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respond to the poll please

PS. The poll options refer to the take-off point.

Please, feel free to post your thoughts.

Well, wouldn't it vary if you do a Free take off? Or what about those who like to run under the bend?

i think that the plant should end just before the take off foot hits the ground. i try to achieve a free take off, so finishing the plant at this point would assure the greatest possible angle at take off. there would be no chance of not finishing my plant on time and not getting my arms as high as possible.

You mean that there are still people out there stupid enough - or crazy enough - "to run under the bend'?

"The vaulter's task is to drive the pole at take off as much as possible and to give himself (sic) a free take off." Petrov

" 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 into the box". Bubka

Thought for today "The bending pole allows you to hide mistakes" Bubka

Haha perhaps the question should be when does a GOOD plant end

does it really matter? we divide the vault into phases for teaching purposes and some for analysis, but really it is just one continuous fluid movement. there are proper ways to perform each "phase" or whatever, but they really should flow into one another thus blurring the lines of where they begin and end

Skyin' Brian wrote:does it really matter? we divide the vault into phases for teaching purposes and some for analysis, but really it is just one continuous fluid movement. there are proper ways to perform each "phase" or whatever, but they really should flow into one another thus blurring the lines of where they begin and end

Well in my opinion the plant ends when the foot first touches the ground. The moment when the foot touched the ground the jump begins and the arms are in completely different biomechanical sequence that is synchronized with assisting the jump-off the ground action.

From training perspective there is a difference. If you are training the high extended arms in your plant you are preparing yourself to first being "under" and second not being able to jump-off the ground (try to dunk BBall with straight arms) I will later post diagrams of this on beginnertobubka.com to make it more visual.

So the plant ends when the foot touches the ground and the arms are; left extended in front of the face and right is slightly 1/3 bent above/in front of the forehead. At this time the take-off foot will just touch the ground in front of the vaulter.