Is it the bar that's hurting me?

[JTred]

I think my second biggest problem, besides my swing (or lack thereof) is that I look at the bar. That's why I wanted to have myself taped during a run-through jump. Do you think that looking at the bar is hurting me, or am I just making excuses. Here is the run through jump, and my best jump of the day.

http://media.putfile.com/derry-98

BTW if you want to give me any other technical advice, I'm open to all suggestions. I have a whole week of practice ahead of me.

[Ming3r]

Yes it does - or at least from my knowledge. I mean, in the video, you're basically looking at it until you're over it, which pretty severely impedes your ability to get fully inverted.

Tehn again, I'd look at the bar, then roll over it...

[SweetPVJumps]

based on what i saw, definately. in order to keep your eyes looking at the bar at the top of your jump, you are forced to let your body drop, and you cant rock back all the way or invert. try not to try to fix that by thinking too hard on where to look, i mean yeah you dont want to look at the bar but try to avoid doing that by thinking about your form, whether theres a bar up or not teach yourself to do the same thing each time. think about the jump not the bar, and you should hopefully be able to not look at the bar anymore

[advath]

It's not so much that you are looking at the bar, but you are not swinging fast enough or far enough. You need to work on getting your shoulders under you hips and feet as soon as you feel your legs swinging (or lifting) up. This will help you get to vertical.

For more read: How to Get Past Vertical by Tim Werner
http://advantageathletics.com/UI/LeftNav/CategoriesFullArticleNav.php?catID=70&artID=35

[indestructo]

You'll also never get fully inverted until you can break your bottom arm to the inside of the pole.

[AKell]

put a bungee 3 or 4 feet above your normal vaulting height (say i get 10' i would put it anywhere from 13' to even 15' if i invert well) and focus on touching it with your feet. just touch it. then after a while, put up a bar under the bungee and continue, try to focus on the bungee. that'll get you used to putting your feet in the sky, not at the bar. I did this drill and one other for 2 weeks and went from 8' to 9'6. it works great!

[reggiereeves]

i do the same thing, it works really good, especially if you keep raising it an inch or so every vault, then it forces you to learn how to use your vaulting muscles and get everything out of each vault

[AKell]

yeah, and suddenly you're actually extending well... the trick is keeping the same kind of form in meets. if i could do that i'd be at 11'6 instead of 10'. lol

[AKell]

but dang i'm sore after it- you're right about using your muscles more.

[JTred]

The main problem for me is, I am the highest vaulter on my team. We spend an hour of practice with a bungee below 9'6". What I've been doing lately is going 9' with a bottom arm handgrip of 8'. Will that help too?

[reggiereeves]

gee i don't know, but probably helps a little bit, but i don't ever lower my handgrip because the bungee is lower, i just focus on techniqu, not height, the only time i lower it is when i'm doing swing ups, ever so often i think it is ok to vault without something, so when there is something, you'll try extra hard,,,,maybe, just personal philosophy

[souleman]

For those 9' foot jumps, use a three step approach (left foot on themark then R,L R, L R, L, P, T) and have a top hand hold of 10'2" to 10'6". That's right at DJ's grips for that height. Bubba does a game with his vaulters that I've mentioned several times called "beat the list" and "face your demons". Basically, with the hand holds and mid mark from DJ's chart you make the height ( 9' height,mid or 3 step start mark of 35' and top hand hold right below 10'6" on the pole). Then when you're feeling really good about yourself (and if they don't move the bar up) you move your top grip down four inches and do it again ( 9' height, mid mark or start mark at 34' with a top hand hold just below 10'2"). Try it and you'll see it's not as easy as it seems. If the bar still doesn't go up, adjust your steps (33' start, 9'10" top hand hold) work that. Bubbas says that the same "demons" show up using the chart at low heights that really maginify at higher heights. You'll be so busy getting up to make the bar that you won't have anytime to look at it. Good luck....Later.......Mike