PoleVaultPower.com

Hey everyone. I just started my second training cycle last week. We have just begun to incorporate speed training and some basic pole vault stuff. I was just kind of curious where everyone one else was at in their training.

Next week is the 3rd week of the first cycle. Strength Endurance.
and Takeoff/Pole Carry for technique.
Takeoff= 2 lefts and how high over standing grip (with body behind the pole). Most kids are in the 3.5 to 4.5 feet over standing grip.

Pole carry= setting the pole and first step after the set.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

baggettpv wrote:Takeoff= 2 lefts and how high over standing grip (with body behind the pole). Most kids are in the 3.5 to 4.5 feet over standing grip.

Pole carry= setting the pole and first step after the set.

Hey Rick,

Could you explain that a littel better? Do you mean clearing a bar from two lefts? And do you let them grip as high as they wish? Are you trying to get your people to think verticle? Jumping over grip on where the vaulter holds the pole? Or what?

Thanks.

PVDad2 wrote:

baggettpv wrote:Takeoff= 2 lefts and how high over standing grip (with body behind the pole). Most kids are in the 3.5 to 4.5 feet over standing grip.

Pole carry= setting the pole and first step after the set.

Hey Rick,

Could you explain that a littel better? Do you mean clearing a bar from two lefts? And do you let them grip as high as they wish? Are you trying to get your people to think verticle? Jumping over grip on where the vaulter holds the pole? Or what?

Thanks.

It is just taking off from 2 lefts on a straight pole and seeing how high you can grip while still landing in the pit (not on the front buns). You raising your grip until you can't rotate the pole into the pit. The goal is to get as high as possible above your handhold. I am only 3' above mine, because I am old and slow.

There is no swinging involved with this drill. It's not a big deal to come up short because it is such a short run, there is not much speed coming into it and the grips are relatively low. You just hang on and land on one front bun or another.

When we do start swinging (still on a straight pole) we drop our grip like 6 inches to make sure we get into the pit.

My athletes are in their 2nd week of their 2nd phase. power and vault technique....

power being plyo's box jumps, hills. and vault stuff is just diff. plant drills...pole carry stuff...etc

So if we were to project the skill development for pv tech. what skills are being taught now and how are they going to progress through the rest of the season? With a culminating goal of what?

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

bjvando,
Just thinking about what your plan would be on the skill development. Not a personal attack on your professionalism or skill.
Keep up the good work.

Rick

The straight pole takeoff drill develops a jumping action on takeoff. It can be quantified by measuring the distance between highest grip acheived and the standing grip (as high as you can grip the pole while it is vertical beside you). That evens everyone up. The body must stay behind the pole and the body must acheive a good jumping position. refer to BTB. Lead leg heal under thigh/butt and left foot fully extended. This is a must!!! position for the athlete to be able to do. We do 15 of these before we tie it to a swinging action happening after the takeoff. 2 skills tied together. The swing will extend the hips thru the clearance of a bungee set at the grip height.
Goals for the takeoff drill (fairly developed) should be 5 to 6 feet (boy or girl). The highest I have had is 6'4" form 3 lefts tho.
I was talking to petrov in reno one time about this subjet and he said from 6 lefts the athlete should be able to straight pole into the pit holding where their bottom hand is on a bent pole! Interesting eh?
So: Holding 15'8", minus 22" = 13' 6" handhold on a straight pole.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

As far as skill development goes, I like to progress slowly with many details.

Start with proper pole carry dirlls and pole run technique- Marching, sprint drills with pole in hand. All of these are used with smaller than normal poles (usually a foot shroter in length and the flex can vary)

we do 1 to 2 days a week of that, with one day a week of doing straight pole dirlls. 2 steps, 4 steps and 6 step narrow grip drills- emphasizing high early plant while keeping the hips back.

I'll incorporate different types of straight pole drills; narrow grip, wide grip, one arm...etc

I like to do straight pole stuff for a few weeks before getting into 'bending'...

once 'bending' begins, we will stay short; 3 lefts and then proceed to move back a stride after about a month (6-8 vault sessions) or so at each stride length. Our run will max out at anywhere from 6-8, possibly 9 strides. At half-way through the season (mid april) we'll push the long run, push some grip and poles. I believe with just a few meets before conference at a long run our jump will (hopefully) be fine tuned to handle pushign grip and poles....

this is the 'readers digest' version, but thats the general plan for this season, but as I have learned from my competition days- things change- we just have to be ready to able to recognize the change and deal with it....

i'm curious to hear other plans.... how about you baggettpv...

excellent!! I will post my training plan for this year but it's 10 pm and I had Parent Conferences tonight until 8. Have to be back at 7 am. it will be a couple of days. Please remind me guys as i am and old fart but still good looking. hahaha

Keep up the good discourse,

Rick