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I am 6' 170. I have been using a 13' 165 pacer fx all season and I could get 11'6'' consistently. With the standards back at 28-30 I was blowing through the pole and was hitting it on the way up, even with a good invert. I knew I had to move up poles. My school got a 14' 165 spirit the other day and after an hour or so I could make it into the pit holding from the highest allowed grip. I had the standards at 18 and cleared 12' very clean. Then I tried 12'6'' and hit it going up with standards at 18. The next day at the meet I tried to use the pacer but I wasnt getting anything out of it so I tried the spirit. I was having a very hard time getting into the pit. My step was on and off but even when it was on I couldnt make the pit. I cleared 2 heights and had the worst meet of my life. Out of 10 vaults I only made the pit twice. One time I scissored over the bar and the other time I had a very clean deep vault. I had my standards at 15.5''. What should I do, I cant use the pacer and the spirit kicks my a** when I hold it at the top. Can someone help me? Should I hold lower on the spirit? Will it still bend?

i use this vault chart of efficiency when i need help with pole size/grip. http://www.bubbapv.com/Pages/dj.htm

get a pole that's legal for you, first. I'm sorry, i know it'll be harder to vault, but your pole has to be at least your weight! You can compensate by not holding as high.

I have a 14' 165 spirit and a 14' 175 spirit. The state qualifiers and the state meet are the only ones I get weighed at. I will be on the 175 by that time. That chart looks great. Would it be okay to follow the hand grips and the take off points exactly?

Anyone else have any input, that chart was great and helped but didnt really answer my question.

i think it may off a couple inches on each person due to the height difference but its close enough for a reference point

Thanks but what can I do so I can get depth into the pit. Im getting stalled in the air and fall back on the runway.

drop your grip down a little

Alright Ill try that tomorrow. I think my problem might have been I wasnt jumping up into the pole. I certainly have the speed, theres no question about that.

I had a meet today. I gripped at 12' until I got 11'6''. Then I held at 13' and got a PR of 12' followed by another consecutive PR of 12'6''. So all in all I PR'd by a foot today. After I got 12'6'' I had the official put it up to 13'3'' so I could go for the school record. I had an honest first attempt but I wailed my nuts on the bar going over and knocked it off, as dumb and painful as that sounds. Then I just completely blew through the pole for my second attempt and I had my step off for my third attempt so I just dropped the pole and ran into the pit. I was using a 14' 165 with a bodyweight of 170. I will try to start to use the 14' 175 in practice soon so I can safely vault on a legal pole in time for sectionals and states. I blew through the 165 so I should be able to use the 175 with a little work. Altogether it was a good day, I got a 1 foot PR and Im now 2nd in the section, but that isnt good enough. I know I can do far better.

TheBigMastodon wrote:I had a meet today. I gripped at 12' until I got 11'6''. Then I held at 13' and got a PR of 12' followed by another consecutive PR of 12'6''.

I can't believe you made it into the pit when you raised your grip a FOOT

I raised my grip out of pure desperateness on a 3rd attempt at 11'6''. I barely got it. I focused on jumping up instead of out and I got much better penetration, no speed loss either. On Friday's meet I got in the pit 2 out of 12 vaults with the 14'er. Today I was completely blowing through the 14'er on a few attempts. I only came up short once (I didnt drive long enough) but I fixed that the next attempt. Now that I semi have the plant down, I just need to figure out my turn and push. I really wanted that 13'3'', my coaches were going nuts that I got 12'6'' but I know I can do much much better.