http://www.johnaltendorf.com/polevaulting/john/2010_results.htm
Master, congrats on your early-season 13-0!
I think I owe you an analysis ... that you requested last year ... so here's an analysis of your 13-0 ... better late than never!
Run and plant are OK. Takeoff is fairly good ... not a free takeoff by any means, but certainly close enough for your age and PR.
You're in a really, really nice position (forward leaning) on takeoff. Most high-schoolers should be very jealous of such a good body angle on takeoff! I know you're a little older than them ... but I'm just sayin' ... for comparison.
I really like your lead knee drive and your C!
I think you "lose it a bit" when you hang in your C a tad too long. What you should be doing as soon as you hit the C is to downswing out of it ... as fast as you can. You seem to be coasting here a bit.
Your back is awfully stiff. If there's a way for you to "roll back" or "Bubka" or "slink" into your inversion, you should work on that. I say "if there's a way" becuz I realize that you're already tops for your age, and the mind might be willing but the body's not. Highbar and ring drills will help in your swing ... as you know ... but I think they would help even MORE than you realize. The other reason why you should do more swinging in the gym ... than on the pole ... is that you can save a lot of running ... so get a lot more technique training in each session.
It's hard to tell ... becuz the pole is unbending directly towards the camera ... but it looks like you're inverting too late ... the pole got ahead of you. This gets back to the faster downswing and the curling of the back points that will get you inverted and ready to extend more in time with the unbending of the pole.
You got a 7" pushoff on that pole. Not bad for an old geezer ... but I really do think that you're a YOUNG geezer ... if you measure your age in HEALTHINESS age terms rather than in chronological age terms.
Iron out these minor issues, and you won't flag out as much ... so you'll improve your pushoff. I don't think the answer is to merely raise your grip. You can raise your grip when you're feeling REALLY strong and fast ... or when you have a good tailwind ... but for every other day, I think your 13-1 grip (or so) is just fine.
I look forward to seeing you get 13-6+ this year!
Kirk
