We are doomed. Repent and ask for forgiveness.

[vault3rb0y]

OK lets talk about how to teach a free take off...

There are plenty of threads already talking about the free take off and how to teach it. Use the search feature to easily locate them. good luck!

[captainfalcon43]

Vaulting with a fiberglass pole is the same thing as vaulting with a straight pole. When straight poling you definetely don't push on the pole, that won't get you anywhere. Is the hand grip height difference between a full vault and a one armed vault greater on a flexible pole and a straight pole?

[agapit]

OK lets talk about how to teach a free take off...

I will post some info soon. Sorry busy at work today.

[OUvaulterUSAF]

Free Take-off 101:

Conditioning - bounding and plyos

Drills - Straight pole with a low grip on the ground and/or into sand pit. Focus on jumping before tip hits ground. Incrementally raise your grip as confidence builds. Transition to pit when time is right.

Consistency and repeatablity are directly related to the approach run.

[Spencer Chang, MD]

Agapit,

What do you think of the negative bend (the pole bends toward the vaulter slightly at take-off) of the pole at take-off in jumps where either a free take-off or pre-jump occurs in vaulters like Markov, Feofanova, Lawrence Johnson, Bubka, and even Tim Mack at the 2004 Olympics.

One thing you will notice is an immediate lift and rise when this occurs.

Do you think this is an extension of your doctrine, again proving that the top arm is more important as the impulse of initial energy at take-off, and the left arm is not important in bending the pole?

Do you think there is a benefit to getting a slight negative bend at take-off?

[agapit]

Agapit,

What do you think of the negative bend (the pole bends toward the vaulter slightly at take-off) of the pole at take-off in jumps where either a free take-off or pre-jump occurs in vaulters like Markov, Feofanova, Lawrence Johnson, Bubka, and even Tim Mack at the 2004 Olympics.

One thing you will notice is an immediate lift and rise when this occurs.

Do you think this is an extension of your doctrine, again proving that the top arm is more important as the impulse of initial energy at take-off, and the left arm is not important in bending the pole?

Do you think there is a benefit to getting a slight negative bend at take-off?

This is very normal consequence of the free drop of the pole into the box. There is nothing unusual about it. I do not think that the left arm action as we discussed it in the previous post has the contribution into that negative bend. The negative bend occurs before pole hits the back wall of the box and before the actual jump of the ground is complete. The pull begins after the completion of the take-off.

[agapit]

OK lets talk about how to teach a free take off...

In the post about a year ago I have described one exercise we call "Pole Climb". This exercise is one of the auto correction exercises that we developed to facilitate understanding of the free take-off and immediate left arm action.

I use a long jump with the straight pole into the pole vault pit as one of the exercises to emphasize the immediate pull with the left arm. Usually we measure the distance in this exercise. 15’-vaulter should be able to pull enough to lend with ankles a foot or so beyond the full size pit.

We use many plant imitations. This is one of the core exercises that we use throughout the vaulters carrier regardless of the vaulters level.

With intermediate plus vaulters, I usually use a very small poll that does not put any stress on the vaulter as far as penetration and safety errors and we focus of eliminating the left arm resistance. It usually takes 2-3 sessions for a vaulter to recognize the resistance of the left arm in the first place and few more sessions to convert it into immediate pull. The essential part of this exercise is to focus on completing the take-off action. When vaulter realizes the resistance and begins to convert it to pull the penetration of the pole will diminish to correct this coach and athlete must focus on completion and intensity of the actual jump of the ground. (see earlier posts in this topic)

The free take-off and immediate left arm pull are co-depended. Without a free take-off the left arm pull cannot be achieved immediately. The free take-off itself is a consequence of the run up plant action. If the plant performed incorrectly it is nearly impossible to achieve a free take-off.

This is a complex learning process and each coach will design exercises to achieve desired results. The important thing is to understand the concept and objective. Once this understood a coach would find the way to teach it to an athlete. I must admit that it took me several years to develop a method of teaching this concept.

[Spencer Chang, MD]

The free take-off and immediate left arm pull are co-depended. Without a free take-off the left arm pull cannot be achieved immediately. The free take-off itself is a consequence of the run up plant action. If the plant performed incorrectly it is nearly impossible to achieve a free take-off.

Thanks Agapit for your response. I tried to word my question to not prompt a particular response. I am glad that you wrote this last paragraph because everything is intertwined. A proper run up plant action, that is dropping of the pole or as I like to say rising of the pole allows proper posture and set up for a tall approach and take-off, getting the foot down to achieve a free take off. The acceleration of the pole drop with gravity helps to speed up the last few steps.

The negative bend is a consequence of a proper pole drop/rise, and allows the pole to contact the box, but not the back of the box, prior to take-off, and therefore a free take-off. If the pole contacts the back of the box too soon, the vaulter's posture is compromised like getting clotheslined by a WWE wrestler. The left arm has to compensate for this action.

Here's something perhaps thinking a little outside the box. If one stands and drops the pole, timing the plant action correctly, the pole contacts the ground, creates a slight negative bend, and continues rotating forward and up with such force that the pole actually pops out of one's hands and rotates over past vertical with tremendous pole speed.

If timed with the take-off, perhaps we can utilize this by maintaining proper posture through the take-off so that the emphasis is impulse on the top hand moving the pole to vertical. We are adding the energy of the pole drop into the equation as well.

Once the proper impulse is made at take-off, there does not need to be any compensations: e.g. over pressing the left arm, dropping the lead knee (double-leg swing), over emphasized chest (drive vault), bent trail leg trailing behind.

You have to get into the vault quickly, as all of these compensations slow down the vaulter's ability to get upside-down in a timely fashion. Because in the end, the most important thing is catching the ride, and it doesn't matter how big a pole you are on if you can't do this.

[agapit]

The free take-off and immediate left arm pull are co-depended. Without a free take-off the left arm pull cannot be achieved immediately. The free take-off itself is a consequence of the run up plant action. If the plant performed incorrectly it is nearly impossible to achieve a free take-off.

Thanks Agapit for your response. I tried to word my question to not prompt a particular response. I am glad that you wrote this last paragraph because everything is intertwined. A proper run up plant action, that is dropping of the pole or as I like to say rising of the pole allows proper posture and set up for a tall approach and take-off, getting the foot down to achieve a free take off. The acceleration of the pole drop with gravity helps to speed up the last few steps.

The negative bend is a consequence of a proper pole drop/rise, and allows the pole to contact the box, but not the back of the box, prior to take-off, and therefore a free take-off. If the pole contacts the back of the box too soon, the vaulter's posture is compromised like getting clotheslined by a WWE wrestler. The left arm has to compensate for this action.

Here's something perhaps thinking a little outside the box. If one stands and drops the pole, timing the plant action correctly, the pole contacts the ground, creates a slight negative bend, and continues rotating forward and up with such force that the pole actually pops out of one's hands and rotates over past vertical with tremendous pole speed.

If timed with the take-off, perhaps we can utilize this by maintaining proper posture through the take-off so that the emphasis is impulse on the top hand moving the pole to vertical. We are adding the energy of the pole drop into the equation as well.

Once the proper impulse is made at take-off, there does not need to be any compensations: e.g. over pressing the left arm, dropping the lead knee (double-leg swing), over emphasized chest (drive vault), bent trail leg trailing behind.

You have to get into the vault quickly, as all of these compensations slow down the vaulter's ability to get upside-down in a timely fashion. Because in the end, the most important thing is catching the ride, and it doesn't matter how big a pole you are on if you can't do this.

[/quote]

It is a misconception that gravity force that makes the pole drop accelerates the last few steps of the run up. There is no such thing, despite of many people writing about it. The best you can hope for is a free drop that does not interfere with the run up.

There is some rotational force (pole rotates around left hand) that could positively contribute to the take-off (perhaps it is what you are trying to describe). It is not very significant force, but everything counts.

[Spencer Chang, MD]

It is a misconception that gravity force that makes the pole drop accelerates the last few steps of the run up. There is no such thing, despite of many people writing about it. The best you can hope for is a free drop that does not interfere with the run up.

I should say that a proper drop allows the vaulter to speed up the cadence of the last few steps. This allows for setting up for a proper free take-off.

Is that more accurate?

[agapit]

It is a misconception that gravity force that makes the pole drop accelerates the last few steps of the run up. There is no such thing, despite of many people writing about it. The best you can hope for is a free drop that does not interfere with the run up.

I should say that a proper drop allows the vaulter to speed up the cadence of the last few steps. This allows for setting up for a proper free take-off.

Is that more accurate?

It is. Tnx.

[Tim McMichael]

Ok, I tried it again, and I did manage to get my left hand completely off of the pole before takeoff, with pretty horrible results. I got clocked by the pole and then my right hand slid down about a foot. (Yes there are blisters.) I want to know from Agapit what he thinks I did wrong, because I definitely get something other than the result he says I should.

http://www.treemo.com/users/tmcmicha/ch ... tem/70801/

Perhaps my takeoff was not free enough. I practiced it the rest of the session on a bigger pole, and this is the best I could do. Maybe I’m just still too rusty, but it felt horrible. The pole is really small - 14’ 160. About all I can do after takeoff is bail.

http://www.treemo.com/users/tmcmicha/ch ... tem/70811/

Vaultman 18, or anyone else for that matter, feel free to chime in and help. Except for that month back in 92' I have not worked on this at all, and I am sure I am missing something.