metal break downs when getting on huge poles!

[VTechVaulter]

[quote="Tim McMichael"]I call this the “I can’t plantsâ€Â

[swtvault]

"I can't plants" often mean a PR is right around the corner.

When I overcame my case of the "I can't plants" I PR'ed 4 meets in a row (17'4 17'8 18'.05 and 18'2). Only catch was that my case lasted over a year! Actually, I would plant, but only small poles.

[txpolevaulter_k25]

every time i had the "i cant plants" i would always go up i just couldn't turn up a vault and for like 2 weeks all i did were plant drills and small pole runs, it sucks

[Tim McMichael]

i am currently in a huge struggle with the I cant plants. and mine came right as my speed was coming back from surgery. its been extremely frustrating. im looking forward to having time to break down to short run to get it back.... so for those of you out there going through it... it happens to everyone. just try to have fun and be patient. you can read my blog soon on www.polevaultpower.com/brian/Europe to find out more about my struggles with it

Here are some subtle things to look for that may be causing your trouble. Be sure you are not turning your head to the side slightly as you begin to plant. This can disrupt your stereoscopic vision at the worst time possible. Without depth perception you cannot find the box.

Also, be sure that the first thing that crosses your line of vision as your pole drops is the very tip. The primary cues that tell a vaulter where they are at on the runway is their peripheral vison of the tip of the pole (which they are not looking at) and the distance between it and the approaching box (which they are looking at). These two things should be the same on every runway in the world and, with enough experience and focus, can completely negate the effects of every other visual factor. If you are carrying your pole too much across your body, it is possible that the pole is blocking one or the other of your eyes from seeing the box for at least a few steps of the run. In a worst case scenario, it can block first one then the other eye for half the trip down the track. In this case, you have two things going very wrong. You have lost the benefit of the tip of the pole crossing your line of sight, and you have lost your depth perception for at least some of the run. Not good. This can definitely keep you from sensing where you are at in relation to the box.

You can even try a few practices starting your run with your pole tip at eye level and directly centered. Having the tip of the pole in your peripheral vision the whole way down the runway can retrain your sense of where you are at. If this helps, it is no problem to go back to a high carry and drop. It will be extremely awkward to start your run like this, but it can fix the problem. And the fix lasts even after you go back to a normal pole carry. If you try this though, forget about everything regarding your jump except if you are able to plant. A pole carry this low will definitely flatten out your attack angle. This is not a permanent solution, just a step toward finding one.

Another trick is to take a small pole and go back to any random spot on the runway. Focus on the box, and start jogging toward it. At some point your eyes should tell your brain that you are oriented with the box so that you can accelerate on in and plant. How often and where this happens on the runway will tell you a lot about how well you are picking up the box. Ideally you should be able to take a comfortable pole and plant from anywhere reasonable on the runway after only a few jogging steps. The good thing about this kind of exercise when you are having trouble planting is that it can only have positive results. If you are not picking the box up at all, you are at least working at figuring out how and why. It also takes the focus off of jumping and places it where the problem is.

Hope this helps.