At the risk of throwing more pearls to more swine ...
PVDaddy wrote: Can you imagine how far off of vertical his swing path would be if he did not compensate by steering his hips to the right?
No, I cannot imagine! LOL!
PVDaddy wrote: ... Look below and see the dramatic effect the bending and rotating pole has on Lavellenies swing!
... Is it possible this counter side swing achieves better counter thrust bend to the pole at the top of his swing as well?
What counter side swing?
This idea, and this entire concept of the vaulter congnizantly steering the pole to the side is just nuts. That's NOT how it happens!
For those of you interested in how and why the pole bends to the side, here's the RATIONAL explanation - in accordance with the Laws of Physics ...
When the vaulter leaves the ground, he is going in a horizontal direction towards the pit. EXACTLY towards the pit (no side momentum). At this point in time, when the pole butt strikes the back of the box, the impact causes the pole to bend THROUGH THE TOP HAND. This bend can be controlled by the height of the top hand at moment of impact, and by the amount of physical energy generated by the jump impulse (and the jump impulse is in turn generated by the speed of the runup). This bend will be EXACTLY in line with the runway. If it's to the side at all, then bail!
This is 100% true if there is no push on the bottom arm. But if there's a bottom arm push, then that push (or pull, or pressure) is also EXACTLY in the direction of the pit (not to the side).
As the pole bends, some of this physical energy is transformed into potential energy in the pole.
During the vaulter's downswing (and assuming 100% of his body weight is being held through his top hand), the pole continues to bend directly ahead.
As his downswing transforms to an upswing (the whip, when his CoM passes the chord of the pole), some of his body weight begins to be held through EACH hand - top and bottom hand. Now you can call them 'left' and 'right' hand again, as they're now side-by-side.
This transformation in the swing coincides with a transformation in how the vaulter hangs on the pole. As DJ puts this - quoting Mike Tully self-describing his technique - 'the pole turns into a highbar'. So visualize doing a shoot to a handstand on a highbar - with arms shoulder-length apart. Essentially the same thing occurs on the pole. Where the vaulter's hands were once one in front of the other during the plant, takeoff, and downswing, they're now BESIDE each other - because the CoM is still going directly forwards (and up), and some hang weight is being transferred from the top hand to the bottom hand.
This is all it is - it's just HANG weight that moves the pole to the side. THERE IS NO PUSHING, STEERING, OR PRESSING THE POLE TO THE SIDE!
In fact, if a vaulter attempts to push (or press or steer) the pole to the side (even just a little bit), he will be flung in the opposite direction! Worst case, he will fly off the side of the pit! This is not just my opinion - this is according to the Laws of Physics!
Whatever you do, don't advise your vaulters to apply any sideways pressure to the pole!
Cripes!
Kirk