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Today I vaulted 8'4" over a crossbar from 4 steps (2 lefts) with a closed grip (my top hand and bottom hand touching on the pole).

I think all of our high school girls that have tried the drill so far have gotten 7'0 and 7'6" from 4 steps.

What's your closed grip PR?

how would u hold it on the runway??. do u have to let the tip drag?

There are 5 ways I can think of to run with the pole closed grip:

1. Old school steel pole style - carry it with a wide grip, then slide the bottom hand up until your hands are together. I wouldn't recommend actually doing it, as you'd probably teach yourself a bad habit (I've seen masters guys who have a hard time keeping that bottom hand from sliding up).

2. Carry (starting at hip) with a closed grip - carry like you would normally only with a closed grip. This is pretty awkward, but doable from a short run.

3. Carry (starting at ear) with a closed grip - carry it with a closed grip and start at your ear. We make our kids do this from 2 steps (1 left) to practice jumping over the tip. It would be hard to run like that for more than 4 steps.

4. Push the pole with both hands on the pole with a closed grip - leave the tip on the runway and have your hands together above your shoulder. All you have to do is push your hands straight up to plant the pole. This would be somewhat awkward from a long run, but works great from 4-8 steps (2-4 lefts). This is what I was doing when I cleared 8'4".

5. Push the pole with one hand and grab closed grip - you would have the tip on the runway and about 3 steps away from the plant, reach your bottom hand up and grab right below your top hand. Kris has had kids try this before, but it's pretty hard to do and I don't recommend it.

4 steps/2 lefts - 10'0 - gripping 10'6

I cleared 8'6" last time I jumped 4 steps closed grip.

lonestar wrote:4 steps/2 lefts - 10'0 - gripping 10'6

Same here! But I have gone 11'3" from 3 lefts with the same grip

12'6", but from five lefts. Good fun, lots and lots of fun. I do the push with one hand and reach the other up, which actually makes it hard to get hands right together, but, I'm actually a bit faster this way, but tend to wear out a bunch of tips from pushing the pole.

I was in GA today and talked to Coach James. He said Brad Smith has cleared 14'6" with a closed grip. Don't know how long of a run that was... I am guessing more than four steps.

Jason Hinkin cleared 16' in '98 at Reno with a closed grip on a 14'/155 he just grabbed from some HSer who was waiting in line to go.

this isn't a closed grip jump, but I jumped 10' from one left on a medium flex old metal training pole gripping about 10' or so.