Hand placement question

[C-townvault]

Some companies just a fix a label at a certain distance, ours is calculated.

Is this an assumption?

From what i've read and by talking to the old school officials and coaches, the poles are meant to be gripped all the way back. I heard the National body that governs high school track came up with the 6" rule?

I got a ? about a newer pole that has no max hand hold label. I am borrowing it from another high school and they said it was donated to them. What should i do to keep this pole in my selection for the big meets?

Also, a question about poles: How is a particular weight rating given for a pole. I understand the flexing system, but who decided what flex numbers correspond with a certain weight and why are they that weight?

[rainbowgirl28]

I heard the National body that governs high school track came up with the 6" rule?

When the rule first came out, it allowed for coaches to place a max handhold band 6" from the top if the manufacturer had not placed one on the pole. This is no longer a rule however.

I got a ? about a newer pole that has no max hand hold label. I am borrowing it from another high school and they said it was donated to them. What should i do to keep this pole in my selection for the big meets?

If the manufacturer put a sticker on it with a weight rating, that is the max hand hold label. If it is a newer pole and doesn't have one, someone must have taken it off or something.

If it really doesn't have one, contact the manufacturer. Gill Athletics will let you ship them the pole and they will recertify it with a weight label and all. UCS won't recertify poles, but Steve Chappell told me last fall that they send weight labels to coaches with old Spirit poles that did not have them. I'm not sure what Altius and ESSX do.

Manufacturers:
Gill (Pacer, Mystic, Ms. Stic, Skypole, all Pacer variations, Rocket, Big Sitck (and their lady counterparts)
UCS (Spirit)
Altius
XLogic (ESSX, and Catapole)

Also, a question about poles: How is a particular weight rating given for a pole. I understand the flexing system, but who decided what flex numbers correspond with a certain weight and why are they that weight?

Who decided? The manufacturers. How? Lots of trial and error.

[C-townvault]

Gill Athletics will let you ship them the pole and they will recertify it with a weight label and all.

I don't know if i have this luxury right now. middle of season, and only good pole to vault on. The pole was marked with athletic tape and a sharpie marked as a 185. The pole was a 15' 16.8. the ingraving indicated a 175lb rated pole. I knew it wasn't right the first day i looked at it, but like i said i dont have the luxury of sending my pole off and waiting on its return.


Also, is it possible that what one brand considers a 170 would be considered by another brand to be say a 165-160? I'm going by what i've seen from vaulters in my state that use Spirits. They never seem to have as powerful a jump as someone with say a Pacer carbon?

[rainbowgirl28]

Also, is it possible that what one brand considers a 170 would be considered by another brand to be say a 165-160? I'm going by what i've seen from vaulters in my state that use Spirits. They never seem to have as powerful a jump as someone with say a Pacer carbon?

It's definitely possible, but less likely in the longer (14'+) lengths than in the shorter lengths.

[Robert schmitt]

That can also be true in the same beand of pole depending on the year it was made.

I have some gill poles made when Best flex first came out and they have a lable that states some thing to the effect that "this pole was rated using the best flex system it may perform like a pole rated 5-10lbs lighter rated before the best flex system" If you really want to know exactly what it said e-mail PVjunkie or I can actually pull the pole out of storage and write the whole thing down.

Also, I've noticed older altius poles have flex # much stiffer than the comparable wieght on a new altius.