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I am 6'1" and weight 170 lbs. I am currently gripping at 15'3 on a 15'7" 175 lb pole from 7 rights (im left handed). Sadly though, even with this grip height, I have only managed to clear 14'1" so far. With this kind of grip height I should be clearing much much higher than that. My run and takeoff are good, and I start to swing pretty good, but I can never finish my swing off/drop my shoulders and get tight to the pole. I tend to pike at the waist which stops my hips from moving out, so when the pole recoils it shoots me out instead of up. After nearly every jump my coach just yells "FINISH IT" or "[swing] FASTER"

My first question is should I keep working with the high grip or if it would be more effective to go down to a shorter run and drop my grip some until I can become more efficient at the top end? For a while I was doing some stuff from 4 rights gripping around 14'6 on a 15' 155. It seemed helpful, but towards the end of the season I began working more on longer stuff.

My second question is what suggestions do you guys have for finishing off the swing (getting the hips all the way up so I can be in position to receive the energy of the unbending pole and turn it into vertical motion)? For a while my problem was looking at the bar, but I haven't been doing that lately and still can't quite finish it off.

I think if I can just get tight to the pole early enough I should be able to bump up my PR quite a bit, so any suggestions are welcome.

I would try a shorter grip on a stiffer pole and work on your technique. Once you get 10-20lbs above your weight you will see bigger heights.

sounds like you've gotten stuck in the mindset that alot of vaulters get (me included) that a higher grip or bigger pole means bigger height. Unfortunatly for us, thats not always right. Last week, my main goal was to work up to our 16ft series in warm ups with the hopes that if I get on a 16 footer I'd jump at least 16. But...that's not right. I moved up too fast and was coming up dangerously close to the plant box. I did however jump 15'9", but the problem was that my form fell apart. I was focusing only on getting a big plant so I can get in on the bigger pole, but my swing was slow and sloppy and my finish was crap. So what my coach is telling me now is that I'm pretty much staying on our 15-6 series and concentrating on form. Now that I don't have to focus on my plant, I can to some technique work.


So yeah, move your grip down a few inches (on the same pole or one pole lower if you have it) and worry less about grip height and more about the swing, invert, and pushoff. Throw a high bungee up and try to hit it (with good form of corse).

do you have any videos? that might also help us pin-point a few key things you need to work on.

Thanks for the advice guys,

In response to cdmilton, I was on a 15' 180 at one point, and was getting penetration but I got very little bend out of it. My coach thought that the 15'6" 175 would give me a little more time to swing up without blowing through.

In response theczar: I know what you mean about form falling apart when all you are thinking about is planting. Happens to me whenever I am transitioning onto a new pole.