Difference in height from a seven step and a five step?

[Rosie<3]

I know what the technical difference between the two are. Everyone says that you go higher when you do a 7 step approach. IS this true? and how much higher? Like a foot, a half a foot? I can clear 9' from a five step, but only 9'6" from a 7 step. I feel like some people jump a foot higher or even a foot and a half higher from 7's. I feel like my 7's arent much better than my fives. Is this normal?

[rainbowgirl28]

I know what the technical difference between the two are, but i always do fives and have never done a seven Everyone says that you go higher when you do a 7 step approach. IS this true? and how much higher? Like a foot, a half a foot? I can no touch an 8'6 bungee (although i haven't done it in a meet yet), so if i can do that from a 5, do you think i will be able to no touch a 9 foot or 9'6 bungee from a 7 step approach and probably get 8'6 at a meet? Also, what could be holding my coach back from letting me do a 7? Are they more difficult, do you have to run better? I am a lot more comfortable at a 5 step than a 3 step.

Hi Rosie, you don't need to run from more than 5 lefts until you can jump about 10 feet or so. More speed down the runway won't help until you have better technique and a more consistent run. If you went back to 7 right now, you might even jump lower! It sounds like your coach knows what they are talking about, ask them what they want to see you do before you move back to a longer run.

[Rosie<3]

Thanks, that's what i thought but i know girls at my club who go from 7's and only clear 8'6 from them and only do 7'6 from 5's so i was just kind of confused. But it probably is because my run is inconsistent. When i grip 9'9 sometimes i have to run from 47.5 and sometimes i run from 50.5. Part of my run though is a late pole drop and i need to run taller, can somebody give me advice on how to fix that?

[Kris]

Also, a longer approach won't necessarily help, it might turn out to make your vault worse if you are unable to use it to your advantage.
The idea of the longer approach is to increase your speed, but if you are unable to accelerate throughout the run, which may be the case for some rookie-vaulters who aren't used to running with a large pole, then it won't help to add 2 extra steps, it will just make it harder to focus all the way through the approach and vault since you have even more to think about.