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Outdoor season is about to kick up around here and I'm helping out at a high school with the pole vaulters. I know there are gonna be quite a few newcomers who want to try vaulting. Pits can't be pulled out yet, so I'd just like to clarify that first.

Aside from showing them how to carry the pole, find a comfortable starting grip and planting (into a stationary object [curb, etc..]), what else would be beneficial for them until we can take out the pits and do short run drills?

Lots of sand vaulting. Focus on keeping the top arm straight, most beginners like to pull with it.

Make sure they are accelerating with their run. Whether that be 3 little steps or 8, you dont want them to slow down at the box and hesitate.

Sounds like you need a copy of Beginner to Bubka from Sean Brown at Neovault.

Nahh ya dont need that. You will scare newbies away if you give an assigned reading. But reading it yourself would definitely help.

Some of us college students can't afford to buy anything at the time. Thanks for the input though.

i dont know what its called, but have the kids hold the pole straight up and then grip as high as they can reach, and have them do a two step walk/run and plant the pole just like in the ground and swing through it, concentrate on driving the knee and keeping the trail leg long

flashgordon0123 wrote:i dont know what its called, but have the kids hold the pole straight up and then grip as high as they can reach, and have them do a two step walk/run and plant the pole just like in the ground and swing through it, concentrate on driving the knee and keeping the trail leg long

i think thats called a pop up.

"But reading it yourself would definitely help."

Not sure if that comment means that you are very clever or just very dumb. Please advise.

LHSpolevault wrote:Some of us college students can't afford to buy anything at the time. Thanks for the input though.

Get the high school to pay for it.

LHSpolevault wrote:Some of us college students can't afford to buy anything at the time. Thanks for the input though.

It's a heck of a lot cheaper than any text book that you will buy for school and a lot more useful.

2 step walking plant drills. 4 step fast jog plant drills. Do tons of these. First thing a new vaulter needs to do is get the proper plant and timing of the plant ingrained in their head. If you feel comfortable with that, start pole runs. You can never do enough pole runs. When I do pole runs, I always have my kids jump at take-off rather than skipping the jump part during the drill. Just be careful to not do too many in the beginning until they get more in shape. Shin splints can kill a whole season.