help!

[soccerbandit612]

i dont know if this should be in beginner or not but ill try here...

well i am about 170 pounds and i am jumping on a 175 13'6 pole and i am a junior now i have been pole vaulting since freshman year which when i started i was around 160 and jumping on a 195 13'6(which by the way isnt very fun). The biggest problem is i have been basically teaching myself the whole time because my freshman year was the first year we had pole-vaulting at our school for about 15 years and the kids basically know how to teach better then the coach which is not fun when ur looking for help.

i am holding about 2-3 feet down from the top of the pole i knw this isnt good because i am not bending the pole at all at where i am holding but my problem is that this is as high as i can hold while getting far enough into the pit to get vertical and over the bar... when i hold 2-3 ft below the end of the pole i knw i have no chance of bending the pole but i tried just going for it at the end of the pole after geting me steps and all that and when i did it i bent the pole but i couldnt control it and i dont knw what to do

plz help its very aggravating when u cant get any help from your coach

[vault3rb0y]

You dont need to bend the pole to vault high and vault properly. Actually, the longer you stiff pole, probably the better off you are when you start bending the pole. But buy the book "beginner to bubka 2" and read it, and if you take the drill suggestions and at least have a coach look and tell you if it looks like the pictures and video, you will have a shot at progressing this year. But a coach is crucial after a while, theres not really a substitute.

[soccerbandit612]

okay i have been jumping stiff pole for two years now and i think i got it so its as high as i can go which is around 10ft but if i buy the book is there anything i can do until i can get it because ive had no progress for a while

[powerplant42]

Get a shorter pole...duh. If you can't, then work on your take-off and runway speed (which you should be doing anyway...). Then you'll have the energy to roll the pole over gripping higher.

[vault3rb0y]

You just need to find the kind of pole that you can start bending. Remember to jump the same way you did with a stiff pole, only this one bends!! Every other concept is the same.

[soccerbandit612]

okay well my school gives like no money to track so i doubt getting a smaller 175 :/ but ill try working on my take off more and my runway speed

[Rhino]

Now hold on here. You can't get into the pit holding any higher than 10'6 to 11'6? By your listed body weight, I can surmise that you are not shorter than 5' 3" tall. I cannot fathom a guy who has been at this for more than a year and is of normal stature who cannot grip at least 13'. If you can touch a basketball goal and break 13.0 for 100M, I think this is automatic. Lay down the pole for a while and go to the long jump pit. Work on that until you can long jump near 18 feet, then use what you have learned to start inching your grip up the pole. Run up and jump to touch the goal posts now and then also.

Whatever you do though, don't raise your grip by 2 feet at once.

[rainbowgirl28]

Now hold on here. You can't get into the pit holding any higher than 10'6 to 11'6? By your listed body weight, I can surmise that you are not shorter than 5' 3" tall. I cannot fathom a guy who has been at this for more than a year and is of normal stature who cannot grip at least 13'. If you can touch a basketball goal and break 13.0 for 100M, I think this is automatic. Lay down the pole for a while and go to the long jump pit. Work on that until you can long jump near 18 feet, then use what you have learned to start inching your grip up the pole. Run up and jump to touch the goal posts now and then also.

Whatever you do though, don't raise your grip by 2 feet at once.

Maybe he pulls down really bad with his top arm?

[soccerbandit612]

thats the problem i really dont knw what im doing cause i have no help thats why i came here what i basically do is pull myself up and im pretty sure im not supposed to be doing that so im gonna take ur advice which i think is to hang and swing up and slowly try to inch up

[BritDawg]

thats the problem i really dont knw what im doing cause i have no help thats why i came here what i basically do is pull myself up and im pretty sure im not supposed to be doing that so im gonna take ur advice which i think is to hang and swing up and slowly try to inch up

So, first of all, pulling is a no-no in pole vaulting . Before you can even think about trying to swing and clear a bar, you really need to work on your take-off. Your arms should be punching straight up when you leave the ground. With your top hand at "12 o'clock" and your bottom hand at "2 o'clock". Your chest should also be moving forward (so that it is under your bottom hand), and your trail leg should be extended behind you so that your body looks like a "C" (from your top hand to your trail leg). The forward movement with your chest while keeping pressure on your hands and moving them up and into the pit will help to move the pole much quicker and allow you to grip higher and hopefully bend the pole.
Once you can hit this take off position, you will be able to whip your trail leg through and swing upside down.

It's hard to explain it in writing, but go to youtube and find videos of Bubka and some of the elite vaulters that you can watch over and over and see what you should look like. It also helps to video yourself if you can. Good Luck!

[AR01]

Try to get some video up of yourself. But I definately agree with BritDawg. Your takeoff is key to the rest of your vault.