Cant Ride it up

[bzugar]

Hi, I'm new here but i have been pole vaulting since my freshman year of high school and I'm a sophomore in high school. Last year I wasn't the greatest but in the past week I've really gotten the hang of it and i cleared 10' bungee on a 5 step but two days ago i started with my 7 step and i was doing fine, clearing 11' bungee. At my 7 step I am all the way up on a 12'6" sky pole. Today at practice we put the bar up and i went from my 7 step at 9' and only made it once and even then i clipped the bar but it stayed up. My coach says I'm not riding the pole up all the way, which I've noticed. also late we put up the bungee to 11' and at 10'6" and I still couldn't ride it up all the way.

I use a 140lb 12'6" Skypole, is there any advise you could give me?

[dj]

how high are you gripping....

dj

[bzugar]

about 12' up on the pole

[dj]

you could be gripping to high,,,

you might post a video so you can get some good feed back..

dj

[vquestpvc]

The title of your posting "can't ride it up" is most interesting and might be the problem. There is no "riding the pole". Riding implies not moving which is what most young vaulters do. One has to learn to keep moving throughout the vault which starts with the approach. One tendency is to slow down at takeoff.........that's not continuing to move. Additionally, one doesn't get the hands extended and high; again, discontinued movement. Upon takeoff, there is a tendency to just hang on the pole when actually after extending off the takeoff foot the leg is whipped through. And then "while" inverting, one must pull through the pole while thrusting the hips up and initiating the turn. A quick summary, but in essence the vault. What makes it different for a "successful" vaulter and a beginner is most definitely well instructed reps, but during actual vaulting it is continued movement through the vault until one lands on the pit. And remember, every preceding phase of the vault will effect the next phase so it is necessary to have a good approach for a good takeoff for a good extended trail leg into inversion, etc, etc. A HS vaulter can actually vault 12'-13' with just a good approach and takeoff, but wouldn't it be great to exceed average.

[bzugar]

what i mean by riding it up is that i turn to early as if im only trying for the height the bar/bungee is at and not higher like i used to be able to do the day before this started happening

[dj]

hey

how far back are your standards?

the vault is RUN---PLANT---SWING..

like vq said... go back to the run... if the run is right you should be able to plant high, early (on time) and "ON"...

if you do that and "swing" you should come off the pole at or above the grip...

a 12 foot grip is high enough to jump 11-6, on average....

video??

dj

[bzugar]

im not sure how far back the standards are but i think they are at 20

thanks for your help guys

dj ill try to get a video up tomorrow if i can