Tips for swapping to a new pole

[Vault101 Boy]

I'm currently on a 13'6 150lb pacer, holding at 13'ish. I can easily hold at the top, but the pole gets way to much flex in it if i do(one time i rolled off the end of the pit). I have the ability to vault slightly above my handhold so i've cleared 13' 4" on it before, but anything higher and i just dont have enough push. Ive been hoping to swap on to a 14' 150lb pacer for a while, but i just cant seem to get over the difference in the bend. The times that ive hopped on it with about a 13' grip, i was getting my hips easily over 14'. I tried a week ago seeing if an increased summer training regiment (lots of non swinging bubkas) would help and now im getting significant bend if i hold at 13'8"ish grip, but cant come off the top like i do on the smaller pole.

With all that said, id say what im trying to ask is how to make the transition from a soft pole to what feels like a much stiffer pole. If its a mental thing does anyone have any suggestions on how to get over that wall.

[rainbowgirl28]

Where are your standards when you use the 13'6 pole?

[warndog]

I'm on a 13' 140 spirit and im holding down on it and it still has to much flex but i try switching to a 14' 140 or a 13'6" 145 and they both have a softer flex but i cant even come close to pit sometimes i dont even make it to the mats. my standards on the 13" 140 are all the way back and i still cant get it to unbend intime. i dont see why i cant bend a pole with a much softer flex.

[Vault101 Boy]

26/27"ish if i get a solid jump off the ground and get a full transition to vertical, but 29" to all the way back if my take off is sloppy. If i get penetration in with the 14' pole im at about 18" on standards.

@warndog Just because the poles are softer doesnt mean that they are actually softer where you are holding at. Remember that every 6inches down the pole is 10lbs more of weight (and less flex). So if you hold a foot down on the 14 140 your dealing with a 160 lb pole where the flex will be a lot less. A lot of my problem i think is mental and yours probably is too, or bad mechanics. You can get a ton of bend out of a pole from bad form (example: Holding a foot from a top going from a 4th left, i bent a 13'6" 165 practically in half). I almost broke a pole 30 lbs heavier than me holding nowhere near the top. When you vault like you would on the smaller pole you get spit out. YOu have to make sure your momentum is all heading in an upward direction (Stop the swing and your done for). If you can upload a video, I may be able to help you with what needs to be fixed before you bump to the next pole, as thats what i trained for over the summer, my problem is getting used to the new poles bend. Ill try and upload some of my bad form vaults and try and show the difference of me now.

[rainbowgirl28]

I'm on a 13' 140 spirit and im holding down on it and it still has to much flex but i try switching to a 14' 140 or a 13'6" 145 and they both have a softer flex but i cant even come close to pit sometimes i dont even make it to the mats. my standards on the 13" 140 are all the way back and i still cant get it to unbend intime. i dont see why i cant bend a pole with a much softer flex.

Poles of different lengths are flexed on different spans, so you can't compare their flex numbers. A 14' 140 and 13'6 145 are bigger poles than a 13'140.

Check out this chart: http://www.skyjumpers.com/articles/pvpr ... table.html

[rainbowgirl28]

26/27"ish if i get a solid jump off the ground and get a full transition to vertical, but 29" to all the way back if my take off is sloppy. If i get penetration in with the 14' pole im at about 18" on standards.

@warndog Just because the poles are softer doesnt mean that they are actually softer where you are holding at. Remember that every 6inches down the pole is 10lbs more of weight (and less flex). So if you hold a foot down on the 14 140 your dealing with a 160 lb pole where the flex will be a lot less. A lot of my problem i think is mental and yours probably is too, or bad mechanics. You can get a ton of bend out of a pole from bad form (example: Holding a foot from a top going from a 4th left, i bent a 13'6" 165 practically in half). I almost broke a pole 30 lbs heavier than me holding nowhere near the top. When you vault like you would on the smaller pole you get spit out. YOu have to make sure your momentum is all heading in an upward direction (Stop the swing and your done for). If you can upload a video, I may be able to help you with what needs to be fixed before you bump to the next pole, as thats what i trained for over the summer, my problem is getting used to the new poles bend. Ill try and upload some of my bad form vaults and try and show the difference of me now.

It sounds like you're really close to getting it, you're just moving up poles a tad too soon. Stay on the shorter pole until you're having good jumps and knocking off the bar on the way up with the standards at 32. When you can do that, then you are ready for the 14' pole. Only raise your grip an inch or two from where it was on the 13'6 pole and you should be fine as long as you do not dramatically change your technique.

[Vault101 Boy]

Here's a video of me vaulting this past sunday mixed with vaults from the beginning of summer. The side by side shows the difference in the swing and plant at the same speed (stride is identical in the two). I was using the same pole throughout the summer and bungies were between 13' to 14'6/15'. One video makes it seem like the pole turned to the runway and shot me off into the pit. Can you glean any indication as to how close I might be to jumping up poles. The pole I'm jumping to is used in the last video at a 12' foot clearance at sectionals so I've gotten on it before but I'm hardly consistent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NCeof4wwps