bending the pole.

[FVLvaulter12]

illmatic3,
I have been having the exact same problem as you, the pole bend feels awesome but i just can't get my feet up the way i should and get vertical. My coach constantly reminds me that it is very important to get your body as vertical as possible. Another important part is getting your body "straightened out" what i mean by this is the amount of bend at the waist. The pike is good, but you cannot stay in that position, you must bring your hips up also, so you arent bent so much at the waist. A good way to do that is to consciously let your head go backwards and look back as you are swinging through. I found that is a way that really helps me, although it feels awkward at first because you see only behind and below you. It also may help to actually have someone stand behind you on the runway, so you have something to glance at to make sure your head is back. As far as inverting on the top...well im still working on that myself, but i will pass on any tips to you that i get from my coach in the next couple weeks. Hope this helps!