PoleVaultPower.com

Okay, so the suspense is finally over.

This video shows me and one of 'my' athletes doing some work in the sand. The first part was filmed last Sunday, and the second part (just me) was filmed 7-8 hours ago. The first part I am barefoot, and we had only a broken (not cut, BROKEN) old banana pole to work with. The second part shows me on a 14' 155 banana pole from 2 steps, doing what I call 'SITs' (swing, invert, turn). I don't call it a 'vault' for various reasons. There is also some film of me on a small pole, an old 13' (pretty sure, if not, 12'6") 140 green SkyPole attempting to do some 'SITs', and failing pretty bad (I was under on all of those ). I do one 3 step Jagodin with that pole.

Have at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyRWmbyeglg

Nice!

I guess you're Red Shorts, and your friend is Black Shorts.

Tell Black Shorts that he doesn't need to pull up with his top hand during his swing. Better yet, practice that in the gym. Press/squeeze. There's no advantage to pulling with the top hand so early - it's a bad habit to get into. Even on these simple drills. Always think "technique/technique"! Like Tony Little on the ab machine commercials!

I like your swing there, Mr. Red Shorts, but I don't know why you feel the need to finish your vault. Especially the turn. You shouldn't be practicing that part of you vault on this simple drill, because it may cause you to turn too early on your regular vaults.

I never did sand vaulting, but I did lots of drills into a regular box/pit where I did straight poling like this. I didn't call them "short run vaults", I just called them "straight-pole warmups" - if they had a name at all. Just jogging like you, a few steps into the plant/jump. What I focussed on was the swing. The SWING - nothing after that!

Well, I did do a little back-flip into the pit, but that was just to finish my SWING.

Seriously, if you get a really fast SWING, with a WHIP at the bottom of the SWING, then your momentum is just going to draw you into a back fip - without hardly trying to add that. It just sorta "happens". Do it right, and you can do it in your straight-pole warmups. As it warms you up, it pysches you up in prep for your short runs. Then your long runs. Everything's a progression!

But don't even try it til you get the hang of it on the highbar!

Kirk

Well, I did do a little back-flip into the pit, but that was just to finish my SWING.

I would not feel comfortable doing this in the sand.

Better yet, practice that in the gym. Press/squeeze.

With what? A rope, perhaps?

You shouldn't be practicing that part of you vault on this simple drill, because it may cause you to turn too early on your regular vaults.

If you had gotten to me about 6 months ago, you might have had a chance to save me from doing this, but it is habit now, and I'm not worried about it much... I'll show you a video soon where if I had NOT turned, I might never have vaulted (or walked) again.

i didn't even realise that it was you, than i commented before haha. my comment was directed more at your friend btw. the only thing that i directed at you was about planting. and now that i can view it in 'high quality' i see that you were planting...so yea...haha

I've seen Isinbayeva do those 'SIT's' so idk, i feel if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me. it's in B2B2, isn't it??? HA, PP, i do know something from B2B2, i just don't know page # or anything haha :-P

You wouldn't dare give me advice, would you? I'm just kidding... I do value your input! (Just as long as you're sure about what you're saying! )

Yes, I got the drill from BTB2. I have lent it out to one of 'my' athletes (not the one in the video), and consequently do not have access to it at the moment... It is definitely in there though, but I'm not sure if I remember reading about being inverted while doing this drill.

Plumber/6P/Joe: What do you mean when you say, "plant when using more than 3 steps"? Do you mean lefts or strides? Never use a plant when going from less than 3 lefts - it screws around with your plant timing. Just carry it over your head or shoulder.

powerplant42 wrote: and consequently do not have access to it at the moment...

SHAAAAAAAAME OOOOON YOUUUUU!!!! HAHAHAHAHA

Plumber/6P/Joe: What do you mean when you say, "plant when using more than 3 steps"? Do you mean lefts or strides? Never use a plant when going from less than 3 lefts - it screws around with your plant timing. Just carry it over your head or shoulder.

yea, that's what i mean. 2 LEFTS and under, don't plant. 3 LEFTS and more, plant

Just something to add, I noticed that your left leg tends to retract and coil up post-take off. With the exercise you're doing (the one without the swing), when you take off try to drive your left leg back and then keep it back as far as you can. This will give you good practice at two things:

1. It's great practice at finishing the take-off. If you retract your leg after take off, it may be an indication that you are not applying 100% of the take-off force you are capable of applying and therefore not finishing the take-off. Think of it as kind of "cutting the take-off short" and is not something you want to be doing. Instead, you need to be pushing with your left leg as much as possible. One way of telling if you're on the right track is to look at your toes and knee during and after the take-off. Once you have taken off your knee should be quite straight (a little bend is good) and your toes should be pointing back towards your take-off spot like you want to leave them there after you've jumped. Keep this position after you've taken off. So once you have jumped, maintain this position. Driving the take-off leg back and keeping it there ensures that you're giving 100% of the energy you can create into the take-off.

2. Keeping the leg back puts you in better position for the swing. The swing with a leg further extended will exert more force. Since you're not swinging in this exercise, drive the leg back at take-off and keep it there. Drive your chest and right knee forward while driving your left leg back and maintain this position as long as you can. This is the ideal position to be in after the take-off and just before the swing as it ensures that you've finished the take off and have placed yourself in an excellent position for swinging.

Note: this is only for this one particular exercise. If you want to swing, do not delay in this position. It is just good for this drill so you can feel what the best position will be when you do want to swing.