Practicing with a bungee

[TheBigMastodon]

Okay this is my first season of track so I new to just about everything with vaulting. I got 11'6'' in my first meet ever and in the 3 meets after that I used a heavier pole and can only get 11'. Im 170 and got 11'6 with a 13' 155 so moving to a 13' 165 was a must. Now Im getting great bend with my 13' 165 and my plants are smooth and consistent I would say. I am having a hard time getting inverted, turning and pushing off. Im basically just muscling my way over the bar with no form. Would using a bungee be a good idea to help me get vertical? How high should I have the bungee at? My school does not have a bungee but is there anything I could use to make one out of? Also what happens if you come down on the bungee, do the standards fall? Thanks.

[rainbowgirl28]

Okay this is my first season of track so I new to just about everything with vaulting. I got 11'6'' in my first meet ever and in the 3 meets after that I used a heavier pole and can only get 11'. Im 170 and got 11'6 with a 13' 155 so moving to a 13' 165 was a must.

According to the rules, moving to a 170 is a must!

Now Im getting great bend with my 13' 165 and my plants are smooth and consistent I would say. I am having a hard time getting inverted, turning and pushing off. Im basically just muscling my way over the bar with no form. Would using a bungee be a good idea to help me get vertical? How high should I have the bungee at? My school does not have a bungee but is there anything I could use to make one out of?

They're not very expensive. I would imagine you could get one for under $20 including shipping. You can make one out of rubber surgical tubing.

Also what happens if you come down on the bungee, do the standards fall? Thanks.

Not if they are bolted in properly!

[pool_man_007]

I would put the bungee up at around 13' or so to start with, and you can move it up from there. The whole goal with the bungee is to get inverted and shoot ur feet up over the bungee. Dont worry about the standards coming down, wut i do is actually attach the bungee around from the front so that it is wraped around the standard this way if you hit the bungee with ur pole or body or whatever it dosent come down and u dont have to worry about pputting it back up that high. The bungee is a very useful tool, in my personal opinion get one and work with it, it will improve your vault greatly. GOOD LUCK

[ashcraftpv]

I find that vaulting with a bungee all the time can develop bad habits, especially at the high school level. Most tend to put the bungee up too high and end up altering their vault in some fashion just to try to hook their feet over it. The goal of using a bungee in practice is NOT to try to just "shoot ur feet" over it. Proper technique can and should be learned without a crossbar or bungee up. I only have a bungee up on the last few jumps once a week or if we're working on something specific like turning or body position over the bar.

Remember, bungees were invented so we wouldn't have to keep putting a bar back up, not to see how high you can put it and hook your feet over it.

[TheBigMastodon]

Thanks all. Ill see if I can get some surgical tubing around here, if not ill buy one online. I know im 170 and im using a 13 165 but the next step up from the 13 165 was a 14 175 and I didnt want to go from a 13' 155 to a 14' 175. I dont think they will check my weight unless it was sectionals or the state meet and Ill definitely be ready for the 175 by then. My school hosted a huge meet yesterday. I had my first real competition of my life for pole vault. He was #1 in central NY and I am somehow #2, he beat me but it was still fun. Im gonna work my a** of with that bungee and see where I get.

[pool_man_007]

I agree with ashcraft and after re-reading my post i did give a piece of bad advice, when i use a bungee the goal, for me anyway, is to work on the top end of my vault, not just getting my feet over the bungee, and i appologize for the misleading post