Please help with invert! *video

[Brandenman10]

Please help me with my invert! I feel as I am maybe lunging to far with my lead leg unable to get my hips up because I feel like i am getting stuck about half way on the invert!

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXASDboJtI

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmbMtRfem4w

[grandevaulter]

1. Your plant timing is not correct. Top hand should be pushed high and you should be attempting to jump before the butt of your pole hits the back of the box. This is late. Your pole is bent well before you leave the ground. It appears that you are trying to bend the pole by blocking hard with your left arm. You continue to block with the left arm and that inhibits your swing.

2. You pull your trail leg in and fail to swing it to the cord of the pole, this also robs you of swing to get you into a position to break at the hips and push them up to inversion.

3. Your grip appears to be quite wide and this also appears to keep you from pushing your plant higher sooner. That left arm appears to be holding you from swinging to a position that would allow you to cover the pole.

Read the recent beginner post.

My three cents

[altius]

Never forget the pole vault begins with the first step - certainly never just at take off. Your problems may well be/almost certainly do represent issues earlier in the run, plant and take off.

[grandevaulter]

1. Your plant timing is not correct.

Your problems may well be/almost certainly do represent issues earlier in the run, plant and take off.

A solid approach and plant can be developed through a series of drills. Most young athletes cannot mirror a proper run just by watching. I suppose there are exceptions.

[willrieffer]

You have what I call swing progression which is that early on your body is forward of the ideal swing angle in time. It robs you of energy early and makes you see saw on the pole at the invert dropping your hips right about the time you're trying to get them over the pole. Much of the vault is about management of rotational energy, its initiation and timing in length control. I tell my kids this. Think about a figure skater doing a spin. When their arms and legs are outstretched they spin slow. In the vault this is what you want in the take off, early swing, and compression phase as a long slow swing "rolls" the pole toward the pit. Then a figure skater will shorten their rotational axis by pulling in their arms and legs and spin faster. This is what you need in transition to get your hips forward and above the pole. There is a balance between maximizing the early slow swing and then adjusting your swing speed mid vault so that you are not getting too far behind where your hips get caught behind the pole. Timing is essential. Then you extend to finish.

At take off you want to be as long/tall as possible. Press the pole up and leap and drive into the take off. Kick the take off leg down. This is imperative as it imparts rotational momentum that can be added to the swing. Press along the left arm and take off foot axis to maximize your length as you kick the take off foot down. At knee extension begin working the hip of the take off leg. Swing! You have to somewhat anticipate the pole recoil and at this point shorten your rotational length, that is bring the take off leg in as you keep pulling the drive leg knee back to the shoulder. Work with the arms to close the angle between the pole and torso, but it should be much much easier if you manage your rotational length properly.

With almost all beginning vaulters, every instinct is against what a good vault needs. They want to be closer to the box and pit, i.e. under. They want to pull with the arms and pull the legs up at or after plant when they need to extend and make themselves as long as possible. Many that can get a good plant and some swing want to pull late stopping the invert rotation.