2nd year almost over - still can't bend

[pUn70]

i'm a shophmore and it's my second year pole vaulting. last year we didn't have any experienced vaulters and no coach. everything we did we had to learn on our own, and i ended with a pr of 8'. this year our distance coach is helping us vaulters out but i don't think he really knows that much about it. wut makes me really frustrated is that i can't bend the pole. i weigh 142lbs and use a 150lb 13'6'' skypole. our school doesn't have many poles so i'm pretty much stuck with this one. i've tried just about everything to get it to bend. my 2 biggest problems is that my top hand often slides, probably because i'm holding it at the tip which isn't good w/out a bend, and that i seem to pull up when i plant instead of pushing the pole forward. i wish we had a sliding box. can anyone please help me figure out what i'm doing wrong? i now have a pr of 9' which isn't much considering it's my second year. the sad part though, is that i really enjoy pole vaulting and have become almost obsessed over it, but i can't get much height without a bend.

we also have a 130lb 11'6'' pacer fx which is really flexible and i want to practice with it to get used to getting a bend, but my coach is scared that i might break it. any help please????

[ProtoMorph1]

Maybe your holding too high and your hands aren't far enough apart? I use a 10' 130 mystic pole and I get a lot of bend, but I have no technique. So far my pr is 7' and I'm trying to get the technique. How far apart are you hands? Do you do the technique and mostly run into the pit and let the pole do mostly all of the work or are you jumping and planting close up?

(Just trying to help correct me if I said anything that isn't right since I am a beginner also.)

[pUn70]

my hands are about shoulder width + one/two fists apart. my coach says that i'm holding it too high because my hands are completely over my head. i know i'm holding it too high for no bend, but i don't see how i can get a bend w/out holding it at the top. i started off way lower and slowly started moving up hoping when i reached the top i'd be able to get a bend. so far, nothing. is there maybe like something else that can be used to help me push the pole out at the plant? i think i'm more like stabbin it in and down into the box and then pulling up, instead of dropping it and pushing forward, but i don't know how i can fix this. a drill for this would be good.

[ProtoMorph1]

You should start doing sliding box drills or if you don't have one use a towel or something like people have suggested in other threads. That would probably help you with your plant.

[ryansanta]

agapit or whatever his name is (sorry), came up with a handy acronym: WWRPVD (What would the rigid pole vaulter do). It's not about bending a pole, that will come with gripping higher and making the correct movements learned on a stiff pole. You make the same movements with a bent pole as a rigid one (timing differentials and such but roughly the same).

As for slide box, pole runs alone work well without a box to plant into. A towel is a good visual.

But remember, a stiff pole is the foundation to everything else.

[VaultBrad]

agapit or whatever his name is (sorry), came up with a handy acronym: WWRPVD (What would the rigid pole vaulter do). It's not about bending a pole, that will come with gripping higher and making the correct movements learned on a stiff pole. You make the same movements with a bent pole as a rigid one (timing differentials and such but roughly the same).

As for slide box, pole runs alone work well without a box to plant into. A towel is a good visual.

But remember, a stiff pole is the foundation to everything else.

very well said

[vcpvcoach]

agapit or whatever his name is (sorry), came up with a handy acronym: WWRPVD (What would the rigid pole vaulter do). It's not about bending a pole, that will come with gripping higher and making the correct movements learned on a stiff pole. You make the same movements with a bent pole as a rigid one (timing differentials and such but roughly the same).

As for slide box, pole runs alone work well without a box to plant into. A towel is a good visual.

But remember, a stiff pole is the foundation to everything else.

Amen!

My athletes didn't understand why I held them back from bending until their plant and take off is vary good.

Remember, people cleared 16 feet on steel poles.

[souleman]

I'm not going to say what you are or are not doing, other than I bet your take off is not right, which means your run is not right, .......ok enough of the "not right". How 'bout what you do do right. You obviously are committed to doing this right, you love doing this, you have the drive to get better etc. these are all right. Now, let's get you some info that will help you DO this right. Go here and read and both you and your coach understand, http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/vie ... php?t=4643
Next go here and both you and your coach read and understand, http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/vie ... php?t=5063. Next, go here and both you and your coach read, http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/vie ... php?t=5087 ( this one is all about me and what I am going through now because my take off wasn't right all the time I jumped). Go to and read and......you know the rest, Get the book "from Beginner to Bubka". www.bubbapv.com has got them if you can't find it for $30. Then....and finally for now, watch the "big boys and girls" vault and try to emmulate them by comparing them to YOUR OWN VIDEOS. Get a camera or borrow a camera and video tape your jumping. When you're over at www.bubbapv.com click on to the pop up drill link and click on to the 2005 version and the "get verticle" link and build one of those roll back bar set ups. There! That will keep you busy (and your coach too) for a while and remember what Doug "Bubba" Sparks told me when I was down and concerned about the fact that I couldn't do "vaulty" stuff because I had to allow my body to repair itself. He said,"Sometimes you have to go backward to go forward". You may feel like you're going backwards and starting all over again. But if you do, and you do it right your progress will be remarkable and vaulting will be more fun for you. Good luck........we'll look forward to hearing about your continued improvement and success..........Later............Mike
P.S. One more thing. Copy paste and print up a book that contains all this stuff and take it with you when you practice, when you jump anytime you have a question (except when you are in class......pay attention to your class work). It will make a valuable resource book for you.

[angerpaulie]

howdy im a 2nd year sophmore and have pr'd at 12 but wanna get higher how do i do it bubka style

[souleman]

Read my previous reply, follow the instructions and the "go to's" and buy the book! 'Nuff said. Good luck! Later...............Mike. one more to go to if I haven't already http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/vie ... php?t=5132

[AirForceVaulter]

Hey, dont worry. I joined track as a freshman and quit cause i sucked at vaulting. Sophomore year i stuck with it to clear 8'. Junior year i started out again stiff poling it at 8' in meets until one day it clicked. I started vaulting higher everyday. I ended the season at 14'. Just stick with it. I think you should hold down a foot or a foot and a half on your smaller pole to feel the bend. Just stick with it and youll get it.

[hallvaulter]

for starters, i would use that small pole from a short run, like 6 or 8 steps, that would probably be fine...