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So, today we had a meet and I decided to use a pole that I never knew existed. I used to use a 140lb 13'3" (very old and bent a lot) and only cleared 11 with it. Today I switch to a 125lb 14' (I weigh 128), and I got a new PR of 12'6".

So using longer poles definitely helps I think.

What do you guy recommend that I do to improve my vaulting with the 14' pole.

THanks

u should work on getting good enough form to clear your handgrip before bumping up to bigger poles im clearing 12ft 6 inches on my 12ft 140 and i need to get on a bigger pole but .. u can get on a big pole as long as your penetrating well enough and swinging into your vert ... thatll get u up there ... but forms always better than length of pole

form is very important and so is jumping over your hand grip, but if you look at a pole progression chart, you shouldnt really start jumping your hand grip until you are on 13ish size poles (not that it is impossiable but unless your under 5'6 theres not just much room for the bend.. im 5'5 and got 13 holding 12'6 on a pole 30lb over my weight but my friend who is 6'3 might could get 11 with that pole).

but the number one thing here is you are 128lb so you should at least be using a 130lb (or it is illegal).

and if you used a 14 and jumped a foot and a half better then it is not all the pole.. because thats only 9 more inches of pole, and not as much pop... so you possiably could have jumped just as high with the other pole!

and I'm not holding at the top of the 14' pole.

So once you are landing deep/far into the pit, you should move up hand grip/longer pole?

Hey so i would say that it is much more essential, because I am assuming that you are a high schooler, to get the proper run, plant and take off mechanics before worrying about swing "technique". I would much rather see a guy jumping 12' on a 15' pole 30 lbs over his weight than a guy jumping 12' 6" on an 11 foot pole at his weight. with that said, I also think that you should go a little stiffer before you go longer. Maybe jump on a 13 150 then go to a 14 135, or something of that nature. To give you an idea what your capable of, the kid who won state last year was 5'5", 125 and jumped on a 14 170 before moving up to his 15 foot poles. He jumped 16' 2" that day.

At your stage, moving up hand grip needs to be the least of your worries. Hold no higher than 13' until until you are clearing 14', and just go up in stiffness. Work on a strong take off (that is not very far under) and most of the jump comes easily and somewhat automatically after that. its ok to use a 14' 125 if you weigh 128, just again hold no higher than 13'. It will be the same as holding 13' on a 13'3 145Ib pole.

Holding higher is an easy but dangerous and eventually hieght-limiting fix to your vault. Most good 14'-15' high school vaulters have the ability to grip at 15' on a pole, but know that if they do, it will be much harder to go higher, because you can only grip so high before you have to push with a top end the rest of the way. You might as well learn how to push 30 inches now to clear 14', so that when you need to raise your grip you already have an idea of what to do to push 35 inches to clear 15'6", for example.