Inversion. The dreaded L position.

[Jungm1420]

Ok so i just read one of about a thousnd posts on here about the problem with getti g into that L position and then extending out and not up. Which the cause is not having enough momentum through your take off and swing up. I do those two things pretty well. There is always room for improvement but i do them well enough that i should be able to swing up and get inverted just fine i think. But i am blowing through my pole. I need to find a heavier one. I will be jumping on a pole about 15-20lbs over my weight. Could not having a heavy enough pole make the inversion straight up the pole harder as well? Once i get a stiffer pole will that help me out of that L position?

[rainbowgirl28]

Are your standards all the way back and you're landing deep in the pit when you blow through the pole?

[Jungm1420]

Yep. All the way back to 31 1/2. Even today at our meet i used a 13' 140lb pole from my 6 lefts and was still blowing through. The coach there that was helpin me suggested i try and find a 13' 150. Could not having a big enough pole make it harder to come off the top of the pole? That is what it seemed like he was saying. That until i got a big enough pole i wouldnt be able to invert completely.

[rainbowgirl28]

Yep. All the way back to 31 1/2. Even today at our meet i used a 13' 140lb pole from my 6 lefts and was still blowing through. The coach there that was helpin me suggested i try and find a 13' 150. Could not having a big enough pole make it harder to come off the top of the pole? That is what it seemed like he was saying. That until i got a big enough pole i wouldnt be able to invert completely.

It is always helpful to have the right size pole! That's not going to magically fix your problem, but it's a step in the right direction

[Jungm1420]

Yea. Also i was like a foot under on my take off yesterday to start. Then the coach there helped me and got that fixed. Does being under on your takeoff cause the pole to move slower? Because i was under and still blowing through.

[rainbowgirl28]

Yea. Also i was like a foot under on my take off yesterday to start. Then the coach there helped me and got that fixed. Does being under on your takeoff cause the pole to move slower? Because i was under and still blowing through.

Yes, being under can slow it down. You sound ready for a bigger pole!

[Jungm1420]

Yea. I was supposed to get a 13' 150 today for my meet but when i got it the pole was only 11'6". But i wouldnt have been able to use it today. Idk what my deal was today but my takeoff was bad. It was either under by a foot or out like 6" to a ft. And even if my step was under i felt like i was out from my step. For a while i was just running through to get the feel of it. I didnt feel to great about any of my takeoffs today besides maybe 5. I even set my new PR at 11' somehow! I just think because my take off was so messed up i wasnt blowing through as much. But i could tell bc i couldnt jump over my grip bc of my take off i couldnt swing up. I still need a bigger pole though. Today was the first day this year i really didnt feel good at my takeoff. And i cleared 11'?!? So weird.

[rainbowgirl28]

I just think because my take off was so messed up i wasnt blowing through as much.

That's probably exactly what happened!

[Jungm1420]

ok. so i will def need a bigger pole. as long as i dont have another day where my takeoff is crap i should do fine with the 13 foot 150lb pole that i am getting this weekend. but if i go to a meet and my steps r off or sumthn that day and i cant get up on that pole i will be screwed bc the 140 i am using is borrowed and since it isnt the actual pole i will be using the school isnt going to buy it. and the pole i am getting now i can just borrow and not have to buy bc my uncle is the super intendent at the school i am getting it from. and i dont think they have any smaller ones. the next size i could use is our 12'6 140. i should prolly take that also to all my meets to warm up with and in case i am off that day again. bc i know these types of things can happen often in pole vault. luckily the other day it turned out good for me. haha