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i am a sophomore in high school, and i weigh 132lbs, and i am 6' 0"

my p.r. is ten feet, but season is just starting, the 135 14' pole i'm using feels all wrong.

what weight rating pole do i want to use, and how long?

i was looking at a 135lb pole that is 12' long. or a 145lb pole that is 13'

point is i need some help, my school doesnt have a pole vault coach, so we're basically all alone over at the pit.

When you say the 14' 135 you are on feel wrong, what do you mean? Are you able to bend it at all? Where do you usually grip? Either way, jumping down to a 12' 135 will probably not be enough pole for you. If you are looking for a 12' pole I would suggest going with at least 12' 145, if not higher. For a 13' pole, a 13' 145 might not be a bad choice. A 13' 135 holding at 12' will be close to as stiff as a 12' 155, or a 14' 125 holding at 12' also. Thats why I would think a 12' 135 would be way to soft.
It all depends on how you feel jumping on the 14' 135. Any insight on how your jumps on that feel to you would help a lot in figuring out which pole to use.

You are too tall for 12' poles, but a 13' pole would be a good start. Tell us more about where you are holding on the 14' pole, how much it is bending, and where you normally keep your standards.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:You are too tall for 12' poles, but a 13' pole would be a good start. Tell us more about where you are holding on the 14' pole, how much it is bending, and where you normally keep your standards.

ok,i'm not sure the exact place i am holding on the pole, but i would assume it is around 13' 6" one of our coaches (out of 2) told me that i should try a shorter pole that may be easier to bend, but he is no expert, you guys are. i thought a shorter pole would be the exact opposite way i needed to go. when i get a good consistent sprint goin in i get little bend, occasionally i will go in and fly up, with a great amount of bend. i feel stupid asking a basic question like this, but wich way is the natural bend in the pole supposed to go, i asked my coach, but he didnt know. and i am not sure how many steps i should take for my run up. right now i take ten, but i feel like i want to move it back. i have my standards start around 23 at 8, and as i go up to around ten, the are at 18. but i am almost virtually straight poling it most of the time. when i get a good jump, the standards are not set close enough. what are the benefits of having a pole that is ten lbs more than my body weight? would i rather have one as close to my body weight as possible or a little over?

One of my biggest problems is consistency, but i hope you can help me with the other ones that are more technical. that is about all. thank you guys so much in advance.

Calvin

ps. i'll try and get a video for you guys soon. it will help you see all my problems. and there are a lot of them.

duhcalvin wrote:

rainbowgirl28 wrote:You are too tall for 12' poles, but a 13' pole would be a good start. Tell us more about where you are holding on the 14' pole, how much it is bending, and where you normally keep your standards.

ok,i'm not sure the exact place i am holding on the pole, but i would assume it is around 13' 6" one of our coaches (out of 2) told me that i should try a shorter pole that may be easier to bend, but he is no expert, you guys are. i thought a shorter pole would be the exact opposite way i needed to go. when i get a good consistent sprint goin in i get little bend, occasionally i will go in and fly up, with a great amount of bend. i feel stupid asking a basic question like this, but wich way is the natural bend in the pole supposed to go, i asked my coach, but he didnt know. and i am not sure how many steps i should take for my run up. right now i take ten, but i feel like i want to move it back. i have my standards start around 23 at 8, and as i go up to around ten, the are at 18. but i am almost virtually straight poling it most of the time. when i get a good jump, the standards are not set close enough. what are the benefits of having a pole that is ten lbs more than my body weight? would i rather have one as close to my body weight as possible or a little over?

One of my biggest problems is consistency, but i hope you can help me with the other ones that are more technical. that is about all. thank you guys so much in advance.

Calvin

ps. i'll try and get a video for you guys soon. it will help you see all my problems. and there are a lot of them.

For how low you are vaulting, and the fact that you are not getting very deep, I think a shorter pole would be good. Hopefully you can get to that club you wanted to go to and try some different poles with some good coaches.

Try dropping your grip down another 6". It's ok if you are just straight poling. Keep your standards all the way back and focus on having a nice tall plant. Stay at 10 steps (5 lefts), especially if you are having problems with consistency. It's better to be on a pole that is more over your body weight, it is a sign that you are doing things right. But it's a progression, you have to earn your way there.