Can't get off the ground!! Need help please?

[sam-o-]

Hi everyone, well I have been jumping fine for about 4 weeks and now I cannot get off the ground. I dont know why. It is not a scared of the pole issue it is just weird. I do not know what to do. Well, maybe it is a pole issue ....oh. well if anyone has any tips please respond because I have a meet coming up in 1 week. thanks

Sam-O

[Boomer]

Just a confidence thing buddy, if you have been doing well.
Try going back to square one for a practice, do some pole runs, make sure your marks are on, short approach, and move it to the box, then go for it. Use a small pole and you're good.

[sam-o-]

Ok, I got it. Next practice i'll do that. thanks a bunch. cya

[LPVG]

Sam-o
You might initially work with a slide box to overcome your problem. Intellectually, you know the slide box won't bite you if you do something wrong. Start with a short run and gradually progress to your maximum run. Do the same thing on the runway. Start short on the runway and grip low. Give yourself the confidence that you can penetrate into the coach's box on each jump. Move back a stride at a time, move your grip up a hand at a time, and continue the confidence process. If your confidence changes at a certain number of strides, get your coach to observe and give you feedback on the change between the confidence stride number and the "not sure about it" stride number. Work on the recommended changes.

you could also be putting pressure on yourself to perform well at your upcoming meet. Focus on the vault "process" rather than worrying about the vault "outcome". If you are jumping at the heights you stated, you know what I am talking about.

Good luck.
Clay

[Sebes]

Have you seen the movie "What about Bob"? Physciatrist Dr. Leo Marvin tells his patient Bob to take "Baby Steps" to overcome his fear of Germs. Unfortunatley Bob took his advice literally and walked around town actually taking baby steps. I like Dr. Leo recommend you take Baby Steps. Go back to what's comfortable: grip low...take a couple steps....whatever. Don't compare yourself to where you should be...or where your teamates are at. Stay in the moment and get your comfort zone back by going back to the fundamentals. Pole Vaulting is fun...just take it easy and have fun...Baby Steps!

[sam-o-]

Ok, I just have to say thank you to everyone who is helping me out!! I'm going to try all the advice you guys gave me. thank you very much!!!
Cya

Sam-O

[vault3rb0y]

also man, the more you say you wont take off the ground, you more you wont. Just the other day i was trying to get on a different pole from a different run on a different pit, and after 10 run threws or so, i got mad and just said "i dont care what happens, im gonna hit it and hit it hard next time or someone punch me in the face." I ran threw, got punched in the face, but the next time i took off . think of it this way, whats the worst that could happen?? you can do a lot wrong on a soft pole and still get through. we've all been there, just have self discipline and get mad enough to take off the ground. thats what works for me

[vault3rb0y]

On a side note, the national freshman record isnt 13'3.25 as far as i believe, is that maybe a state freshman record?

[rainbowgirl28]

On a side note, the national freshman record isnt 13'3.25 as far as i believe, is that maybe a state freshman record?

It's an AAU or USATF Junior Olympic meet record. I forget which.

[htheodore]

AAU youth

[bel142]

I was having difficulty leaving the ground as well once, my team’s sports Physiologist advised me in picking a point on the pole to bring my concentration to before the vault, and use my breath and that point to calm my self down and train my self to start preparing mentally for the vault with that being the concentration point, Once I am calm and concentrated on the upcoming vault, use visualization for my upcoming attempt before I even start down the runway, imagine exploding over the bar from the pole.

Visualize moving from the run to the plant to the take off, to the invert to the fly away, to landing on the matt… also the thought of imagining myself going over the bar. It’s easy to imagine your favorite vaulter-vaulting, but its more useful to try and visualize YOUR SELF vaulting.

Mentally preparing for the vault is extremely important in the vault. If you tell your self you’re not ready to vault, you probably wont be. Took me a while to learn but mentally training is also really useful.

National Frosh record is 15' 6" 1978 Billy Lang from NJ... and who said the only good thing ever to come out of NJ was Bruce Springsteen....

[bvpv07]

National Frosh record is 15' 6" 1978 Billy Lang from NJ... and who said the only good thing ever to come out of NJ was Bruce Springsteen....

Is that for indoor? I know that Ryan Shuler won the CIF (CA) state meet as a freshman (2003) with 16'. But, of course, that is an outdoor mark (we don't have anything else here).

Does anyone know what the real freshman national record is?