Pole bending too much?

[TheBigMastodon]

I am 6' 170 using a 13' 165 Pacer and recently I am getting way too much bend. I am getting absolutely no pop or shooting action from the pole. It just bends a ton and recoils too slow. I am swinging good and getting okay invert but the pole is bent so much that I cant do anything. I tried moving my hands closer together to get it to bend less but it didnt help. I am getting a new pole next week but I have a big invite tomorrow so Im stuck with the pole I have now. My highest clear is 11'6'' which I get every meet. How would I solve this problem? How can I get more pop from the pole?

[Texasvaulter07]

first off you really need to be on a pole rated 170 or over. the reason you arent getting very good recoil is because you are too heavy for the pole you are jumping on. i would suggest moving to a 13' 170 or 175.

[TheBigMastodon]

My school is getting a 14' 165 in a couple days. We currently have a 14' 175 spirit but it is incredibly old and dry. The pole is all scratched up and the white wrapping is torn off in a lot of places. It has 0 flex and Im afraid it will break since it is in such bad condition. I tried it once and got some bend but it was really shallow and sloppy. Would jumping higher at my takeoff help my problem for tomorrow?

[mattish13]

when you say it has 0 flex.... you dont mean that the flex number is 0 do you?

[TheBigMastodon]

No I just mean that the pole is really stiff.

[VaultMarq26]

If you want to get pop, you are gonna have to vault on a pole that feels stiff.......if you just go through the motion of the vault with minimal effort, you are on too small of a pole.....girpping down would help stiffen up the current pole you are on.

[TheBigMastodon]

Do you think trying the 14' 175 in the meet tomorrow would be a good idea when I get to higher heights? If so then what height should I use it for? Should I use the same grip or higher? I dont have problems getting depth in the pit. I have gotten 11'6'' the last 2 meets, standards at 24 inches. Thanks.

[rainbowgirl28]

Do you think trying the 14' 175 in the meet tomorrow would be a good idea when I get to higher heights? If so then what height should I use it for? Should I use the same grip or higher? I dont have problems getting depth in the pit. I have gotten 11'6'' the last 2 meets, standards at 24 inches. Thanks.

You should wait until you are hitting the bar on the way up with the standards ALL the way back before you think about moving up poles. It doesn't matter what height the bar is at.

[TheBigMastodon]

Thanks. Well a lot of the time I have to bail on the jump because Im already past the bar before it starts recoiling. I let go of the pole and it gets shot way in the air, looks pretty cool. Ill get my standards in the 30s tomorrow once I start getting high and see how that goes. Im getting frustrated with this, at the begining of the season I was getting 11'6'' because I was getting shot in the air by the pole, now Im only getting 11'6'' because Im getting no pop from the pole. Hopefully moving the standards back and a longer swing will help.

[vault3rb0y]

Thanks. Well a lot of the time I have to bail on the jump because Im already past the bar before it starts recoiling. I let go of the pole and it gets shot way in the air, looks pretty cool. Ill get my standards in the 30s tomorrow once I start getting high and see how that goes. Im getting frustrated with this, at the begining of the season I was getting 11'6'' because I was getting shot in the air by the pole, now Im only getting 11'6'' because Im getting no pop from the pole. Hopefully moving the standards back and a longer swing will help.

deffinitly sounds like a stiffer pole is needed!! lol and never let go of the pole unless its recoiled and you are over the mat, its a lot less dangerous.... lol coming from someone who learns that the hard way!

[TheBigMastodon]

Haha yeah I always make sure I have a little depth in the mat before I let go. Iv only been hurt letting go once, the pole recoiled, hit me in the chest and knocked the wind out of me lol. Other than that theres been no problems.

[AKell]

try using the spirit 175. you really need to be on a pole above your weight limit- i'm on one 20 lbs over mine- to get any recoil. one 5 below will do nothing for you. move up and push hard. Spirits are supposed to be stiff- that's good. And don't worry about the wrapping paint tape stuff- mine's 3/4 stripped and has worked fine for me until I just switched to a bigger one.