Top Arm / Over all arms

[Jay]

This is my second year vaulting and i require some help. my PR is only 9 and i want to get atleast 11 this season. My main problem is my takeoff. When i takeoff i dont extend my top arm straight, i usually 'hug' the pole. I dont know what it is but i cant seem to just do it. Plus, i weight about 150, im 5'8, i use a 150 13' and gripping about 12'. Is this ok or should i be gripping lower? i can get into the pit fine im just not sure if i would be better off going lower. In addition, my coach has been trying to teach me the 3 step drill. My coach isnt very good but he has read bill foley's (i think thats his name) books and coached with him. Ive seen numerous pole vault videos and nobody drops the pole like he wants me to. he wants it to go parallel to the ground, then bring it up so its kinda like a jav stance, then drop. so its parallel to the ground at my hip, then parallel to the ground at my shoulder, and then finally dropping the tip and planting. Im sure i didnt explain this right but any help would be appreciated. I only vaulted 8'6 at a meet this past friday and was dropping the pole way to early, nothing was going right for me. I was taking 7 lefts and i think at my 4th left i would drop the pole and it would just cause a disasterous vault. I dont get to vault much so any drills that would help me keep my arms straight and/or help me get the swing down would be great.

Thanks

[souleman]

WOW! Lot's to work on. First of all lower your grip. If you're gripping at 12 feet you should be clearing 11' 6" . This is based on DJ's chart. Do you play basketball? If so you know how to do a lay up. Right? See if your body positioning at take off is similiar to your body positioning doing a lay up. I bet it's not. I bet your right hand is behind your head rather than straight above it or maybe a little in front of it. Picture you have a 2 X 4 screwed into your forehead going straight up in the air. When you plant you don't want to let your top hand hit that 2 X 4. In other words keep everything including your top hand in front of you and moving forward. 7 lefts (if you're not counting take off left) is too long of a run if you're only jumping 9 feet. Next practice put a bar (not bungee) up to 9 feet. Grip the pole at 10' 6". Mark the track at 35 feet. Walk up, trot up or run up to or just start at that 35 foot mark but get your left foot down on or behind that mark on your approach. From there turn on the burners and go jump. Should be 3 lefts, the penultimate and the take off. Don't change a thing until you make that jump. Finally, read up on everything you can on DJ's mid mark chart and understand the hows and why's of it so you can use it as the tool it was designed to be. Then, If you haven't gotten BTB and the video, get it. Good luck and Later..................Mike

[Jay]

I know, my coach doesnt really know anything about polevault so I sorta have to teach myself, as you can see its not going very good. what is the btb video? If someone could link me or show me where to download it, that'd be great.

PS: i forgot to add that my hands always slip down. i think its because im holding the pole too high, does this sound correct?

[rainbowgirl28]

PS: i forgot to add that my hands always slip down. i think its because im holding the pole too high, does this sound correct?

Yes, your hands are slipping down because you are holding too high. That's why you're making it into the pit OK. If they didn't slip you would not make it into the pit, the way things are right now.

[souleman]

BTB is the book Beginner to Bubka and the video accompanies the book. You can buy them both through PVP store. If you are pretty much coaching yourself it is a must have. Later..........Mike