PoleVaultPower.com

age 21, 5'10", 162 lbs., PR 4.90m, mid at 49", gripping 14'4" on 15' poles.

I've finally begun to somewhat consistently takeoff out and even though I thought it would fix everything, it has just led to a new set of issues. When I used to take off 6"-12" under, the vault was easy, I would literally be forced to swing and row because I was ripped off the ground, and I'm a pretty good athlete so I was able to swing ahead of the pole and get some decent heights. However now that I take off out and have this nice high plant, I feel all the energy bleed out of the pole right after takeoff and I barely penetrate. I can think of a couple reasons this may be happening but am not sure of the solutions.

1) I may be so enamored with taking off out that I'm not jumping at takeoff but rather just trying to get my last step down and therefore running straight into the plant and putting all the energy into the box.

2) I'm so used to being forced to swing by taking off under that I haven't learned the timing necessary to have to consciously initiate the swing with an out takeoff. I know the swing is an important part of loading the pole and moving it to vertical, and when I try to swing early and powerful I feel as if I'm just going to my back right off the ground which is a problem I haven't had since I started pole vaulting years ago (for the most part).

I was wondering if anyone else experienced these problems when they first started to takeoff out and any ideas they had on how I should remedy them. I'm having trouble getting in on a 15' 19.0 when I used to be on a 15' 16.0 taking off a foot under!

You don't want to take off out. You want to take off ON! It sounds like you may be sinking on the pole which would cause you to stall out. Do you have any video?

no I don't have any video yet, I'll try to get some, but its not as if I'm taking off THAT far out, just a couple inches.

First of all your mid should be 48. That might account for some of the problem you describe. If you are too far out you can't convert the horizontal vector to a vertical because the pole tip will be traveling too far horizontally while in the box and the conversion to vertical will stop as soon as the pole hits the back of the box.
To check whether or not you are jumping have someone check for leg separation at the take off. If there is none then you can't be driving your hands up and toward the back of the pit.
If you accomplish the free take-off then the ability to move your arms and consequently your body to inversion should be easier not more difficult. It sounds like you are too far out.

I understand your reasoning for my mid being up at 48 most likely due to my grip height, but my coach and I have established that there is no reaching on my last few steps anymore, and if I move up to 48, its a struggle to get my step any further out than 11'6" and usually I have to unnaturally chop them to get them out that far. 49' is a much more natural feeling. Perhaps I should move my grip up when I overcome this problem I'm currently having, but I doubt having too low of a grip is what is preventing me from currently moving the pole to vertical.

deffinetly need a vid, but what the tenn coach is saying makes sense. you might not being turning your strides over quick enough or just not running tall to jump off the ground at the end of the run. Many things could do something to your jump. just try tto work things out.

Make sure you arent taking off ON but keeping your arms too far in front of you. You still want to be upright at take off, and if your hands are leading your body to lean a little forward, everything will be thrown off.

Second i dont know if this helps, but when i started learning to take off outside i had a huge tendency to brace myself before i took off from the ground. When i did this, i slowed down and couldnt take off at a good angle. Its more important to take off hard and upright, no matter where your step is (6" inside, 6 out). Thats more important than taking off right on, which wont matter if you half a** it. Basically, thats what my problem has been and still is when it comes to my take off. This might be applicable to you, might not, but hopefully that helps too!

How did you get his mid to be 48' from the information he gave you.
Doesn't his speed play a factor? Please elaborate.

14'4" grip = 48' mid refer to DJ's mid chart

http://www.polevaultpower.com/docs/djmidchart.doc

Trust me, I know how to monitor my run. I am not reaching at the end whatsoever, I am supposed to be at a 49' mid. I just don't grip that high quite yet, probably due to some problems at takeoff...

Where is your take-off point?

1) I may be so enamored with taking off out that I'm not jumping at takeoff but rather just trying to get my last step down and therefore running straight into the plant and putting all the energy into the box.

2) I'm so used to being forced to swing by taking off under that I haven't learned the timing necessary to have to consciously initiate the swing with an out takeoff. I know the swing is an important part of loading the pole and moving it to vertical, and when I try to swing early and powerful I feel as if I'm just going to my back right off the ground which is a problem I haven't had since I started pole vaulting years ago (for the most part).

Correct in both cases.