Re: The TAP at the top of the swing
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 4:09 am
If one stops to consider that the purpose of the tap swing in gymnastics on the high bar is simply to add stored energy into the coil of the body (From the arched position pre-stretched muscles from the hands through the spine to the feet) and to add stored energy into the apparatus (the bar) as you go to the hollow position (Or vice versa) in order to later take that stored energy back out the body coil and that apparatus, Especially into release moves and dismounts, You should easily see be able to recognize a tap in the pole vault.
In both cases the chest is leading the way through the arms while purposely extending the feet downward and pushing the hands outward to make the lever as long as possible and to maintain the pressure on the pre-stretched full bodied coil. This produces a fast powerful stretch-reflex reaction as the full body coil uncoils that otherwise would not be obtainable. At the same time this produces the added benefit of more effectively loading the apparatus (the bar and the pole). In fact it is possible that the tap is more effective in the pole vault than the high bar (Because of the fiberglass poles loading abilities versus the wooden bar)? Look at how much the pole bends as Bubka comes out of the full body coil! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-UwBaf8f98
So the purpose of the tap is two fold: 1) To add stored energy to the body coil and to take that stored energy out of the body coil to add kinetic energy to the swing. and 2) To add stored energy to the apparatus (the bar or the pole) while coming out of the body coil and to take that stored energy as kinetic energy out of that apparatus to add energy to the swing..
The gymnast is instructed to add energy during the upswing by pulling against the bar while fighting the forces of gravity and I believe the vaulter should do likewise and Bubka demonstrates this.
Now, when one considers the vaulters objective with Petrov's model in the "Extension", at the top of the swing , you find yet again two commonalities to the tap at the bottom of the swing: 1) To add stored energy to the body coil and to take that stored energy out of the body coil to add energy to the swing (In that Piked position the gun is cocked and as it uncoils it is released). and 2) To add stored energy to the apparatus (The pole) while coming out of the body coil (the pike as you extend) and to take that stored energy as kinetic energy out of the pole to add energy to the swing
With Petrov's model during Extension the pole remains bent for a fraction of a second longer, as equal and opposite reactions take place and this allows the vaulter more time to get into the proper inverted position, all the way to the top arm (The Chord of the pole). The energy stored in the pole is delivered directly up along that chord into the vaulters COM through the vaulters body through the top arm to both hands (The Chord), provided the vaulter is in that proper position. That is why I am and advocate of rotating the body all the way to the top arm. If you are not inverted that far, you will not receive the full amount of energy the pole has to offer across your COM and this will effect your flyaway angle and vertical height.
Perhaps now you can see why I consider both actions at the bottom of the swing and top of the swing to be tapping actions, as both actions involve storing energy in coiled positions of the spine and the release of that stored energy as kinetic energy generated through the uncoiling of the spine (although in two different directions) which both add kinetic energy to the swing and stored energy to the apparatus, that is later delivered as kinetic energy to the swing?
But I have come to except that 'Extension" is the accepted term in the pole vault community for that action at the top of the swing.
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In both cases the chest is leading the way through the arms while purposely extending the feet downward and pushing the hands outward to make the lever as long as possible and to maintain the pressure on the pre-stretched full bodied coil. This produces a fast powerful stretch-reflex reaction as the full body coil uncoils that otherwise would not be obtainable. At the same time this produces the added benefit of more effectively loading the apparatus (the bar and the pole). In fact it is possible that the tap is more effective in the pole vault than the high bar (Because of the fiberglass poles loading abilities versus the wooden bar)? Look at how much the pole bends as Bubka comes out of the full body coil! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-UwBaf8f98
So the purpose of the tap is two fold: 1) To add stored energy to the body coil and to take that stored energy out of the body coil to add kinetic energy to the swing. and 2) To add stored energy to the apparatus (the bar or the pole) while coming out of the body coil and to take that stored energy as kinetic energy out of that apparatus to add energy to the swing..
The gymnast is instructed to add energy during the upswing by pulling against the bar while fighting the forces of gravity and I believe the vaulter should do likewise and Bubka demonstrates this.
Now, when one considers the vaulters objective with Petrov's model in the "Extension", at the top of the swing , you find yet again two commonalities to the tap at the bottom of the swing: 1) To add stored energy to the body coil and to take that stored energy out of the body coil to add energy to the swing (In that Piked position the gun is cocked and as it uncoils it is released). and 2) To add stored energy to the apparatus (The pole) while coming out of the body coil (the pike as you extend) and to take that stored energy as kinetic energy out of the pole to add energy to the swing
With Petrov's model during Extension the pole remains bent for a fraction of a second longer, as equal and opposite reactions take place and this allows the vaulter more time to get into the proper inverted position, all the way to the top arm (The Chord of the pole). The energy stored in the pole is delivered directly up along that chord into the vaulters COM through the vaulters body through the top arm to both hands (The Chord), provided the vaulter is in that proper position. That is why I am and advocate of rotating the body all the way to the top arm. If you are not inverted that far, you will not receive the full amount of energy the pole has to offer across your COM and this will effect your flyaway angle and vertical height.
Perhaps now you can see why I consider both actions at the bottom of the swing and top of the swing to be tapping actions, as both actions involve storing energy in coiled positions of the spine and the release of that stored energy as kinetic energy generated through the uncoiling of the spine (although in two different directions) which both add kinetic energy to the swing and stored energy to the apparatus, that is later delivered as kinetic energy to the swing?
But I have come to except that 'Extension" is the accepted term in the pole vault community for that action at the top of the swing.
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