Pole change (13 - 14ft)

[Haverford123]

spring track has finally begun over here in PA and so we started vaulting again. My coach told me that i HAVE to get on a 14ft pole this year stating that none of the district qualifiers jump on 13ft poles (with some exaggeration).

well my grip is around 12'6 on a 13' pacer 140lbs (i weigh around 125, 5ft 8, i take 7 lefts at 79'6)
i jump 11'6 pretty consistently now and im dying to get higher

i realized how stiff the 14ft poles get and so i figured that the only pole i can get on for now is a 14'3 altius 130lb pole...

i understand that longer vaulting poles do not necessarily help get higher heights but i have no choice due to a lack of poles we have at my school

1. there arent any stiffer poles i can physically get on (i tried, and hurt my self trying to get on a 13' 155 altius pole ... i was able to use a 13'1 150 skypole but the pacer took me higher for some reason )
2. there arent any 13'6 poles i can get on...

so now i have to live with using this 14'3 pole to help me to get a shot at districts which is 12'6 over here in my area...


sorry for that really long comment but im very frustrated with my vaulting right now especially because i feel like i cant get on the 14'3....

and this was a complete shot in the dark but im hoping ican get some answers or possibly links to other similar posts
(im bad at using the search thing on this site)

THANKS!

oh and i was also curious if it takes away too much time to join the track team in college... i would like to study and all but i do want to vault in college but im not sure if track in college will hinder any learning or what not...

[VaultPurple]

well my grip is around 12'6 on a 13' pacer 140lbs (i weigh around 125)
i jump 11'6 pretty consistently now and im dying to get higher

i realized how stiff the 14ft poles get and so i figured that the only pole i can get on for now is a 14'3 altius 130lb pole...

i understand that longer vaulting poles do not necessarily help get higher heights but i have no choice due to a lack of poles we have at my school

1. there arent any stiffer poles i can physically get on (i tried, and hurt my self trying to get on a 13' 155 altius pole ... i was able to use a 13'1 150 skypole but the pacer took me higher for some reason )
2. there arent any 13'6 poles i can get on...

so now i have to live with using this 14'3 pole to help me to get a shot at districts which is 12'6 over here in my area...

if 12'6 is to get to districts then you should have no problme with that gripping 12'6 but with maybe a little stiffer than a 140..


1. Are you changing your hand grips with these poles? because if you cant get on taller poles keep the same 12'6 hand hold and go for stiffer poles so you get a higher push off.

2.What stride are you coming from and how tall are you because those are large factors on easily getting on larger poles.

3. You should deffentitly try to work your way up to the top of the 13' poles and deffinetly get to holding 13' on the 13' 155 befor you move to the 13'6 or 14.... there is no reason to make big jumps


and your coaches statement about everyone at districts jumps on 14' poles i most likely a false guess... because i know a bunch of 13-14 foot jumpers that dont even jump on 14' poles

[sooch90]

hey man, what division are you? hopefully i'll see you this year at districts!

I would definitely suggest getting some videos up that clearly show all parts of your jump from a side angle (including your run)

14' 3" altius 130lb pole = 13' 152.5 lb pole

so that's about the same thing as your 13' 1 150lb skypole.

going up 10 lbs in pole is doable, just lower your grip 3 inches or so, and raise it up as you penetrate deeper in to the pits.

But really, being on that 14' pole has little to do with going to districts. Just remember to factor in the weight of the pole, the grip, etc.

[AeroVault]

i realized how stiff the 14ft poles get and so i figured that the only pole i can get on for now is a 14'3 altius 130lb pole...

Get this idea out of your head. So much of vaulting (any sport really) is mental. There are comparable stiffnesses of poles between the 13 and 14' range, it just might require some trading around with other schools.

i understand that longer vaulting poles do not necessarily help get higher heights

Absolutely true. It changes the timing, and can give you more time to get inverted if your swing is a bit slow, but I do not recommend moving up lengths unless you are jumping above your grip. 13' seems plenty long enough for proper vault technique.

This thread about fear of 15 footers sounds similar to your post http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/vie ... hp?t=13950

Also read and understand the pole progression chart
http://www.skyjumpers.com/articles/pvpr ... table.html

Keep your same grip and move to a pole of slightly higher relative stiffness. If it's got to be a 14 footer, keep your grip low and slowly move up towards the end. As always, take-off is crucial. Good luck.

oh and i was also curious if it takes away too much time to join the track team in college...

Too much time, no. Lots of time, yes, but it is worth every minute. Plus most schools have resources to help student athletes manage their sport and schoolwork.

[Haverford123]

so today i went on a 13'3 150 altius pole switching from the 13'1 140 pacer and i felt like i didnt have as much penetration even with trying to run faster... my last attempt at 12 ft. i gotenough penetration but
"didnt finish the jump" as my coach always says...

but besides that,,, my coach tells me that i have to hold the plant longer,, is that what we are supposed to do?
he said to hold theplant a split second before you swing,,, but i dont see how thats physically possible,,,

so i was wondering how i should get on the 13'3 150 first.. before i even start thinking about the 14'3 pole... (my grip is still 12'6, im 5'8, 125 lbs)

[RCBvault]

There isn't really any press time on a 13' pole. I'm assuming that's what your coach is talking about by "holding". In my experience with vaulters, they have a fair amount of trouble moving from a 13' to a 14'. I believe it is mostly because of this factor (and obviousy it is a foot longer and thus further back). A 13' pole moves too fast to give a real press. Try working on tall, powerful takeoffs. Get your hands high, head NOT looking down, lead knee driving hard, trail leg strong. Once you have a powerful takeoff, it will be easier to get on bigger poles. Once again this is just my impression from working with multiple vaulters and from years of vaulting experience.

REMEMBER: The key to a great vault is a strong takeoff. Good Luck!