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My top end is great, economical and gives me great bar clearance, except for one thing.

I was taking attempts at 14'6" after PRing at 14' Saturday at the state meet, and I was over it, but kept dragging it off, it seemed like I couldn't throw my arms back quickly enough, and kept coming down on it. Seems like I couldn't completely finish the vault. I had all the hip height I needed, but couldn't get around the bar totally. It almost feels like I wasn't getting that final push that would bring my arms and chest up and over for a clearance.

This is a tough thing to explain/diagnose without a video, I don't have them yet, but as soon as I get them i'll post them here.

Thoughts? Drills?

One of my teammates snapped the pole I intended to use, and I had to get on a very large pole that I had never vaulted on before.

I weigh around 145, I was on a 14' 175, holding right under the weight sticker, for all of the jumps. 6 lefts at about 91'


I don't understand why I stall out so badly, someone shed some light?

12'6" make
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3cTfJkmq1k

13'0 make
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFogsms-22Y

13'6" make
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZRvdQ2zoCA

14'0" PR, then 14'6" misses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVnewv4bZiY

Thanks.

I'm no expert, but I used to have a similar problem. It looks to me that you could turn a littler sooner to catch more energy from the pole and acclerate over the bar. But it also looks like your standards might be off, and that might be why you are landing on the bar.

Hey Man!

First thing I want to say is Congrats on the new PR! Way to make it happen at a State Meet especially!

In all honesty, your top end isn't that great, you have a lot more in you if you fix some of the issues you are running into.

The first major problem I see is that your hands drift very far away from your body as you are going up the pole! What this causes is a massive loss in energy from the pole to you, and you lose a lot of momentum to clear the bar and sail over it, thus you landing on the cross bar with your chest. How I would go about fixing this is working on straight pole drills where you swing though and spiral (turn) around the pole while keeping your hands and the pole as close to your body as possible... you should be practically landing on the pole.

A next major problem I see is when you are over the crossbar, you throw your hands back, and your chest thrusts out in the crossbar. Instead, you want to turn your thumbs towards each other, and hollow out your body so that you can rotate around the bar, instead of throwing your chest at it...

Lastly and most importantly, get your takeoff step out at least a foot! You are under at takeoff, and that gets you jammed up and your swing and top end cannot be as efficient because of this. I think if you get your takeoff out farther and carry your momentum into the pit better, a lot of your problems will get solved!

Again, great jumps man, you have potential to jump well, and congrats on the PR!!

Zachmo

Thanks a ton.


Yeah at that meet they weren't letting people or even coaches catch anyone's step, at all. I'm working on getting that step out, and it's helping.

Looking at those jumps, they aren't very good, even for me, that pole is just eating me.

The pole unbends prematurely. What you need to do to get that better top-end is to hang more than pull during the swing-up. At least that is one the most common reasons for premature unbend. Once you fix that, make sure to initiate the unbending action yourself by pulling on the pole before pushing off of it.

Your biggest problem is not where your standards are, or when your pole unbends, or anything like that. You're eating fiberglass at takeoff because your plant is really low. Your takeoff looks to be a bit under and your left hand is in your face. Focus on taking off at the correct point and having a high plant. This will help you get back on the pole better and jump more efficiently.

Your plant is late, and your getting hit off the ground wicked big at take off, because of this your loosing allot of energy on top, you’re probably 6 inches to a foot under, so if you can fix the plant by getting your arms up and step back with a better step this will help up top. Your pole is a tick too small, your standards are a bit off.

With regards to your pull through, your loosing height when the poll gets away from you and you shoot off the pole, try and imagine a hula hoop above the pole and you want to go straight up the hula hoop. Snake straight up the back of the pole to get up the hula hoop.

And also some days it seems, no matter what the conditions, where the standards are, and what pole you're on the bar is going to come down.

Keep going after those big bars and you'll eventually hit it big.
good luck man.

Well, since this thread has resurfaced. . .

I had to get on that huge pole in the videos because my teammate snapped the one I wanted to use, and after a new pole came in for me, the top end problems were solved.

I know it could have been fixed by me fixing my plant and takeoff, but it being so late in the season, changing poles worked.

I definitely see what you all are talking about, and will focus on that in practice.

Thanks.