must do in stiff pole vaulting ... AND in flex pole vaulting.

At first glance, it may look like he's just using his muscles to get upside down ... but if you look closer, you'll see that he's actually SWINGING upside down.

You may not have noticed (it's barely noticeable) but Bubka actually bends his legs at the knees before he starts his downswing. This propels him substantially faster than if he didn't do that. Try this drill with and without a quick and powerful downswing, and you'll see what I mean.

In summary, this SHORT rope vaulting drill emphasizes the BOTTOM half of the vault (swinging upside down) ... whereas long rope vaulting emphasizes the TOP half of the vault (extending/shooting over the bar).

I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again ...

The focus of your [post-takeoff] training should be on the BOTTOM half of the vault ... expecially the DOWNSWING. That's what will make a HUGE difference in your PR. Also, if your BOTTOM half is technically "wrong" then it's useless to even worry about the TOP half.

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

Kirk, you're just speculating as to what Bubka was emphasizing, based on what you see in one video.