PoleVaultPower.com

I have got a problem with my swing. I am trying to get a good swing in by keeping my trail leg back and then whipping it, but I just get a slow half swing(maybe with a slight pause half way through the swing) and I bend at the waist and curl up. It might be my plant or maybe I am swinging too early. I am working on swings on a bar. I have been muscling my way through the swing, and now I am trying to convert to a nice whip, but I am doing something wrong. I am wondering if anybody else has had this problem of not being able to get a good swing in without bending or getting a slow whip.....does anybody have any advice??

My advice would be to first make sure your steps are on. Make sure you're not under when you plant.
Then, when you plant, don't think about holding the trail leg back, instead think about keeping the trail leg straight.

It could be a number of things. You could be blocking out with your arms or not letting things be smooth enough. Any kind of video would make it a lot easier to help you.

I am willing to bet you are swinging too late!! If you hold your trail leg back by forcing it to stay back there, you are fighting your body. If you do a plant but don't intend swing and just relax, i bet your body will start to swing automatically. Taking off is not about holding your swing back, its allowing your swing to happen naturally and not doing anything to mess it up (in other words just relax) and let it happen. If you start trying to hold your trail leg back and then kick it yourself, I guarantee you will not swing as well if you let it go on its own, and then apply the swinging pressure!!

Zachmo

take off out and swing like your life depends on it, and don't aim for the fargin bar! Sounds vague, but it speaks volumes.

if you are folding up early, you need to remember that the swing is not entirely in the legs. Once your legs reach about hirizontal to the ground, you need to switch your rotation from your hips to your shoulders, and continue the upward swing using your shoulders as a pivot point.

when I take off it feels like I have to force my left leg to stay straight and swing correctly. Should it be a hard strain to do all of this or do I need to relax a bit?

captainfalcon43 wrote:when I take off it feels like I have to force my left leg to stay straight and swing correctly. Should it be a hard strain to do all of this or do I need to relax a bit?

I remember a few of your jumps from camp, and it seems liek your hips really get sucked in...which allows you to start, but not finish your swing. Remember to swing your leg down (like you are trying to kick the box), and not out (like trying to kick the back of the pit).

Actually... you should want to swing both down and out! Your goal should be to try and kick the box as well as the back of the pits, the reason being for this is it keeps your hips moving in and up, which then allows you to rotate the pole into the pit. Why should we do this? Because then we can get on stiffer poles and jump higher heights.

Also, if you allow your hips to suck through... why not just continue that momentum. When your hips get sucked through, that is your body telling you it is ready to swing! At this point you should not hold anything back and just go with it. Your hips need to suck through, or you will not be able to extend and swing through powerfully, but rather will tuck and lose momentum, most likely letting the pole run away from you!

Biggest things to work on for a better swing is improve your chest drive at takeoff... this loads the body to naturally swing (moving hips through and swinging legs) and then all you have to do is swing down and out as powerful as possible and extend to the bar! It will take practice, but it something that will drastically improve your jumping!

Zachmo