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I covered the issue of the Olympic Games in my last post, but I didn't cover the joy of making the team in the Olympic Trials. This applies especially to countries where the Trials are the *only* competition where the team is chosen. It does not apply to countries like Canada, where athletes are cho...

Every athletes _should_ be tested many times before the Olympics. ... Good comments, RG. So taking the example of athletes that surprise us (and maybe themselves) by making the US Olympic Team, it seems to me that there's still sufficient time between the Trials and the Olympic Games for these newc...

My problem is even when my takeoff is on my mark and I get a big C stretch my swing never takes my hips up. ... I downswing hard and try to continue it but I just get stuck in a ball/V position. My biggest question is what should I do to properly connect the stretch to the swing so I can get high h...

You know Kirk I agree with you on almost everything said except ... Dan, it sounds to me like we're in 100% agreement about all of this - no "except". The only hesitation I had was that I doubted that the funds would be available to spend on testing every athlete pre-competition. I will a...

It is so sad that Derek Miles was not able to enjoy the thrill of medaling at the 2008 Olympic Games, the moment the competition was over. Or even a day or two later, had the post-competition drug test been more sophisticated. Learning 8 years later that he medaled just seems so unfair. Better late ...

what drills do you recommend for the takeoff? There's plenty already written on PVP re this topic. If you can't find it, search for "kirk takeoff drill". I count 124 matches for this search. ;) how do I know exactly when I've hit the inverse C or "stretch"? Compare your vids to ...

I have been focusing on: 1) getting my jump more up (than out) and getting my top hand up; 2) keeping my eyes straight instead of looking down; 3) getting my left leg back. The feeling is different, I can feel this in my pecs and shoulders now, which may mean my top arm is going back further? I thi...

let me know why I my hips stay SO LOW when I swing that it makes it impossible to get inverted. Your takeoff is over a foot under. I can tell that by the pole bending so much before your takeoff leaves the ground. This cause you to get jerked off the ground, but not only that, it causes you to be l...

Is this what you are referring to when you mention the pull to handstand? I like this vid that you posted. It's a hip-circle-to-a-handstand (sort of), but it's a pole vaulter, doing it with a single trail leg. If you could do that, I would be quite satisfied that you're on your way to 18 feet. I ju...

Here's the hip-circle-to-handstand drill. It's only 3 secs long: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLo8-gmBZMs :) This free hip vid is 8 minutes long. Shows progressions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOeqKA_Wess I couldn't find any "hang to a handstand" vids. Kirk

Do you have any video of the highbar swing to hand stand? I have an idea but dont know exactly what you are meaning. Here's a link to a discussion of a good vid: http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17987 , but the link is dead. Chris Taminga was an elite Dutch vaulter until maybe 10...

Thanks, Drew. Take a look at this most recent jump from this week. Would this qualify as a free takeoff? I think your latest 5-step vid is *better* than before, but still not quite a free takeoff. Why? When your takeoff foot is flat on the runway, the pole is unbent. That's good. But one frame (or s...