Tapping in Europe?

[mowad1]

Looks like Monica gets a spot from her coach during practice. Looks like we need to get Alan Launder on this right away. I thought that Europeans didn't spot/tap?
Check out her Red Bull photos.

[andrej]

Actually a lot of Europeans do that. What made you think that Europeans don't tap?

[Barto]

Actually a lot of Europeans do that. What made you think that Europeans don't tap?

propaganda from the anti-tappers in North America

[mowad1]

I had a few discussions with Alan about this. I respect his opinions but I could not believe it when he said that we were the only country to tap, thus the reasons for our high injury rates as compaired to other countries. Now this could have been an isolated case but Andrej has clarified. I have definitely spotted less since speaking to Alan and will continue to do so, but I was also right to assume that we were not the only ones doing this.

[andrej]

That surprises me a lot. But the thing is that we don't tap beginners to get on beginning poles. We only do that for our best guys to get on even bigger poles and it all seems even safer than without tapping. I assume that the thing that is dangerous with tapping is that if a vaulter doesn't react in the right way to that power addition he gets from the spotter or that the pole is not the right one for that (way too soft), but correct me if I'm wrong. On the other hand, experienced vaulters know how to control the situation. So I only see a lot of advantages for elite vaulters from tapping and I've seen many elite Europeans being tapped. However, I do want to know more about a professional speaking why it is bad to tap (Alan). I also want to add that I have been working with Petrov in the past and I have never heard him say anything against that when we were doing it.

[rainbowgirl28]

*this was split from the thread in the International forum with a link to Monika Pyrek's website*

[rainbowgirl28]

That surprises me a lot. But the thing is that we don't tap beginners to get on beginning poles.

That is a probably a key element right there.

Andrej, do you see vaulters out there who get taps all the time, or is it only when moving to a bigger pole?

[achtungpv]

Other than tapping beginners, too many would get a tap on their warm up jumps as a security blanket to get off the ground. Neither is good.

[mowad1]

I am not going to argue whether tapping is good or not. My point was that there is tapping in Europe and not only in the US. I was told different and those photos confirmed that the information I received was incorrect.

[andrej]

That surprises me a lot. But the thing is that we don't tap beginners to get on beginning poles.

That is a probably a key element right there.

Andrej, do you see vaulters out there who get taps all the time, or is it only when moving to a bigger pole?

Only when moving to a bigger pole. I don't know anybody in Europe that would do it for any other reason.

[altius]

I apologise for misleading you MOWAT1. What I should have said was, "In no other country in the world is the tap used so indiscrimately and commonly to the disadvantage of young athletes as in the US".

I was aware that some some coaches around the world, including Petrov occasionally, who use a tap BUT I felt that if I included that information it would be like a doctor giving a smoker thinking about quitting, all the evidence against smoking, and then saying - but of course there are a couple of doctors in Durham who dont accept that evidence.

Most elite athletes have by definition mastered the key elements of the takeoff so a tap used to help them move to a bigger pole is not going to dramatically and negatively impact their technique - although I would prefer to use a deep box or even a down hill runway - despite its own limitations.

The tap encourages young athletes to take off under and virtually prevents them from learning to finish the take off - both have major implications at that point and for successive elements of technique - such as the whip into inversion. It should be eliminated from all teaching and developmental coaching - along with the rock back drill for similar reasons.

Here i must say that I feel like the Dutch boy who notices a hole in the wall of a dyke - (a levee to you guys) . He puts a finger in to stop the water -but then another hole appears and another and so on. Eventually he has every projection of his body , including one he didnt even know he had, plugging holes in the dyke wall. As the dyke wall collpases on him, his final thoughts are - :"Why didnt they build the thing properly in the first place? and "Why was i stupid enough to put my finger in the first hole?"

By the way achtungpv - thanks for sticking some of your digits in those holes.

[andrej]

So maybe I shouldn't even write here that we do it.. To stop Americans from smoking.