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I have been studying the teaching methods of Tim Gallwey. He wrote The Inner Game of Tennis which focuses on awareness as the primary mode of learning. It's fascinating stuff. Very Zenlike. Has anyone else used these techniques?

This board has been quiet for a while now (as have I). A lot is going on. Any thoughts on where things are at in the world of elite technique? Maybe we could focus on elite teaching techniques if we think the mechanics are pretty much ironed out now.

I love your work. What you have done here is enormously valuable.

I'm pretty sure the purpose of these drills is to promote a tall, balanced takeoff and staying behind the pole through the swing. Any drill that accomplishes those goals is golden. I especially like the second one. If the pole is falling into the box and the hands are above the shoulders when the le...

Absolutely. Feel free to repost it. I am more confident that I'm on the right track than I was a few years ago.

The action of the arms is one of the most controversial subjects in the sport. There is a lot of disagreement even among elite coaches. If you ask this question of any five established valuters or coaches, you will likely get five different answers. I really think I have a good idea now of what the ...

You don't need to block out with the bottom arm. It can do far more harm than good, and doing it properly is really difficult to learn. My advice is to leave it alone and work on being taller at takeoff.

I realize this may be too late to help, but I wanted you to know that I have been through the same kind of thing. After my worst injury, it took me a year to run full speed again, mostly because of a mental block. I don't know any answer except time and a determination to not give up. If I could get...

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I wish the technique was better.

http://thefoxisblack.com/2012/07/23/ban ... -olympics/

If you've ever ended a practice during a tornado watch by yelling,"Get in the truck boys; we gotta haul a**!"

Fiberglass is also so much more forgiving if you're out or under; whereas I wouldn't want to be out or under with steel (or there goes your shoulder). Without a doubt. Coach Martin used to tell me that the vast majority of the early fiberglass vaulters were nowhere near as skilled as the best of th...

Agreed. But it would also have been counter-productive to leave their lead knee up, because their poles didn't sink/bend to give them the time and space to invert with a shorter chord. Agree? The length of the chord for a fiberglass vaulter isn't much different from maximum grip for a stiff pole va...