PoleVaultPower.com

Question: How do you keep one of your legs from dropping while going over the bar? I'm sure the obvious answer is keep your legs together.

I do it all the time, I drop one of my legs and it seems to hit the bar. Now is that because I didn't have the height or angle off the pole to begin with or is it I just need to keep my legs together?

For a visual reference look at this vaulter's left leg:

Source: polevaultpower.com

Seems like it might be a balance issue. Your body feels that in order to get around the bar, you have to drop your legs or pike, however, you know you need to keep your hips up longer, so you drop one leg to start rotation around the bar, and keep the other up to try to keep your hips from dropping.

How do you fix it? Good question. Maybe try to delay your turn for another split second and keep going up the pole so it has a chance to move past vertical. If that doesn't work, maybe try dropping your grip an inch or two and see if the increased pole speed aids your rotation so you don't have to force it.

I think that it might be the isn't hitting the correct angle going up the pole to begin with. Possibly "flagging" off the pole, instead of coming up his body going to the left. I think that you might just need to get your shoulders dropped more maybe.

I think it all starts at the plant,...

dbulick wrote:I think that it might be the isn't hitting the correct angle going up the pole to begin with. Possibly "flagging" off the pole, instead of coming up his body going to the left. I think that you might just need to get your shoulders dropped more maybe.

Probably true, I do flag like a SOB.

KYLE ELLIS wrote:I think it all starts at the plant,...

I agree

tousche

sorry fellas, my plant/take off is spot on. i think it's the flagging part.

Take the Negative and turn it into a Postive

Right-handed left foot lead
Left-handed right foot lead.

WHY THIS HAPPENS
The action is greater when you do not have enough pole swing as the pole is not straight up and down under the vaulter and results in a push against an angular implement. An example of not enough pole swing due to a low bending pole is with this jump. The vaulter has so much more potential to jump higher if they will get better pole swing. This was a 13' 6" jump if the pole had been under her to push. see for yourself.

http://www.hipathletic.com/index.html

Reasons for lack of pole swing are:
1. Holding too high
2. Pole bends too low and strikes the pit
3. Take-off too far under
4. Too stiff of a pole that slows the pole swing.
5. Rocking back too fast and the vaulter swing beats the pole swing to the action sweet spot first.

LEGS POSITION
Olympian Steve Smith used a spread of the legs as when you do a handstand it is easier to balance with the legs apart than together.

A DRILL TO CHECK OUT.
If you set the bungee 2-3 feet over your PR and try to reach with your descending foot this will help you to keep the descending foot going up longer. With proper pole speed (swing) you can delay the turn and reduce the drop time of the lead foot.

USING LEAD FOOT TO JUMP HIGHER
With proper pole swing technique one can use the lead foot to establish more height with the following method.
Try to establish a lead foot over the bar then a bend of the hips to change the direction of the clearance and turn the thumbs in so there is lift of the elbows out of the way.
It is like the center of the mass or the parabolic curve of the jump travels under the bar while you go over the bar.
(Where is the center of mass of a donut? Even after one bite?)

Is taht a rhetorical ? or do i need to go back to bed?

OUvaulterUSAF wrote:sorry fellas, my plant/take off is spot on. i think it's the flagging part.

Doubtful. Everything starts with the plant.

VaultNinja wrote:

OUvaulterUSAF wrote:sorry fellas, my plant/take off is spot on. i think it's the flagging part.

Doubtful. Everything starts with the plant.

exactely! which i found out the hard way the other day.....