"under" on my step everytime...

A forum to discuss pole vault technique as it relates to beginning vaulters. If you have been jumping less than a year, this is the forum for you.

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PV CaRaZzY65
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Unread postby PV CaRaZzY65 » Wed May 11, 2005 9:57 pm

okay, so i finally figured out what my problem is, by the way i did get 8.0 again on monday, and i did 9.0 in practice yesterday, 7.3 at the meet tonight, grrrrrrr, anywho, im holding almost all the way up on the pole because i have enough speed and im not sliding down at all but when i hold higher i feel like im too far away from the box so i take an extra step (on the wrong foot, which causes me to jump off the wrong foot) because i feel like im not close enough and im gonna jump but my pole wont be in the box yet and il fall, i know it sounds strange, i kept thinking i was too far out but my coaches are telling me that its all in my head, i just need to learn how to trust myself and the pole and trust that im not too far away it just looks like it because im holding higher, if anyone has any ideas on how to break this please tell me, sectionals is next tuesday and i need to get 9.0 if i wanna make it to state, thanks guys!!
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Unread postby dj » Wed May 11, 2005 10:22 pm

you and your coach need to put in a "MID" 6 steps from the box... 38' ish

i can tell you from experience that you are more than likely to far out on your run and have to put in the extra step because you know you will have to stretch so much you can't take-off safely..

please... ask your coach to put a check mark at 6 steps from the back of the box.. tell me what that mark is and your grip..

check the chart under MID Chart on this site and see how you match up..

if you and your coach are too stubborn to do that… you need to quit vaulting before you get more frustrated or injured…

Sorry to be so blunt!! But right here in the city I live in the high school
coach asked for help.. when I suggested he change 2 things in the way he coaches.. the run and stop having his jumpers plant with a locked front arm.. he refused… one of his jumpers stopped working with him.. and won the state championship the others didn’t make it out of district..

Your coach says you are “ONâ€Â
Come out of the back... Get your feet down... Plant big

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Unread postby altius » Thu May 12, 2005 8:33 am

Learn to do the 20/20 drill and then include it in every training session for the next month. Thereafter once a week for life. Read chapters 14 and 22 in BTB asap.

"Reculer pour mieux sauter" French saying.
Its what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden

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Unread postby patybobady » Thu May 12, 2005 8:46 am

K, first of all I didn't make much sense so sorry, I realize that as I read them now.

My mid is about 44' (***my 7 step approach is, well, was about 84'8"-85' but then was 86'-87' ater moving it back) . My take off is 10'4" (should be). My grip is about 13'-13'3" also.

The reason I was moving my step back was because I would take off at about 8'6"-8'9", (so not exactly 3' under, I realize how that would look now altius...but I am still under almost 1'9") So the people I was jumping with said to move back almost 2' and quicken up my lasdt 2 steps as they are strides. Here I would hit about 9'6"-10' as it felt a lot better and easier at take off but the next day, one who filmed came up to me and said I am 1'9" under at takeoff still. That is why I started thinking I may be striding even more when moved back (because I feel I have to takeoff at the same point, even if I move back). I have not done too much mid mark work before but I am starting to realize how helpful it can be. Thanks.

***Would it be best to work for this mid step with the step forward to 84'6"-85' or 86'-87'? I will start with it at the closer one, as being too far forces me to stretch (I am understanding what you are saying now,
I think). So I am going to move forward a little and work to get to that mid mark or close to it today, it will really help get to that good takeoff point easier rather than just to 'shorten up my steps'. I will use the chart for my vaulters too to help them, thanks a lot for the help. Hopefully I got it somewhat understood now.
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Unread postby dj » Thu May 12, 2005 9:37 am

what height are you jumping with those your 44 mid and 13-3 grip???

also setting up your run on the track and planting into a towel could help.

mark each step from the "MID" in with chalk

start.......................MID......................TO........box
84----------------------44--R--L--R--L--R--L--------box

use this as your "sprint" training" and focus on pole carry, rhythm, speed, pole "drop" and takeoff

good luck.. you seem to have 13-14 foot potential

dj
Come out of the back... Get your feet down... Plant big

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Unread postby patybobady » Thu May 12, 2005 2:55 pm

Thanks, my best is 13'8.5" but I gripped 13'6" (and am working back up to that grip now) and I really only vaulted in college and just graduated a year ago. I did a lot of sliding box in college (towels too) and now at the h.s. have no sliding box, am making one this summer but use towels for now. I know I stride out I can feel it, its a confidence thing too I know.

44' is a good mid for 13'3"-13'6" grip? Should I be aiming to ewventually getting it back more, to say 45'-46' or no? With 13'3" grip my takeoff should be at 10'3"ish but if my mid goes more back and grip goes up, TO goes back as well. Ideally I want to hold 13'9" and TO 11'ish right?

So my 4th left should hit about 44' and then I should have each R and L marked and try to hit each of them each time? When you say use this as sprint work, you mean do full runs on the runway and vault right? (run, plant and takeoff into the pit) Or do you mean on the track with no box/pit? Or both?


Different question: should I use the mid step of 44, given i want to takeoff at 10'-10'3" or should I use my "4th left" (which now that i think about it will be closer as I am under). I'll just work to aim for 44' for my mid and about 10'3" for takeoff.

Thanks for the help...
Last edited by patybobady on Thu May 12, 2005 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Unread postby dj » Thu May 12, 2005 3:08 pm

polish your run on the track and then try to move it to the runway for jumping..

as your run gets better and faster the steps/"MID" should be farther out and the grip should go up proportionally..

you may have to use a mid of 43' with a grip of 12-9/13 the first few times you move onto the runway so the transfer becomes easy from the track to the pit

the takeoff point depends on how tall you are... hold your pole at 13'4" and see where your toe touches the runway directly below the grip.. although the grip and "MID" should still match the chart that take of is "yours"

good luck

dj
Come out of the back... Get your feet down... Plant big

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Unread postby patybobady » Thu May 12, 2005 7:59 pm

Just got off the runway. Started out under 1'6" while running from 86'3"ish. Mid step looked good, but then i strode and missed the rest of the steps...so I sped up the steps at the middle/end and moved the step back to about 88' and then 87'9" twice and for the first time ever my step was on (11'). However I felt out by about 6"-9" and didn't go in well, sort of planted and went in a little but just felt like I was too far out. Moved the step to 87'3ish" (i cheated i know) and was about 6" under but felt good at take off. I just need to work from 87'6"-87'9" and get used to getting my steps to mtach up (from the mid and the rest to the box) and understand the 'out' feeling i had is what i actually need/want.

At least I have something to work for...Thanks for your advice.
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Unread postby dj » Thu May 12, 2005 8:21 pm

great job i think the adjustment that put you only "6" under was excellent... you are on the right track...

remember practice until you "lock' In the run speed and rhythm...

come out of the back... hit your "MID" ...get your feet down.. plant early and "BIG"

by the way the "MID" doesn't necessarily mean you have to run "double" your "MID" step... it was developed as a 6 step reference in long jumping and ended up with the name "MID"... it is a coaches check mark.. 6 steps from the plant... with the idea that if the vaulter/jumper is "ON" 6 steps out ... all they need to do is attack the take-off..

but the "MID" and the hand grip are important and need to be pretty close to the chart because of the force need to move that grip to vertical...

stride lenght and stride frequency = speed = potential force.

make sense... so your adjustment was correct based on your run.. hitting the "MID" with a comsistant speed and getting the feet down..run rhythm, was the key..

dj

ps... sorry for the tech... keep it simple and keep doing the good stuff.... run..plant...swing
Come out of the back... Get your feet down... Plant big

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Unread postby patybobady » Thu May 12, 2005 10:10 pm

Whoah, i did not realize the MID in my case was exactly half of my full step (well should be when i get to 88' as i am a panzy and at 87'3"ish)...I will keep working on it, getting the steps down and fast once I get to the MID mark.

Another minor question: Gradually the feeling out part will go away right, lol? because right now I am feeling like the pole lands in the front/middle of the box and is moving forward for a split second but i am ready to go up...(i just really notice it now when my hands are up ready to takeoff but i am still on the ground and the pole is moving to the back of the box). I guess getting the quicker last few steps down (mainly 2 last lefts) will give me the momentum/speed to get to my TO step faster and put me right at the back of the box a nano-second later so i don't feel as far.
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Unread postby dj » Thu May 12, 2005 11:06 pm

just keep planting early ... keep pushing the hands up and continue to accelerate through the plant.... and then swing fast..

good job..

dj
Come out of the back... Get your feet down... Plant big


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