General Analysis

[Vault101 Boy]

Age: 17
Grade: Senior in High school
Jumping for 2 years
Pole: 13'6 150 Pacer
Grip: 12'9-13'
Distance: 5th left
What bar(s) you are attempting in the video:
14'6"

I am the first jumper (shirtless). Any advice would be great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEQCAQAA ... Jw&index=1

My progress over the years can be seen in this video with earlier vaults from the summer. The indoor vaults would have been the most recent so if you could critique those as well as the last video that would be great.

All the practice vaults are on the same pole as above with about the same grip from 5 lefts. Heights vary from 13' to 14' in the practices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NCeof4wwps

[tsorenson]

The vault at 1:42 is showing improvement; your step is getting out farther, and you are in a pretty nice position at the takeoff. Your step still needs to come out more to give you room to extend up and finish your takeoff. In your earlier vaults, you were taking off at 9'3 or so (assuming the big line is at 12'). Hard to get on a 14' pole with a step that far under!

Getting a free takeoff takes a lot more than just wanting to do it. You have to enforce taking off under as a zero-tolerance policy, starting from 3 lefts on stiff poles and working your way back. Your pole drop is pretty good, but your carry could improve; it's way off to your right throwing off your balance. Keep that bottom hand in front of your sternum.

Maybe try jumping on the same pole but holding lower so that you can get closer to the right takeoff mark? Then maybe you can get used to the feeling of jumping without the pole planted in the box. Fixing this will likely fix your shortened swing as well, since you will be fully extended instead of getting ripped off the ground.

Good luck!

Tom

[vault3rb0y]

Id like to address your own comments on the video first:

The side-by-side comparison shows a progress in height, but almost all of that difference looks to me to come from a slightly better take off and more connection on the top of the pole. Your comment that "the only difference is air-time" exposes something you should be aware of. More air time does NOT mean higher vaults. If it does, you are probably over-gripping (which I believe that you are).

Your second comment on the pole "giving out" is not quite correct. Poles don't give out, they just release the energy that you put into it. If you aren't in a position to get the energy out of the pole, it will go into distorting your body in some way instead of making your body go higher in the air. I think that's exactly what happened, you didn't quite connect with the pole, and the pole is too soft, so it's actually harder to connect with it. The fact that you did not end up in the back of the pit again tells me that you are over-gripping.

My suggestion going into this next season is to lower your grip 9 inches from your current practice grip and to keep it there until you are able to jump 16 inches over your hand hold CLEAN, not just bungee clearance. Taking into account the 8 inches in the box, that means that if you are gripping 12'6" on the pole, you should be jumping 13'. That is not easy and will take a lot of work, but in the end it will make getting from 13'-14' much easier than by doing things the way you are right now. Specifically, work on keeping your hips centered over your shoulders on your take off by setting this position up before the pole hits the back of the box. Your hips should not move forward until your swing passes underneath your body. If you fix this, you will need stiffer poles. Again, keep your grip low and work on getting a push off >16" before moving up. I see a lot of potential in your jump this year, but you will need to fix your take off and get on stiffer poles (not necessarily longer poles) to jump 14'+. Again, whatever your CURRENT grip is, lower it 9 inches like tsorenson suggested to help work on not only your take off but an ability to handle a stiffer pole on top as well. Good luck!

[Vault101 Boy]

Thanks for the comments!
In the first video which happened, yesterday, I actually started off with a little bit of free takeoff (very close at least) from 3 step drills but i wasnt able to bring it back to my 5th left. I also was having a huge problem with my last 2 steps and was lunging for the pit, so I actually moved forward 2 feet to shorten the stride so that i wasnt going to build a habit of a lengthy last step (its really just a mental thing for me, when i feel out i lunge even though i dont look at the box during the plant).

My question is, when i slowly move my run to a 5th, how should i account for the free-take off. From what ive come to understand is that the free takeoff is slightly like a premature jump, albeit barely. My takeoff should be on the 11 foot marker and i usually only go under by about 6 inches max. The run was from 73'6" in the video, but was 75'6" before i moved it up (this would be the shirtless video). Any suggestions on where my 5th may possibly be with a free take off or is it the same?

[tsorenson]

This is a question that is difficult to answer. A vaulter's proper run distance is totally dependent on the vaulter. Yes, elite vaulters have long runs, but you are not gripping or jumping high enough to justify a 75' mark for a 5-step approach. You probably should be closer to 70', more or less depending on your speed. You won't be able to keep your posture and jump up at the takeoff if you are stretching your strides and reaching for the support of the box.

Move your step in until you don't lunge for the box anymore, and do lots of measured pole runs, focusing on quickening your last strides and jumping UP at takeoff, before the tip touches down. Most of all spend a lot of time jumping from 3 and 4 lefts until you ALWAYS take off before the tip drops into the box. Only then will you be able to transfer the free takeoff to longer runs. Basically, you have to do it one step at a time.

Good luck,
Tom

[Vault101 Boy]

Thanks, ill start working on it this weekend. Ill post my progress in a couple weeks

[vault3rb0y]

I would anticipate that your last few strides are not the only ones where you are reaching.

I seem to have a similar build to you, correct me if I'm wrong, about 5'9" 160 Ibs. My 5-step approach is between 66-68'6" depending on the day, I leave the ground around 11'6" and have a 5 step PR of 16'5". It's much more about staying tall and accelerating your last 6 steps than it is about driving your steps out of the back.

[Vault101 Boy]

I'm actually around 5'10 145, and the my lefts go 3rd: 43, 4th: 58, 5th: 73 (used to be like 69-71), 6th:84-86

I see your point about staying tall, which i agree with completely. But my coach believes in a strong push off the back for acceleration into a quick run with the last 2 steps being the quickest. (I believe this was one of Jan Johnson's main ideas that my coach liked, though i might be wrong)
My first 2 steps are usually quite long, then ill settle in until i get to box where ill likely overstride and become under. An old habit of mine when i was a 9 foot jumper was that i was always under no matter how far back or forward you moved me (caused some painful back problems from being ripped off the ground).

I think 68 may be too close, but ill give it a shot. This may shed light on my current mentality: My coach wanted me to guarantee a free and tall takeoff by bumping me up about 2 fists on my 3 step grip, and moving back 2 feet, so i was holding like 10' or something and going from 25 ft. I should have been able to easily handle going up that much in the grip by moving back and getting the free takeoff but i would bail every time cause i would feel out. Actually i would do a little lunge and end up in the crash pad around the box after id let go of the pole. Mentally i thought i couldnt make the jump because i thought i would be so far out, so im pretty sure its a trust issue for now.

[tsorenson]

If you spend a lot more time jumping on stiff poles from 3 and 4 lefts, staying behind the pole (don't swing), and maximize your grip height, you will not want to take off under anymore, because it will hurt, and you won't stand up the pole. This drill will also help you learn to keep the pole more centered on your body instead of carrying it to the right. Self-correcting drills are the best! You aren't doing it right until you can stand up a grip at least 5' above your standing grip from 3 lefts on a stiff pole.

You will also learn how to properly jump up at takeoff with a rigid top arm/body and a straight trail leg, and keep your hips back as the pole is moving up and forward. Don't swing on this drill until you get it right, or you won't be doing yourself any favors. If the pole starts bending, you need a bigger pole so that it doesn't bend.

Thanks to Rick Baggett and Alan Launder for teaching me the importance of this drill...it works. However, learning a free takeoff takes time, so be patient. There is no instant trick you can do, just smart hard work.

Cheers,
Tom

[altius]

Fame at last!! But who is this ' Rick Baggett' you mention?

[73-vaulter]

Fame at last!! But who is this ' Rick Baggett' you mention?

He is the one your mother warned you about.

[tsorenson]

I think 68 may be too close, but ill give it a shot. This may shed light on my current mentality: My coach wanted me to guarantee a free and tall takeoff by bumping me up about 2 fists on my 3 step grip, and moving back 2 feet, so i was holding like 10' or something and going from 25 ft. I should have been able to easily handle going up that much in the grip by moving back and getting the free takeoff but i would bail every time cause i would feel out. Actually i would do a little lunge and end up in the crash pad around the box after id let go of the pole. Mentally i thought i couldnt make the jump because i thought i would be so far out, so im pretty sure its a trust issue for now.

If you aren't taking off, it's usually because you are stretching and your body knows that you can't jump. Self preservation is a strong instinct.

I am 6'2 195, and your steps are all farther back than mine. I agree that you should push strongly from the first stride, accelerating and then quicken the last three steps. Pushing hard out of the back does not mean overstriding, however. If you want a longer, faster, more powerful stride, you could be getting your knees/thighs up to parallel with the ground; they are low. Also, focusing on dorsiflexion of the feet (ankle flexed up as your leg "recovers" between impacts) will allow you to use your calf muscles to effectively run faster and jump higher.

When you say "3 step," at 10' grip and 25 feet, is this run starting with your left foot first, and counting every stride (3 total)? I don't use this approach because you should always lead off with your right foot, and your first step is very important to get right. If you want to do a really short run, try using 2 lefts (one-start-two-plant) or (one-start-curl-press). It may make the approach seem more natural and make it easier to take off.

Good luck,
Tom