Glossary of pole vault terms (mini version)

[Divalent]

Glossary of pole vault terms

Revised Sunday May 30, 2010

Adapted from a much larger Glossary compiled by R. Ost, with additions/modifications by a number of posters in the Glossary Thread. I further modified it by 1) removing the french and german (? Dutch? ) duplications, 2) removing the obscure, 3) the marginally relevant, 4) the deeply technical, and 5) the plainly obvious (“pole”).

My intent was to create a smaller version that would be useful for the casual visitor who knows at least an inkling of what pole vaulting is, but who may be (like me!) often baffled by the use of terms that (in some cases) don’t seem to have a common sense meaning, and in other cases are terms often used under the assumption that the reader knows the field well. Any deviations from R. Ost’s version or the suggested additions in the Glossary thread are my attempts to make things useful, and so are my fault (so if I’ve gotten something wrong, please let me know).

BTW, this is a stripped down version of the original plus additions, which I also have, if anyone is interested (It’s the same thing, just with nothing deleted.)

I just noticed that bolding of the terms was preserved when I pasted this in. Sorry.


Author: R. Ost, physicist and technical translator, also coaching track and field team AC Matheysin (La
Mure, French Alpes)


angle of attack -> the angle between the pole and the runway at the moment the pole is planted

angle of carry -> the angle between the pole and the horizontal direction during pole carry (run up)

block with bottom arm -> to lock the bottom arm in a straight position against the pole (French model)

blow through -> this happens when the pole is too soft relative to the vaulter’s kinetic energy: the vaulter penetrates too far and does not have the time to swing up towards the bar before his body is carried beyond the plane of the bar

Body Piece: a rectanglular piece of fabric, glass, carbon, etc that is wrapped around a mandrel to create the base length and cylinder of the pole. (see "sail piece")

box -> the embedded structure residing below the plane of the runway were the vaulter plants the pole. It’s bottom surface slopes downward towards the stop board, and at that point it is 20 cm / 8 inches deep.

B2B or BTB -> book "From Beginner to Bubka" (see below)

Bubka drill -> a drill on a horizontal bar, starting position: hands hold the bar, ankles touch
the hands, drill: bring the hips to the hands (without bending legs or arms)

C-position (AKA, “Pre-stretch”) -> the position after takeoff when the hips and the chest drive forward and the trail leg stays behind, the body forms a C going from the top hand to the toes of the trail leg

chord of the pole -> a straight line between the bottom of the pole and the point where the vaulter grips the pole

Coaches Box -> See “Preferred Landing Zone”

Colwick style -> a somewhat unconventional style of vaulting used by Jason Colwick (currently US College vaulter at Rice University) that consists (among other elements) of a double leg “pre-stretch” and followed by swinging both legs together during the vault (as opposed to having a clear and distinct lead and follow leg). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGLUwkkx8_4

continuous chain theory -> (a part of the Petrov model) the vaulter continues to put energy into the pole (to bend it more) after takeoff, all his movements contribute to this aim, movements wrongly directed or passive phases that cause the pole to unbend have to be avoided, all the energy is stored for the final unloading of the pole pushing the fully inverted vaulter over the bar. [a formal description by Roman Botcharnikov (aka Agapit on PVP): http://polevaultplanet.com/content/the_ ... pole_vault ]

cover the pole -> to bring the legs over the end of the pole (above the hands on the far side of the pole) for being able to fully use the force of the recoiling pole (relevant for the Tuck-and-Shoot model)

drive knee -> the knee of the non-takeoff leg, with usually leads the swing.

extension -> to extend the body into a straight “I” position

flat-back -> the point in time during which the vaulter's back is parallel to the horizon. This is a position easily seen on video. To optimize "continuous motion", the vaulter should strive to reduce his time in the flat-back position down to a single video frame.

flag out -> to direct the feet early towards the bar before getting fully inverted, the vaulter takes a position resembling a flag blown by the wind

flex number -> deflection of the pole when a standard weight is suspended in the middle of a horizontal pole with simple supports at some distance from each end.

free take-off -> jumping off before the pole hits the back of the box

French model -> see Tuck and Shoot model

From Beginner to Bubka -> (B2B or BTB) book advocating the Petrov-model for teaching the pole vault

grip height -> distance from the bottom of the pole to the top of the vaulter’s upper-hand fist as it grips the pole

grip width -> the distance between the two hands that hold the pole during the approach run

inside takeoff -> see “Under”

I-position -> the fully inverted upside down position, the body of the vaulter forms an I: fully extended.

Jagodin -> A drill technique doing takeoff jumps bending the pole (without upswing)

late plant -> the lowering and planting of the pole is initiated too late (generally resulting in an inefficient takeoff and failure of the pole to rotate to vertical)

lead knee -> the knee of the leading leg during the swing phase (i.e., not the knee of the take-off leg).

lefts -> the number of left-leg steps in a run (for a right-handed vaulter). This is half the total steps, and is easier to count as the vaulter runs.

Mid mark -> (AKA, “6-step mid mark”, “check mark”) Refers to the optimum distance of the 6th-to-last step of a vaulter’s approach run relative to the back of the box (usually marked on the side of the runway). This concept/tool was developed by David F Johnston, and many coaches believe this reference point (rather than the actual takeoff point) is a superior gauge as to whether a vaulter’s approach-run steps are appropriate for producing a optimum takeoff. The particular mid mark for a vault depends on the grip height (which in turn is determined by the bar height). The theory is that beyond this point of the approach run, a vaulter can sense if there is a problem and, if so, will instinctively adjust their run, minimizing or obscuring a problem (if the only gauge were to be the actual takeoff point). [Link to the Mid Mark chart thread: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4643]

narrow grip -> a narrow grip width (the Petrov model recommends about shoulder width)

negative grip height -> the grip height (minus box depth) is lower than the height of the bar

out -> The situation where the vaulter’s takeoff foot is too far away from the box, relative to the position of their top hand at the moment the pole strikes the back of the box.

over-stride -> to lengthen the strides into takeoff (usually done by a vaulter sensing they will be out, and so attempting to compensate. Usually results in a poor vault.)

penetration -> the amount of general movement of the vaulter (or a part segment of his body; such as the chest) towards the pit after takeoff.

penultimate step -> the step before the last step (longer, lowering the centre of mass)

Petrov model -> the pole vault technique developed by V. Petrov former coach of the world record holder S. Bubka, the intention is for a free takeoff followed by an ample whip and swing to inversion (also named Russian model). In general, using the petrov model the lead arm is considered mostly to be a passive element. (Compare to “Tuck and Shoot” model.)

plant -> to put the pole in the box, the corresponding action

plant phase -> the last 2 or 3 steps of the run up when the pole is planted in the box

pole drop -> the lowering of the pole tip during the last steps

pole rotation -> the pendular action of the pole swinging towards the pit, from it’s initial low angle with respect to the ground at the moment it is planted, to (hopefully!) the ~90 degree (or more) angle at the moment the vaulter releases it at the top of the vault.

Preferred Landing Zone (or PLZ; or "Coaches Box"). -> An 8'x10' area in the middle of the pit representing the target of a safe vault

Pre-stretch (AKA, C-position) -> the position after takeoff when the hips and the chest drive forward and the trail leg stays behind, the body forms a C going from the top hand to the toes of the trail leg

rotate to vertical -> the pendular action of the pole swinging towards the pit. If the pole doesn't "rotate to vertical" then the vault is unsafe, and technique is sub-optimal.

sail piece -> A piece of fabric (carbon, glass, etc ) that can be trapezoid or “half moon” shaped, generally trapezoidal. It generally starts at the butt end, is matched up with the length of the pole and is wrapped around the cylinder in a way that more glass (wraps) is in the middle portion of the pole than at each end, making the middle of the pole stronger. (Because the greatest amount of swing force should come through that area if the vaulter is vaulting correctly). The length of the sail piece is determined by the pole length and generally will start at the butt end of the pole and stop 18-20 inches from the top. Some manufactures start the sail “higher”, some lengthen them all the way to the top and most change the length of the short side of the sail to make the pole flex stronger or weaker. (see "Body Piece")

soft pole -> a pole of high flexibility (see “stiff pole”)

square the shoulders/hips -> bringing shoulders/hips to a position perpendicular to the runway

stall out -> to come up short, which happens if the pole is too stiff and/or the vaulter did not have enough speed to rotate the pole to vertical. Thus, at best the vaulter does not penetrate enough to clear the bar, and at worst he falls into the box risking injury.

steering -> adapting the strides during the run up in an attempt to hit the right takeoff point

step -> some authors call "step" the last step of the run up or takeoff step

stiff pole -> a pole of low flexibility (see “soft pole”)

stopboard -> the back plane (surface) of the box, where the pole strikes

straight pole -> a pole that is not bent during the vault (AKA, “stiff poling”)

stride frequency -> the frequency of the strides during the run up

stride length -> the length of the strides during the run up

stride out -> to lengthen the last strides of the run up

swing to inversion -> the swinging action of the vaulter by 180° from feet down to feet up

swing through -> the action of swinging all the way from bottom to top

takeoff -> the moment the vaulter leaves the ground

takeoff foot -> the (jumping foot) that leaves the ground last

take off under or take off out-> see “under” or “out”

trail leg -> the leg that stays behind, the takeoff leg after the takeoff

tuck -> to bring the knees close to the chest during the swing to inversion (small pendulum), the vaulter may have to tuck to direct too much energy quickly upwards (French model), this motion may also be necessary if he has not enough energy to swing wide (Petrov model)

Tuck and Shoot model (AKA, French Model)-> the vaulting technique where the intention is on bending the pole at takeoff (using the lead arm) to get a powerful uplift, the vaulter then has to invert rapidly (good timing and abdominal strength, tuck and shoot) to be able to stay ahead of the unloading pole. The “tuck and shoot phase” is when vaulter tucks (short pendulum) and then from the tucked position rapidly pushes his legs upwards. (In contrast, the intention of the Petrov model is to keep enough energy from the run up to avoid this phase by a more ample swing)

turn -> the spin, the phase when the vaulter turns after the I-position to bring his chest parallel to the bar, the turning part of pull, push and turn

under -> The situation where the vaulters takeoff foot is too close to the box, relative to the position of their top hand at the moment the pole strikes the back of the box for an optimum takeoff. (i.e., the vaulter is running under the pole) (opposite of “out”)

[KirkB]

Good work, Divalent.

I helped Ost out with his earlier glossary, but there's still a few suggested edits that I have. I also think that there's too many mentions of the French Model in this glossary. If one of your purposes was to put it in the context of what's common terminology in North America, I don't see blaming the French for the tuck/shoot model as very important. There's lots of Americans that do this on their own.

box -> the place were the vaulter plants the pole (diamond shaped, 20 cm deep, about 1.10 m
long, 45° angle of the rear wall and the side walls to the vertical)
The angle of the stopboard is 120° - not 45°.

B2B or BTB -> book "From Beginner to Bubka" (see below)
BTB1 -> first edition
BTB2 -> second edition - published in 2007

chord of the pole -> a straight line between the two ends of a bent pole, or between the bottom of the pole and the point where the vaulter grips the pole
Only the second definition is correct.

Colwick style ->
I think his style is distinctive due to the double-leg pre-stretch - immediately after takeoff. This should not be confused with double-leg swingers that drop their lead knee after a traditional takeoff. Colwick's takeoff is NOT traditional.

continuous chain theory -> (a part of the Petrov model) the vaulter continues to put energy into the pole (to bend it more) after takeoff, all his movements contribute to this aim, movements wrongly directed or passive phases that cause the pole to unbend have to be avoided, all the energy is stored for the final unloading of the pole pushing the fully inverted vaulter over the bar
It's true that this "theory" is part of the Petrov model, but it was published in a paper that Roman Botcharnikov (aka Agapit on PVP) wrote, so I think credit should go to him.
Reference: http://polevaultplanet.com/content/the_continuous_chain_model_in_the_pole_vault

grip height -> distance from the bottom of the pole to the top vaulter’s upper-hand fist as it grips the pole
Yes, but to the TOP of the fist.

grip width -> the distance between the two hands that hold the pole, pole carry
Typo? Maybe "the distance between the two hands during the pole carry"?

lead knee -> the knee of the leading (free, swinging) leg
I remember some confusion about this with Ost too. In North America (at least), the leading free leg is not called the swinging leg. The swinging leg is the trail leg - thus "trail leg swing".

penetration -> the amount of general movement of the pole and the vaulter towards the pit after takeoff
It's the movement of the vaulter - not the pole. aka chest penetration.

pole flip -> the pushing upwards of the end of the pole during the plant phase
This is a rather obscure term, isn't it. Spencer Chang referred to it here: http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/search.php?t=17394, but even he doesn't use the term anymore. He now calls it "a shift upwards".

takeoff -> the moment of leaving the ground, the vaulter makes ground clearance
Should also define "finishing the takeoff" which means not only jumping off the ground, but also pre-stretching.

take off under or take out out -> see “under” or “out”
Typo. You mean "take off out".

Kirk

[dj]

hye

The Angle of Attack... is the Trejectory of the COM/Top grip .. forward and up

this angle is effected greatly by the stiffness of the pole.. and has a direct correlation to the amount of pole bend.. more pole bend (ie..33%) less angle.. less max pole bend (ie 28%) greater trajectory....

it has not been found/proven scientifically that "jumping" at takeoff has/can or will effect this angle as much as pole stiffness in relationship to the speed and efficiency of the takeoff...

it has been scientifically proven that if the athlete "jumps" up before the pole tip is “set” in the back of the box that a greater pole angle (angle of the pole with the runway) can be created. AND that this angle will be greater if the left hand is extended up (Petrov technique) before the pole tip hits…

dj

[Divalent]

Okay, I think I incorporated everything from above (except "finishing the takeoff")

Reminder that the purpose of this is not to be a comprehensive and authoritative, but to help out those of us that are not experts, or who have not read all the posts here. I did delete a few additional items since the first version. (But if'n y'all could suggest more ...)

BTW, for sailpiece, could someone suggest a one sentence addition that explains what the purpose is (or the effect is)?

[dj]

hey

Pole Design: the pole design is what and how the materials are used to make a pole. This includes but is not limited to these items; mandrel size, fiberglass and or carbon fabric, a “body” piece, a sail piece and the shape/design/quality of the "cloth/glass" material.

Fiberglass:

Mandrel:

Body Piece: The “body piece” is a rectangle piece of fabric, glass, carbon, etc that is wrapped around a mandrel to create the base length and cylinder of the pole.

Sail Piece: The sail piece is a piece of fabric (carbon, glass, etc ) that can be trapezoid or “half moon” shaped, generally trapezoidal. It generally starts at the butt end, is matched up with the length of the pole and is wrapped around the cylinder in a way that more glass (wraps) is in the middle portion of the pole than at each end, making the middle of the pole stronger. (Because the greatest amount of swing force should come through that area if the vaulter is vaulting correctly). The length of the sail piece is determined by the pole length and generally will start at the butt end of the pole and stop 18-20 inches from the top. Some manufactures start the sail “higher”, some lengthen them all the way to the top and most change the length of the short side of the sail to make the pole flex stronger or weaker.

dj