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I PRed at Regions, and I just want to know what are some of my weaknesses and strengths so that I can work on my weaknesses and continue with my strengths

I know my left arm collapses. However, I thought I try really hard to push up with my two arms...

Height-14'
I am on a 14' UCS Spirit, griping around 13'7"
7 lefts

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1519803122

You're running pretty well, you could carry a little tighter to your body I think, your left arm isn't pushing up, like you said, you could stay longer through the chord of the pole, and then once you're inverted you're just sort of waiting for the pole to catapault you instead of working to stay ahead of the pole. Hope that helps!

Well, the focus shouldn't be on pushing your bottom arm up more, but instead getting a more outside takeoff. You takeoff from way under, but if you fix this, the left arm will not be right in your face as much.

Also, if you watch closely, you pull with the top arm as you swing your legs up. Keep the top arm (right arm) straight all the way through the swing up. It should only bend after you roll the hips up in to an inverted position and begin to rotate and come off the pole.

congrats on the pr!

Well the first thing I would do is get down on one knee and thank heavens that the bar stayed on, but thats just me , nice job on the PR though. I agree but disagree with sooch. You do want to push both hands up, but doing so from your 1' under take off position (at least on the one vault video you posted) would lead to an unsafe vault (i.e. pole possibly breaking). Working on your run and shooting for a free, not outside, take off will place your top hand over your take off toe, giving you the speed and the hip positioning to take off while applying upward pressure with both hands. You have a decent drive leg so it looks like just moving your steps back a bit would help, it doesn't look like you are striding out in your run. Try that and see if it helps, keep us informed.

thanks for the beneficial replies

OH-IOvaulter, what do you mean by: but doing so from your 1' under take off position (at least on the one vault video you posted) would lead to an unsafe vault (i.e. pole possibly breaking).

Also, I try to not be so under, but I think it's an unconscious action. Is there anyway to improve this? And I heard somewhere that backing up the steps will not help because unconsciously, you will still jump from that same "comfortable" position.

For the first part, I mean if you had both hands pushing vertical from significantly under, the degree to which the pole will most likely bend greatly increases, with a great increase of degree of bend the obvious is also possible.

For the second part, it depends on the jumper. If you've been consistently taking off from 1' under, then no moving them back won't work because your mind sees that take off spot as acceptable and comfortable, especially if you've been sufficiently penetrating the pit. If you can force yourself to not over stride the last 3 lefts then moving them back should work. The question is for your coach more so: is your mid mark on? If it is, you are over striding the last 3 lefts, if its not and you are past it, then steps can be moved back.

Either way the best thing to do drill wise is off the runway on the track pole carries; when your mind doesn't have the visual cue of the box you tend not to stride out as much and with repetition you can correct it.

I hope that helps best of luck

Many Many vaulters have a hard time fixing there takeoff. and no matter what, weather they move there steps backwards or forwards they still takeoff under. this usually occurs because if you move your step back you subconciously stride or run harder so your still takeing off under. basically look at Dj's mid mark chart and establish a mid mark that with fit you. and dont stride out no matter what.

ONE DRILL: 20/20s...
Best drill for this problem EVER. Maybe throw a plant and a jump at the end if you want to make it closer to a real vault.

what are 20/20s?

that and your left arm needs to be as high as possible. that will help you almost Imeasurably

20 steps (10 lefts) in 20 meters, while constantly accelerating. Sounds easy... it's not. Best running drill out there, helps acceleration rythm, high knees, and most of all, CONSISTENT CADENCE! I do them every practice when I don't actually vault, 10 reps, have to get the last two in a row perfectly or else I go until I do (takes a long time sometimes... ).

OH-IOvaulter wrote:Well the first thing I would do is get down on one knee and thank heavens that the bar stayed on, but thats just me ,

Using standards that violate the technical rules helped a lot. They shouldn't extend upwards more than 35-40mm from the pegs.

You are way under. The 1' estimate sounds about right. Your trailing leg collapses (probably one reason your inversion happens fairly quickly, but it limits you in pole selection, since you'll transfer less energy into the pole).

Improve running form (20/20's, claws, ostrich done with a pole).