Does "Reverse Bend" Stiffen a Pole?

[ClintonMagus]

There are a lot of techniques for making a pole feel "bigger", such as gripping lower, etc. This is probably a silly question, but can you accomplish the same thing by reversing the bend of the pole, or is this just a bad idea?

[rainbowgirl28]

The pole will twist in your hands and could shoot the vaulter off to the side. I don't recommend it!

[ClintonMagus]

That was my thought, but someone asked me that question yesterday, and I wasn't sure.

[botakatobi]

This idea was tested in the early 1960's with some success. In fact, the first 16 foot indoor and outdoor clearance was done by John Uelses who intentionally wanted the pole to bend rearwards instead of forwards.

The pole wants to go forward and turning the soft side backwards would probably result in the pole twisting.

Best bet is to hold down or obtain a stiffer pole.

[maranble]

Holding down on a pole, while it may make it FEEL stiffer, will only make it roll to vertical easier. One good option is to keep your current grip height but to narrow your grip. It will cause you to back off of your takeoff a little bit and initiate your swing sooner. Which will result in more vertical shoot instead of shooting outwards.