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Lets say you are consistently jumping X feet (we'll call it the "I've made this bar 4 weeks in a row" bar), and your PR is 4" or 6" over X feet.

You'd like to PR today, so where do you open? How much further below your PR or your "I've made this bar 4 weeks in a row" bar do you open?

Well, I VERY VERY consistently make 11'6"...and it's my PR... I intend to break 12' soon...hopefully VERY soon...lol...

But I always open up at 11'...so yea...

Just work off of that, I guess...lol

i believe that the typical rule of thumb for an opening height is generally a foot and a half below your PR. of course i have seen guys come in above their pr and clear a bar. it all depends on your progression through poles and how you are feeling. some guys need more jumps to warm up. others can start on a big stick and dont want to tire themselves out. also it can depend on the competition at the meet.

so, my advise is either use the foot and a half rule or decide what you want to jump and how many jumps you need prior to attempting that height(based on warming up, fatigue, grip height, pole size) and go with that.

Open 4- 6" below your 'X' bar,

jump the opening,
Jump the X bar,
Then PR.

if X bar is that automatic, then 2 jumps wont kill you before you get to your PR.

anyone agree\disagree?

Come in where you are comfortable. You can always pass heights.

My opening height is when you go out!

you should probably discuss it with your coach.

vaulterpunk wrote:you should probably discuss it with your coach.

I am the coach It was more of a general concensus question, rather than a specific one for me. I've always opened 1' below my PR, and have been teachin my kids to do the same, and am wondering if 18" below would be better (give one more 'warmup' jump at a low bar).

Whatever your REALISTIC goal for that day is, it should be your third bar. Jumps #5-8 will be your best of the day. If you take 2 in warm ups, that means #3 is the first bar, #4 the second bar, and #5 at the goal of the day...assuming you first attempt the lower heights.

Barto

For high schoolers it is better to come in lower and get more practice clearing bars. That's my opinion anyway

well im not good but my best is 10'6 as of yesterday, i always came in at 8 or 8'6. my old pr was 10

well for 4 or 5 meets in a row last season id start 6" above my pr, and id pr everytime. Althought i usually like to get a few jumps in warm-ups, make sure everythigns ok, and then start 6" below, or at my PR.