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Ive been vaulting for two years now, and my first year I was out of the season for about half of it from an ankle injury. This year now, I am clearing 8 feet but when I vault I don't keep my trail leg straight enough, its usually straight at take off but then I curl it right away instead of swinging it straight up. any suggestions on what I can do or any drills? thanks

grip very low on a straight pole and swing your trail leg forward and straight. Think about throwing your leg forward. Then try swinging it that same way, but keep the swinging energy going upwards and invert rather than throwing your leg "out". Apply that same thing to a real vault.

He is right hold low on a strait pole and work from there

haha aposed to a bent pole

think about pointing your toe down and swinging that helps me

i think that the problem is is that you are jumping up and not out and up, when you jump up it bends and when you jump out it stays straight

Get yourself on a highbar.

yeah highbar is the place to be with trail leg issues..it'll get you pointed in the right direction for future seasons especially if you start now

tie a board on your leg j/k

Vaulter09 wrote:Ive been vaulting for two years now, and my first year I was out of the season for about half of it from an ankle injury. This year now, I am clearing 8 feet but when I vault I don't keep my trail leg straight enough, its usually straight at take off but then I curl it right away instead of swinging it straight up. any suggestions on what I can do or any drills? thanks

If you have access to tower drills they are great for left leg/staying behind the pole. One year we did them out of the back of a truck into a sand pit. Try to imagine kicking a soccer ball as hard as you can. You want to be long from your top hand to trail leg toe. After all than try to swing your hips rather than your feet. THe feet will go where the hips do, roll the pelvis

Tower drills? Like platform vaulting? Another good idea.

you can still jump up and keep your trail leg straight (well concentrait on jumping up, the foward momentum from the run takes you foward), i found i built a bad habbit trying to jump too far inward... you can use hurdle drills for this by putting one where you take off and jump over it and keep your knee straight... the higher you jump the higher the bend and the more smooth you go in..


as far as keeping it straight drills highbar or rings works best...
there is also a drill ive seen done where you only hold the top arm and jump with your knee drive but keep the trail leg straight and hooked around the pole.... the pole keeps it behind you so that it stays straight back...

biggest thing is the mental block and developing muscle memory.. it comes with time