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I am having a problem with my take off. In both practice and at meets I am always taking off for my plant at around 6" to a foot under my take off mark (Fortunately Im also a college fb player so I have the strength to muscle my way out of this position and save my vault but this is still killing my technique!!); even when I move my step back a foot or two I still reach for that under take off. I'm always consistent of having a controlled run from slow to fast and always hit my mid mark no problem. I realize that my problem is that I am reaching on that last step and I am really wondering if there are any drills I could do to help me fix this problem. I'm about to end this season and start training over the summer too so I will be limited as to what I can do full approach-wise but I do have access to an indoor vault complex where I live. I do your basic grass drills and plant drills as well so if there is anything I could add to these to help with my problem would be a great help.

bigg24-7 wrote:I am having a problem with my take off. In both practice and at meets I am always taking off for my plant at around 6" to a foot under my take off mark (Fortunately Im also a college fb player so I have the strength to muscle my way out of this position and save my vault but this is still killing my technique!!); even when I move my step back a foot or two I still reach for that under take off. I'm always consistent of having a controlled run from slow to fast and always hit my mid mark no problem. I realize that my problem is that I am reaching on that last step and I am really wondering if there are any drills I could do to help me fix this problem. I'm about to end this season and start training over the summer too so I will be limited as to what I can do full approach-wise but I do have access to an indoor vault complex where I live. I do your basic grass drills and plant drills as well so if there is anything I could add to these to help with my problem would be a great help.

I'd like to see video, but I'll take a guess.

It's about faith in your steps. You can't reach, you must trust. The surest cure is repetition, practice. Do 3-step walking plants (LRL). Push a slidebox down the field and back with jogging 3-step plants. Setup the slidebox, mark your steps, and do full run plants. Have a teammate catch your takeoff (video is best!). Review and adjust accordingly.

The main thing is that you learn to trust your steps. In all the other jumps, the jumper can look at their takeoff mark (though not recommended!). We as vaulters can't, and we wouldn't if we could. So don't look at your steps if you are. Your legs tend run the same way most of the time, so the likely variable is your brain. Our brains can interfere with otherwise great potential! #stevehooker No over-thinking, just run and jump.

Certainly agree with Tory's comment regarding "trust" of your steps. However, that trust comes from working on the required skill for a good take off. My experience as a coach has taught me that most vaulters don't know how to jump. Simply put, the take off in the vault (or high jump or long jump) is nothing more than a basketball layup. "Roll....Pop" or the penultimate step and then putting the take off foot down through the ground. You noted grass drills which I am assuming are "runovers" or vaulting on the grass? If this is what you're referring to then you can't successfully complete this drill without jumping up on the pole by putting your take off foot down through the ground; well, you can, but be ready to pick yourself up and brush yourself off. The point is, athletically you know that you must jump to complete a runover. So, work on developing the skill of a take off. Practice short approaches (4-6 steps) at the long jump pit (without a pole). Think "1-2-Heel-Pop" or 1-2-3-4-Heel-Pop. The "Heel" is actually the next to last step (penultimate step) extending the leg with the foot in a flat position so that the body lowers, but rolls you through to maintain speed. The "Pop" is then the take off foot going down through the ground; that is through the ground........not out in front...........which would be "under" in the vault or "over in the LJ. After getting proficient jumping in the LJ which should be up and out, try the same thing into the LJ pit with pole. Eventually, you will work the "heel/pop" into a longer and longer approach until you reach your competitive approach. Oh, do this away from the PV pit on the track. Have someone mark your take off foot each time for consistency. Whenever vaulting ask yourself "am I jumping up at take off putting the take off foot through the ground"? Finally, as Tory put it: trust your steps (which will come from working on the track) and take off on your count and don't worry so much as to where you are on the runway. It is very good that you are using a mid point. To summarize: learn to jump.

Thanks a ton, I suck at basketball so that explains a lot! Haha