The pole vault is actually very simple

[GeorgeN]

I am proposing that the vault is actually a very simple act. It is like riding a bicycle in that one must "do" it in order to learn it. One cannot just read about it and then do it.
All the vault is, is a long jump run, a leap where the vaulter must remain behind the pole, and a swing up and over the bar.'
If one looks at old steel pole vault footage, this is all that occurs. The flex allows more of a delay and a higher vault.
Athleticism, guts, and most importantly desire, allow for higher vaults, but that is it.
There is no magic wand that will allow a mediocure vaulter to reach higher heights.

[vault3rb0y]

Obviously... if one were to do these 3 acts they could reach certain hieghts. But to become a better vaulter, there are much much more things to learn about the vault. For instance, the best way to run and drop the pole to allow maximum speed. The take off angle and spot of take off to insure a free take off. Getting into a split C and good knee drive to set yourself up for a powerful swing. Literally adding energy to your vault with a powerful swing that carries you into an invert, in which you move the pole up your body. Then at the very top, piking over the bar. There are tons of points in between which i left off, the point is, the vault may look simple and you can break it down into 3 different stages, but there are hundreds of tiny little techniques to get yourself just that extra inch higher. Eventually these inches add up to feet, and new PR's. So yes, you can break the vault down and say its a very simple act, but learning about it will help you to go higher when you do DO it. Its a profound understatement to claim the vault is a simple act.

[BethelPV]

Questions to ponder...

Should you focus on getting to the C position or just allow it to happen by jumping off the ground and allowing your chest to drive off of takeoff? Focusing on kicking your leg back to reach this position delay's your swing too long, and causes you to lose momentum, instead of just finishing your jumping motion and swinging when your body tells you too...

Should you focus on driving your knee, or just continue your running motion off of the ground while giving a verticle impulse at takeoff like a long jumper? Driving your knee too hard can cause for a premature swing and a shortened swing, causing a loss of energy...

Should you pike over the bar, or tuck your legs up to your butt and sail instead? Piking causes you to go straight up and down, instead of sailing around the bar...

Just some stuff to think about. I agree with the original post that people such as myself tend to make the vault more complicated than it needs to be. I think if it becomes too broken up into sections, then it can become less effective instead of being one continuous chain of events...

Zachmo

[baggettpv]

Should be alot of discussion on this topic.
Simple in the performance, complex in the execution.

Rick baggett
WSTC LLC

[vault3rb0y]

Questions to ponder...

Should you focus on getting to the C position or just allow it to happen by jumping off the ground and allowing your chest to drive off of takeoff? Focusing on kicking your leg back to reach this position delay's your swing too long, and causes you to lose momentum, instead of just finishing your jumping motion and swinging when your body tells you too...

Should you focus on driving your knee, or just continue your running motion off of the ground while giving a verticle impulse at takeoff like a long jumper? Driving your knee too hard can cause for a premature swing and a shortened swing, causing a loss of energy...

Should you pike over the bar, or tuck your legs up to your butt and sail instead? Piking causes you to go straight up and down, instead of sailing around the bar...

Just some stuff to think about. I agree with the original post that people such as myself tend to make the vault more complicated than it needs to be. I think if it becomes too broken up into sections, then it can become less effective instead of being one continuous chain of events...

Zachmo

I believe that one should do what feels natural, unless what they are doing isnt right. You cant possibly think about all those points when you are jumping, but if you just think about being more agressive in every stage of the jump, you might fix 10 problems at once.

[BethelPV]

Very true that you can't think about all those at once, and it is also very true that you must be an aggressive vaulter to make it. At the same time, we do need to focus on some things, because if we don't pay attention to detail, we will never get anywhere. The key question becomes what details should we pay attention to and at what times. Obviously we can't try and work on everything at once. Isn't it great that the pole vault is a sport where the first action leads into the second, which leads into the thrid...etc. Basically what I am saying is that we need to get back to basics, in that we must fix fundamentals and do the first things right before we can ever do the whole vault right. In that essence, the essence of vaulting being fundamentals put together into one masterpiece, vaulting can be mastered to a certain degree. I do not believe in perfection, but I believe in striving to perfection. With that said, I feel that you must learn to crawl before you can run, or learn how to plant effectively before you can do anything else. The approach and plant set you up for everything else, so this must obviously be worked on the most. Once that is where you need it for the time being, you can then begin focusing on other things such as whether you prefer to pike or to fly away, whether you believe in swinging faster or being more patient, etc. Just my two cents worth

Zachmo

[BethelPV]

My last post my seem to contradict my first point of the vault being a continuous chain, but I guess I didn't finish my thought. After you "master" your takeoff, everything else comes naturally. It is whether you break that natural cycle by trying to do something you shouldn't that will cause you to make your vault worse than its potential. So do I think you should work on other phases of the vault, yes because you need to know what they feel like. But I do believe the run and takeoff are most important and that they have the greatest effect on your vault, and lead into the rest of your vault.

Zachmo

[AVC Coach]

Keep in mind that there is a difference between "simple" and "easy". I don't think GeorgeN was trying to say that the vault is easy.

I coach young athletes, so my goals are simple......get them from point A (start vaulting) to point B (graduating high school), teaching them everything I know about the vault in between.

Here's where the simplicity fades away......I try to recruit or inherit young athletes that appear athletic with good genetics and the right attitude for the long haul and persuade them to give the pole vault a try. Next, I start them out with the most basic drills with a pole and give them a chance to experience some success on the very first day hoping to get them hooked and develop their enthusiasm for this event that I love. Over the years to come, during their progression, all I have to do is convince them and their families that training and instruction has to be the #1 priority if they want to be successful and missing practice for any reason is not an option. Along the way there's hormones, boyfriends, girlfriends, cell phones, cars, proms, familiy tragedies, other sports, performance ups and downs, etc.

As simple as the basic concepts of the pole vault may appear to some, there's really more to it than running, jumping and swinging. Athleticism, guts and desire are huge factors in the success of any athlete, and those attributes are irreplacable, but there's nothing simple about vaulting high.

[BethelPV]

Well said AVC Coach!!

Zachmo

[vault3rb0y]

Nice... all you have to do is convince the jumper and the jumpers family to give their lives to pole vaulting, haha. I guess thats easier than it sounds, once they get really into it. Eventually you are pulling people from all over the country to jump with you and dedicate themselves.

[VTechVaulter]

golf is very easy too. all you do, is swing the club, and hit the ball straight. thats it.

[ashcraftpv]

Simplification is good when teaching beginning vaulters, like AVC coach has said, but saying the vault is just run, jump, swing is like saying the hammer is just swing, spin, let go. Outwardly it may appear that way, but those who study the event know it much more complicated than that if you want to jump high.

Questions to ponder...

Should you focus on getting to the C position or just allow it to happen by jumping off the ground and allowing your chest to drive off of takeoff?

Should you focus on driving your knee, or just continue your running motion off of the ground while giving a verticle impulse at takeoff like a long jumper?

You should focus on "finishing" the take-off. In the natural motion of jumping up off the ground, your drive knee should come up in a good position and your takeoff leg should trail back behind you. Go shoot a layup or run and jump at a high bar. Your legs will hit these natural positions doing those movements, and this is what you should strive for in the vault.