PETROV
Pole Drop
This final 3rd part of the run is characterized by the increased rate of the run while the length of the stride remains the same, thus achieving the maximum speed of the run-up. The length of the strides is a little shorter as compared to sprint, the body is straightened. The length of the strides should not change abruptly. The 2nd last step is longer than the last one by 10-20 cm (optional).
This part in covered in 6 strides and equals to 17,0 – 17,5 m (shown by top athletes of the world) if measured from the back of the box.
The key to the correct vaulting technique lies in practically all the movements of the drop and push part of the run-up – both for the beginners and for more advanced vaulters.
Without changing the running pace and running position, 6 to 5 strides before the push, the vaulter begins the drop. This is done with the help of pulling and rotation (initial) of the right hand.
During the next two run-up strides (4-3 steps) the vaulter’s attention is focused on the slight thrust of the hips forward without losing control over the shoulders, maintaining their leading role in the run-up.dj note...Above.. , the body is straightened, would indicate erect posture… and in the above paragraph he says about the run.. “slight thrust of the hips forward” he follows this very quickly with… “without losing control over the shoulders, maintaining their leading role in the run-up.” Which to me means to stay with good sprint mechanics and “push” from the hip and be very careful to not reach with the foot or lean back but maintain solid posture, “feet under, increased frequency and leading with the shoulders”………………..
While the right hand is being pulled, the right elbow is gradually drawn behind the back, thus making it possible during the last two run-up steps to lift the right hand with the pole up to the right shoulder.
The left hand remains at the same level as 6 steps before the push; while slightly moving ahead, it controls the height and advancement of the pole. Two steps before the push, the pole is a little higher – 10-15 cm above the vaulter’s center of gravity.
All these movements cannot be considered as a static position; the vaulter has already begun the drop 4 steps back, and here the pole simply crosses its horizontal line.
The drop must not be abrupt (if the vaulter was not late in initiating it), it must fall within the rhythm of the last strides.
When making the last two steps of the drop, the vaulter should not “lose” the pole by stretching the left arm forward (as if looking for support, the box). All the movements during the drop take place while the left hand is kept over the left elbow. During the last 6 strides, and especially during the last 3 steps, the vaulter must keep the abdominal muscles tight without breaking the line of his advancement; this will help him to drive the shoulders back even before the drop. A very important detail of the drop that will save him from squatting at the penultimate step, is riding the pole over the head before the vaulter arrives at the vertical position of the right leg. If he does it on time, then the right foot will take an active step on the late, beginning to accelerate to pole for the plant. The most dangerous moment during the drop is an early touch of the box when the transition is made from the right to the take-off foot.
Take-off and penetration
The efficiency of this phase depends on the vaulter’s skill in the drop/take-off junction, on whether he is able to begin the push before the pole is set against the box. The pole must be smoothly transferred to the plant position when the vertical take-off plane is crossed. The technically correct movement demonstrates the right acceleration of the pole by the moment the vaulter reaches the vertical take-off plane.Free takeoff………………
The left arm is not trying to bend the pole; it plants it firmly towards the bar and then transfers the effort to the right hand, so that the pole is bent by the impact of the vaulter’s speed and mass. The vaulter, alert to the resilience of the pole, must perform all the subsequent actions on the pole as on a rigid support.
The primary purposes of the support-pushing part of the jump are as follows:
1. to perform the drop and plant with minimal losses in horizontal speed at the angle of 20-22º, i.e. at a tangent to the future swing on the pole;
2. maximum transfer of kinetic energy to the pole by means of the impact made by the “pivotal” junction.
Of great importance in pole vaulting is the depth of the body advancement forward during the take-off. With this in mind, even during the take-off the athlete must release the shoulder girdle from tension and drive his chest forward/upward, while at the same time taking off with the support leg and swinging with the free leg.Elastic shoulders………………….
The quickness and depth of the take-off greatly influence the technique of all the next elements of the vault: the hang, swing and rock-back. Moreover, the performance of the take-off phase determines the rhythm of the subsequent parts of the vault.
The take-off point of the top pole vaulters of the world is somewhere within 420-440 cm from the back of the box. The taller vaulters take off at a distance of 410-420 cm, shorter ones do it at 430-440 cm.
Continued acceleration of the last 4 strides is an indication of good skills acquired in this part of the pole vault (pole drop/plant). The speed of Sergei Bubka shown in his best vaults continued to grow until the take-off, as follows:
4 strides before take-off: 9.5 m/sec
2 strides before take-off: 9.7 m/sec
before take-off: 9.9 m/sec.
Recommendations for the take-off phase:
1. Begin the pole acceleration for the “push” already from the swinging leg
2. Before the take-off leg contacts the ground the vaulter needs to create a maximum space between him and the pole. His arms must be stretched, the right (left) arm continues the line of his body, whereas the left (right) arm is at right angle the pole axis.
3. Before the vertical position the vaulter tries to increase this space to the maximum, whereas ever since, and during the whole movement from the take-off he must aim to “rush” as deep upward as possible, trying to reach the left elbow with his head.dj note
3. Before the vertical position the vaulter tries to increase this space to the maximum, whereas ever since, and during the whole movement from the take-off he must aim to “rush” as deep upward as possible, trying to reach the left elbow with his head.
i want to emphasize this... forward and upward... also.. he states extending the left arm up toward the crossbar at the plant... and 20 degress forward and upward...........
4. The foot is placed for the take-off firmly with a quick roll-up on the ball of the foot. The vaulter must pay more attention to the swing with the right leg bent to a maximum in order to move the hips forward, trying to keep the shoulders in the front position, until the end of the hang.
Swing-up and rock-back
Having moved the chest and hips forward during the hang the vaulter begins to draw the shoulders back – mainly through the effort of the shoulder girdle muscles, thus switching the rotation axis from hands to shoulders.
Question: Is the drop of the swinging leg during the hang losing its importance?
Answer: At present the athletes and their coaches pay more attention to the quickness and the amplitude (depth) of the “drive” on the pole than to the external observance of the position. After the shoulder girdle muscles “switch on”, the vaulter strongly swings his whole body upwards. The rotation axis goes through his shoulder girdle. In this case the swing on the pole is forceful and quick. The pole is bent to the maximum when the athlete’s body takes a horizontal position to the ground, and the shins of the bent legs pass by the bent pole and are raised to the level of the head and shoulders. It is worth mentioning here that the arrest of the shoulders after the deep penetration ensures the drive of the hips upwards to the pole, through active unbending of the left arm, whereas the acceleration of the vaulter’s hips drive upwards was built up by the turn of the shoulders back and down.
PVDaddy wrote:Kirk, please describe for me how you jump upward and stretch your take off foot so far backward at the same time? This is not a trick question I need to know how one does that?
Of great importance in pole vaulting is the depth of the body advancement forward during the take-off. With this in mind, even during the take-off the athlete must release the shoulder girdle from tension and drive his chest forward/upward, while at the same time taking off with the support leg and swinging with the free leg.
must release the shoulder girdle from tension and drive his chest forward/upward
Then the magic! From the position ‘covering the pole’, Bubka punched the hips upwards as the his back drives back and down towards the pad. Figures 3a and b. This action puts even more energy into the pole so that it remains flexed for milliseconds longer and, most importantly, positions the athlete tight with the pole so they can be projected in a vertical upwards spiral along its axis as it straightens.
Bubkas left hand pull begins the moment that the pole begins to uncoil as a result he is delaying the uncoiling of the pole even longer and at the same time adding energy into the pole and himself which is getting him even that much further ahead of the pole as he is reaching vertical. "Now for the Magic!" (Coining the expression that even Neo-Vault used to describe his incredible pull as he is covering the arc of the pole before he has laid back his shoulders.) I guess someone else agrees with me anyway. He literally thrust the entire upper back neck and head in the most violent manner downward to get in the full "I "inverted position as he THROWS the elbow and back of the hand down on the Bearing point of the Pole as his entire body is thrown vertically upward (The human Dart).
This is a quote.
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