We have discussed the "free take-off" on many threads but I want to devote one thread to the subject. Unfortanately there are varying opinions of what a free take-off is. I know the first time I heard the term I had no idea what it was. As I have learned over the years what it is I realized I had always tried to have myself as well as my vaulter preform what I believe is a free take-off. These are my own interpretations of a free take-off.
Can the pole be bent before the take-off foot is off the ground?
>I don't think so. As I understand a free take-off the pole can not be in support of the ground at the same time as the vaulter. Hence the word "free"
(there can be varying degrees of a "not free take-off" as well as a "free take-off")
Can the a vaulter's step be under and still have free take-off?
>I feel it would be possible but not desirable. The hands could move back and adjust so as the pole is not in support but the vaulter would not be able to jump up and finish the take-off. This would severely shorten the swing.
I am interested to see what the rest of this board believes.
Free Take-off???
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vaultman18
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vault3rb0y
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Heres a question thats been nagging me.
When does a free take off become a "pre-jump" that bubka even said he only achieved a few times in his career? I kind of see a free take off as good to shoot for, since it is technically desirable to be off the ground before the pole hits the back, but my understanding of a pre-jump is being in the air, traveling at a high take off angle for some period of time before the pole hits the back. When does a free take off technically becoming a pre-jump? Thanks.
When does a free take off become a "pre-jump" that bubka even said he only achieved a few times in his career? I kind of see a free take off as good to shoot for, since it is technically desirable to be off the ground before the pole hits the back, but my understanding of a pre-jump is being in the air, traveling at a high take off angle for some period of time before the pole hits the back. When does a free take off technically becoming a pre-jump? Thanks.
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altius
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The following is a quote taken directly from Chapter 27 of BTB2 - as I attempt to explain the difference between a free take off and what I have termed a pre jump. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE ADVERTISING!!
Begin quote
Inevitably there will be ongoing debate on this issue. However at the clinic in Jamaica on July 20th 2001, Bubka made his vision of the take off crystal clear. There he said,
"In pole vaulting the crucial factor is how to transfer energy to the pole, through the complete body of the vaulter: the arms, shoulders, hip, back and legs. But if the pole begins to bend while the vaulter is yet on the ground, it is impossible to transfer the energy; all the energy is lost and goes to the box. The point is. How to achieve this? The free take off is a very short period of time, we can say no more that hundredths of a second, going from the end of the take off and the moment in which the tip of the pole reaches the end of the box. But this short time makes a big difference that allows the competitor to greatly improve their results."
We make no apologies for repeating elements of this quote below because we believe that Bubka was describing a pre jump. This is not surprising because the concept of the pre jump is easy to justify on theoretical grounds. Apart from encouraging an aggressive plant that seamlessly melds the horizontal velocity of the run up into a springing take off, there is another major benefit. At every level of performance it is important to maximise the pole/ground angle at take off because the greater this angle is, the closer the athlete is to their target above the bar and the easier the pole will bend. When athletes use very high grips, maximising this angle becomes significantly more important. Based on the above photograph, our calculations suggest that Bubka has increased the pole/ground angle by up to five degrees compared to a toe tip take off. As he said
"When you can do it (pre jump) you can increase the angle of the pole in relation with the ground. "
However Bubka indicated that taking off before the pole tip touches the back of the box is extremely difficult to do. As he said
"It (the Pre jump -note my words here) is a crucial factor, but at the same time, it is not easy to achieve. During my career, I was able to do it some times."
We believe that because of the way the transcript of the Jamaica presentation was put together, this statement has been widely misinterpreted and misunderstood.
In fact it is only possible to understand what Bubka really meant if you realise that his statement was a response to a direct question from Alan. In the first question of the session, and in front of a packed audience, Alan said, "When I met Vitali in Canberra he told me that you were attempting to leave the ground before the tip of the pole hit the back of the box. Ever since then other coaches have told me I am stupid to believe that is what he said - could you please tell me if I am stupid "?
Sergey looked at him and said
"Alan, you are not stupid. That is exactly what I tried to do." He then went on to say - and I do not apologise for repeating this, "It (the Pre jump -my words note) is a crucial factor, but at the same time, it is not easy to achieve. During my career, I was able to do it some times."
If you put the above statements together it is clear that Bubka
• Tried to leave the ground before the pole tip hit the back of the box.
• Believed that a pre jump allowed him to increase the pole/ground angle.
• Realised that a pre jump was difficult to achieve - but that the free take off was not difficult and he achieved that on the majority of his jumps.
End quote
I believe it is important to make a distinction between a free take and its extension the pre jump. In all of your drills you should aim for the latter but be prepared to settle for the former - if nothing else the pre jymp drill i illustrated last week should at least help you to stop taking off under and or flat. Hope this helps.
Begin quote
Inevitably there will be ongoing debate on this issue. However at the clinic in Jamaica on July 20th 2001, Bubka made his vision of the take off crystal clear. There he said,
"In pole vaulting the crucial factor is how to transfer energy to the pole, through the complete body of the vaulter: the arms, shoulders, hip, back and legs. But if the pole begins to bend while the vaulter is yet on the ground, it is impossible to transfer the energy; all the energy is lost and goes to the box. The point is. How to achieve this? The free take off is a very short period of time, we can say no more that hundredths of a second, going from the end of the take off and the moment in which the tip of the pole reaches the end of the box. But this short time makes a big difference that allows the competitor to greatly improve their results."
We make no apologies for repeating elements of this quote below because we believe that Bubka was describing a pre jump. This is not surprising because the concept of the pre jump is easy to justify on theoretical grounds. Apart from encouraging an aggressive plant that seamlessly melds the horizontal velocity of the run up into a springing take off, there is another major benefit. At every level of performance it is important to maximise the pole/ground angle at take off because the greater this angle is, the closer the athlete is to their target above the bar and the easier the pole will bend. When athletes use very high grips, maximising this angle becomes significantly more important. Based on the above photograph, our calculations suggest that Bubka has increased the pole/ground angle by up to five degrees compared to a toe tip take off. As he said
"When you can do it (pre jump) you can increase the angle of the pole in relation with the ground. "
However Bubka indicated that taking off before the pole tip touches the back of the box is extremely difficult to do. As he said
"It (the Pre jump -note my words here) is a crucial factor, but at the same time, it is not easy to achieve. During my career, I was able to do it some times."
We believe that because of the way the transcript of the Jamaica presentation was put together, this statement has been widely misinterpreted and misunderstood.
In fact it is only possible to understand what Bubka really meant if you realise that his statement was a response to a direct question from Alan. In the first question of the session, and in front of a packed audience, Alan said, "When I met Vitali in Canberra he told me that you were attempting to leave the ground before the tip of the pole hit the back of the box. Ever since then other coaches have told me I am stupid to believe that is what he said - could you please tell me if I am stupid "?
Sergey looked at him and said
"Alan, you are not stupid. That is exactly what I tried to do." He then went on to say - and I do not apologise for repeating this, "It (the Pre jump -my words note) is a crucial factor, but at the same time, it is not easy to achieve. During my career, I was able to do it some times."
If you put the above statements together it is clear that Bubka
• Tried to leave the ground before the pole tip hit the back of the box.
• Believed that a pre jump allowed him to increase the pole/ground angle.
• Realised that a pre jump was difficult to achieve - but that the free take off was not difficult and he achieved that on the majority of his jumps.
End quote
I believe it is important to make a distinction between a free take and its extension the pre jump. In all of your drills you should aim for the latter but be prepared to settle for the former - if nothing else the pre jymp drill i illustrated last week should at least help you to stop taking off under and or flat. Hope this helps.
Its what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden
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lonestar
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jAVC Coach wrote:The "free take-off" has become my new priority. It's easy to teach, the kids pick up on it quickly and it opens the door for a much better swing.
Ok Morry, I need to know how you teach the free takeoff, because I've been trying for years and I've found it extremely difficult to teach. Please tell me how you do it!!!
Any scientist who can't explain to an eight-year-old what he is doing is a charlatan. K Vonnegut
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altius
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Sorry to butt in - but my approach to teaching the free take off/prejump is outlined with figures, in the topic "Bottom arm" in this section. As you can see from the images in BTB it works with young athletes. However I have just finished preparing a new clip for the Beginner to Bubka and Isinbayeva too DVD, which deals with this issue.
Even if athletes never manage a pre jump - or even a free take off - they MAY stop taking off under - because you cannot do that with this drill.
As you can see from the images in BTB it works with young athletes. However I have just finished preparing a new clip for the Beginner to Bubka and Isinbayeva too DVD, which deals with this issue.
Even if athletes never manage a pre jump - or even a free take off - they MAY stop taking off under - because you cannot do that with this drill.
Its what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden
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vault3rb0y
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Ok so the big difference between the free take-off and the pre-jump is that a pre-jump is far enough out to allow you to actually move UP at an angle BEFORE the pole hits the box. I can see why bubka says it would be so difficult, because you need to jump at a high enough angle to benefit when the pole hits the back of the box. If you have a terrible take off angle, a pre jump will help you no more than a free take off. Cool, thanks!
Not that i will utilize a pre-jump any time soon. Im not concerned with the terminology at this point. I would just like to leave the ground and set up for a powerful swing before the pole hits the back, and I have been consumed with performing this task this entire pre season. Even if it means holding at 13 and doing ultra short runs, i want to get this right before going to my long run and leveling off in my performances. Doing simple pop ups drills every day while utilizing a pre-jump helps a TON when you come out to vault for real.
Not that i will utilize a pre-jump any time soon. Im not concerned with the terminology at this point. I would just like to leave the ground and set up for a powerful swing before the pole hits the back, and I have been consumed with performing this task this entire pre season. Even if it means holding at 13 and doing ultra short runs, i want to get this right before going to my long run and leveling off in my performances. Doing simple pop ups drills every day while utilizing a pre-jump helps a TON when you come out to vault for real.
The greater the challenge, the more glorious the triumph
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master
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AVC Coach wrote:Ok Morry, I need to know how you teach the free takeoff, because I've been trying for years and I've found it extremely difficult to teach. Please tell me how you do it!!!
I'm sure I'll see you in Forney this weekend. I'll show you there.
Please find a way to share it with all of us
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OUvaulterUSAF
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Those of you who want the pre-jump, free take-off, it doesn't happen overnight. I've been working on it for 2 1/2 years now. You have to spend 100's of hours perfecting that one little element of pole vaulting.
I found an interesting article in men's health that may put it into perspect.
"Remake Yourself
A champion knows he won't find the zone by staying in a rut. He takes the difficult steps of unlearning and relearning. As good as he already was, Tiger Woods reinvented his golf swing not once but twice in his career. Those weren't just tweaks, says Citrin. Woods recognized that the only way to take his game to an even higher level was to start over and master something new. The result? "His tournament-winning percentage since mid-2006 is close to 60 percent," says Citrin. "He's playing better golf now and is as mentally tough as he's ever been."
Use "Directed" Practice
Any golfer can play a practice round. Any basketball player can enjoy a 60-minute shootaround. But championship-level play requires a stronger approach, says Citrin. Bjorn Borg, one of tennis's greatest champions, practiced in a way that was designed to eliminate his mind from the equation: He worked on one specific shot until he could perform it automatically in any situation, and then moved on to another shot. In a match, muscle memory and reflexes directed Borg's stroke without letting his brain get in the way of the shot. For golfers, Citrin offers this driving-range prescription: "Hit a pitching wedge toward a flag 100 yards away 200 times with the goal of getting the ball within 10 feet, 80 percent of the time," he says. "Do that for a couple of hours every weekend until you reach your goal." Then move on to another shot. "
men's health article
I found an interesting article in men's health that may put it into perspect.
"Remake Yourself
A champion knows he won't find the zone by staying in a rut. He takes the difficult steps of unlearning and relearning. As good as he already was, Tiger Woods reinvented his golf swing not once but twice in his career. Those weren't just tweaks, says Citrin. Woods recognized that the only way to take his game to an even higher level was to start over and master something new. The result? "His tournament-winning percentage since mid-2006 is close to 60 percent," says Citrin. "He's playing better golf now and is as mentally tough as he's ever been."
Use "Directed" Practice
Any golfer can play a practice round. Any basketball player can enjoy a 60-minute shootaround. But championship-level play requires a stronger approach, says Citrin. Bjorn Borg, one of tennis's greatest champions, practiced in a way that was designed to eliminate his mind from the equation: He worked on one specific shot until he could perform it automatically in any situation, and then moved on to another shot. In a match, muscle memory and reflexes directed Borg's stroke without letting his brain get in the way of the shot. For golfers, Citrin offers this driving-range prescription: "Hit a pitching wedge toward a flag 100 yards away 200 times with the goal of getting the ball within 10 feet, 80 percent of the time," he says. "Do that for a couple of hours every weekend until you reach your goal." Then move on to another shot. "
men's health article
wo xi huan cheng gan tiao.
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vaultman18
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