PoleVaultPower.com

First off, I apologize for the terrible video quality. Hopefully I'll be able to scrounge up a tripod before my next vault practice.

Here are some of my stats:
Grade: Senior (HS)
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 140lbs
Personal best: 13'0"
Typical poles: 13' 140, 13' 150, 13' 160 (meet pole) all gripping at 12'10"
Things I know I need work on: trail leg, bigger bottom arm at take off (?)

This first video is just a few shots of me doing a pole run. I've never gotten much critique on my runs before, so any help would be appreciated. I noticed that my plant is a little forward in these videos. Also, what should I be doing with my head on pole runs? In all these runs I'm pretty much staring at the ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiywZ-r3c1k

This video is a mix of me doing running plant drills, half drills, and three different bungies at 12', 13', and 13'6". I think I'm staring at the bungie on all three jumps. Again, my trail leg really sucks, and my bottom arm looks like it's getting progressively worse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCCmEcTO1DI

Again, sorry for the terrible video taping. Better video is on the way!

Thanks in advance for any help.

Alright! You've started with your pole runs! Like I said in my PM, I don't have much time right now, but I'll say that you should try the 'weighted tip' drill (it's mentioned in my 'database' thread as a variation of a pole run). See if you can still run with the pole using ~10 pounds!

Yeah it does look like you are looking at the bungee since you aren't fully inverted even though you have the pole speed to do it. I would throw the bungee up to 15+ and get the feeling of your shoulders coming all the way back.

g00eY wrote: Things I know I need work on: trail leg ...

Yup!

g00eY wrote: Things I know I need work on: ... bigger bottom arm at take off (?)

Nope!

To remind you of a thread that you started 2 years ago ... "Bottom arm - is this bad?" http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=11827&p=88276&hilit=g00ey#p88276

On that thread, you said you were 6" under. If you just took off further back, and jumped into the vault ... leaning more forwards ... you wouldn't be sucked under so bad. You would have found that the pole would bend earlier, away from your bottom arm. So there would be no need to keep pushing with your bottom arm.

But since that thread was 2 years ago, I'm curious as to why you haven't figured that out yet?

On that thread, Vaultman18 gave you some good advice. The advice from someone else to continue to PUSH after takeoff wasn't so good - if you're following the Petrov model. If I were you, I'd heed Vaultman's advice.

Kirk

Man... I completely forgot about that other thread!

I will continue to work on getting my run farther out. I think there was only one jump that day where I felt comfortably on. Every other time was consistently 6" under.

Do some research on pole carry and drop. Bubka never had the pole tip 2 to 3 feet to the left of his body when he ran. As has been mentioned countless times, problems during the jump usually are a result of everything that happens before the problem. Your pole carry and drop might seem like a small thing and not important, but realize everything, technique wise, is important. I'd also like to see a little taller run. Good luck...............Later..........Mike

I did a search of PVP and read that article by Petrov. I tried moving my left hand from my left shoulder to right in front of my sternum. It feels pretty comfortable. I'll get some more pole run video as soon as my hamstring feels better.