Bar Clearance

[Powervaulter]

In terms of body awareness over the bar, one of my favourites is done on the trampoline. You do a back drop (but try to land on your lower back), then as you come off of the tramp, kick your feet vertically. It's kind of like doing a back extension roll on the floor exercise, except the bounce gives you a ton of height. You can even do this over a bungee. It's a ton of fun, and very useful for getting your bearings.

Of course, you may want to look at your earlier stages too, to make sure that nothing funny is going on... like taking pressure off the left arm too early, or having a flat takeoff.

Anyway, congrats on the 4.90m jump... that's great for this time of year. I guess you'll be looking to collect that beer money in Hamilton this year!

[Bruce Caldwell]

BOOMER I do notice in some videos that the elite are very aggressive with their pull and extension, creating more of a fly away instead of a full 'follow through' so to speak with full extension. Bubka, for example, would sometimes get really shot off the pole, maybe helping his top end, because of the 'speed from takeoff to over the bar' as you put it?

IS it aggressiveness or actually a good follow through?
[color=blue][b]In fully executed jump the take off swing, swing back, all contribute to the energy of the double pendulum action. If all is in place timing and the grip and pole size are set, once you take off all fluidity is generated in the vault to support a fluid movement upwards. IN most cases a pulling is what appears but actually the body should be moving upwards and the need for pulling is just a little added support. as is the push. If the body is surging upward these action are good follow through that support and add to the upward motion. I saw the best example of this, this weekend at the TX PV round-up in Joshua TX.
I saw a vaulter who was working on something so close to Bubka it was almost a clone of his jumps.
Maston Wallace from Houston has perfected a style and technique that all should focus on even World class athletes do not have this down as best as he does. His swing is so fast and so blended he barely bends the pole and as a new Senior this year cleared 5 meters indoor and had his hips over 17'. 37" push=-offs are so much better than holding 16' and jumping 15'6"

Truly a person to watch this year as he progresses with this perfected system he has.
Important things he has established:
1. he knows his steps
2. He has dialed in his grip in relation to the stiffness pole.
3. he has a range of poles that give him what he needs to move up
4. he sets his standards in a mathematical system based on stiffness of poles as he moves to stiffer poel the bar gets closer tot he zero point to catch his peak.
5. he moves from point A to the bar faster than most vaulters with so much pole speed and vaulter speed he is sailing off the top 35 to 38â€Â

[kat_vaulter]

It is all about the donuts!!! They are magic. Guaranteed to jump high if consumed.

[Boomer]

Hey thanks for all the info. !

I have to be doing something right up to the top as I only hold 14'3 currently and was over 16'8" on the weekend. I just became quite the spaz once I was over the bar, it may have been lack of body awareness, or just bad positioning.
I like hearing all the info. though, keep it comin'

Thanks !

[captainfalcon43]

I will admit it..... I too am a spaz over the bar.

[master]

Maston Wallace from Houston has perfected a style and technique that all should focus on even World class athletes do not have this down as best as he does. His swing is so fast and so blended he barely bends the pole and as a new Senior this year cleared 5 meters indoor and had his hips over 17'. 37" push=-offs are so much better than holding 16' and jumping 15'6"

ESSX,

Do you know of any videos of Maston Wallace on the web?

- master

[fchipr]

you stand, have buddy take piece of crossbar or pole, long enough its more crossbar than stick. Run that bar from your feet up your shins while in pike position arms draped over crossbar. dont forget turn elbows out (thumbs in same thing) this keeps you in a more concave mode. run that bar slowly up continuing to rub against your body all the way to your chin. SLOWLY unpike/unfold yourself to avoid hitting the bar. DO NOT unfold any sooner than absolutely necessary. that is, dont be moving arms until that bar is like in your pits. Everyone that trys this usually unfolds way to soon. Stay piked, only unfold each piece of you at the last second. You'll look like a snake over the bar as it comes up and you paitiently move arms up and out of way and head back.Keep elbows out. And worse thing you can do is just fling your arms back, it'll drop your chest right down on the bar.

Do this right before ya jump until you got it, its a good reminder that will keep that good vault a make not a miss