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Hi everyone. My question is as follows:
Is it fundamentally better to plant directly above your shoulder for a higher angle or to plant slightly lower but directly over your head?
I have heard coaches tell me to do both ways and just wanted to know if there is a preferred method.

My vote is overhead. If over the shoulder alignment is off to the side. That's less efficient mechanically since center of gravity and application of force aren't lined up. Alignment is important in all athletic endeavors.

Straight up over the shoulder also with the left hand to the right as well so that the top(right) hand, bottom(left) hand and right knee are all in alignment. Result everything goes straight in ,pole kicks left and shazaam away you go with a good take-off position!

Fundamentally? straight up over your body. It kind of follows the whole efficiency thing. Go by this:
When you are at the top of your plant/takeoff/end of run, your top hand should be directly over your shoulders, which should be directly over your hips, which should be directly over your take-off foot.
You should be able to draw a line from your hand to your foot, with the shoulders and hips along it, and it should be vertical. Then you will be at the highest possible point, which is best. Go google Bubka for reference. you should never have your top hand in front of you or you'll get jerked, and behind you is inefficient.
Now if your trying to figure out why higher vaulters often have their top hand back behind their head after take off, its more so because on bigger poles, the bend tends to be greater and really the pole has to have somewhere to go. My avatar for instance, I think that was on a 15'6 or a 16', can't remember, and my top hand was verticle at takeoff.

I believe that I am saying fundamentally the same thing as das stayed previously, simply in a different manner - standing on the ground place the pole straight up in the air with the plug end of the pole directly in front of your big toe on your jumping/takeoff foot (left foot for a right handed vaulter) Now, reach as high as you can on the pole with your top hand. Your head will naturally come to the left side of the pole (for a right handed vaulter and viceversa for leftys) and your shoulders and hips will be natually askew/asymmetrical. Now, picture this position as you are planting the pole and taking off - only now the plug end of the pole is in the box instead of in front of your jumping toe -