beginner feedback

Post your videos and pictures to be reviewed here. Please read the guidelines first.
emanuel98
PV Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:08 pm
Expertise: Beginner
Lifetime Best: 2.70m
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka

beginner feedback

Unread postby emanuel98 » Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:15 am

I'm a beginner. I pole vaulted for the first time 3 months ago. I'm 20 and a junior in college. I'm training for the decathlon so I don't have as much time to train for the pole vault as I'd like. However, I really enjoy the limited practices I get so I thought I'd come here for some feedback. I currently use a 14' pole with a 145 lb weight rating. I'm not sure what my hand grip is, it's 14 hands up for 8 step. About a month ago I filmed myself with the same pole and same height bungee cord but off of 6 step so with a slightly lower grip. I have 3 videos of myself jumping a few days ago. I've been told I overstride the last few steps and drop my hips, and that I don't plant with my arms high enough above my head. My coach has also said I need to jump more, though I'm not sure if that applies to those jumps specifically. Any tips on how to work on those or specific pointers based on the video would be great.d be great.

Note: I tried to do some video editing so the plant is in slow motion, I'm not sure if its helpful or not so tips on my video editing would also be nice.

emanuel98
PV Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:08 pm
Expertise: Beginner
Lifetime Best: 2.70m
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby emanuel98 » Sun Nov 17, 2013 7:10 am

I think training has been going well and I'm slowly improving. I have some new videos from 11/02/2013 here. I'm on 10 step using a 13' 163lb pole for most of the jumps. The bungee is on 10'. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what issue with my technique I should focus on first. I'm studying abroad this semester which is how I have access to this pole vault coach. I lose this access in 2 days which is why I'm posting my videos here so I can get feedback to work on when I'm alone.

CoachEric
PV Whiz
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:47 pm
Expertise: Former College Vaulter, Current Private Coach for HS and College Athletes
Lifetime Best: 16'
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka
Contact:

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby CoachEric » Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:49 am

You are dropping your hands below your waist prior to initiating your plant. This is what is preventing you from getting your hands all the way up. It is also forcing you to decelerate.

Watch this video. http://artofthevault.com/10-dysfunctional-plants/ Your issue is Dysfunctional Plant #4.

Then read this. http://artofthevault.com/the-plant-simplified-and-specified/

emanuel98
PV Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:08 pm
Expertise: Beginner
Lifetime Best: 2.70m
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby emanuel98 » Sun Dec 15, 2013 1:33 am

I've been trying to keep what you've said in mind. I did a bunch of repetitions of the drill in the second link you posted. I have a recent video at the new place where i train. I've noticed that I don't keep the trail leg straight at all. I've been trying to fix that, but then I notice that I start hugging the pole and try to fix that. So I'm wondering how I prioritise fixing my runup (it seems like I overstride my last 2 steps), not hugging the pole, keeping my trail leg straight and getting the plant right. Should I just pick any of them and focus on it for a session and then move on to something else in the next session? Or should I pick the plant and just really try and get that right for the next 5 sessions or however long it takes?

CoachEric
PV Whiz
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:47 pm
Expertise: Former College Vaulter, Current Private Coach for HS and College Athletes
Lifetime Best: 16'
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka
Contact:

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby CoachEric » Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:29 am

The first priority is to learn not to pull. Both hands must be over your head at takeoff and stay over your head for your body to be able to swing. Your tendancy is to pull down hard with your left arm.

Don't worry too much about your overstriding at this point. It's not that bad, and you haven't developed the confidence yet to really sprint on the runway. You're under-striding all the way down the runway. As you develop confidence and speed, your whole run is going to change anyway. The important thing is to set the conditions for increased speed and power by making the vault safe and smooth.

1. Your plant is a little bit late. Your hands should be moving by the time the second to last left foot hits the ground. Anticipate that step and move the hands aggressively towards vertical.
2. You are stopping your plant before finishing it. Get completely extended prior to hitting the box, and keep pushing the pole upward, even after you have left the ground. Make both hands rise higher above your head.
3. Don't pull. Open the shoulders. Stay extended. Swing long. Don't overthink your trail leg. It can only stay extended if your body is an unbroken pendulum. So the arms must get extended first.

emanuel98
PV Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:08 pm
Expertise: Beginner
Lifetime Best: 2.70m
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby emanuel98 » Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:39 pm

Your advice was pretty spot on. I think I'm finally starting to improve my plant a little by focusing on planting a little bit earlier and not hesitating on the 2nd to last step. I have one recent jump where it seems like my form is much better. I'm not going that high but I think it's good that I reinforce better form. The height is also probably a product of it only being a 3 left runup and my hand grip not being as high as it could be, so I'm not worried. It seems like I'm still pulling a bunch cause my good form stops as soon as I take off the group. But I'm leaving that for another day. You really were right about the trail leg as I spent a few practices trying to keep the trail leg straight and just couldn't and then when I fixed my plant all of a sudden my trail leg was straight in the video, without me even trying, which was quite a surprise.

CoachEric
PV Whiz
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:47 pm
Expertise: Former College Vaulter, Current Private Coach for HS and College Athletes
Lifetime Best: 16'
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka
Contact:

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby CoachEric » Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:20 pm

That's much better on the plant. Good work.

Now raise your grip. Grip as high as you can from 6 steps and still move the pole smoothly to the back of the pit, but raise it gradually. That will help you resist the urge to pull, because you must stay extended in order to move the pole to the back of the pit.

As you are taking off the ground, allow the left hand to go up and back over the head. You want to keep space between you and the pole for as long as possible, and you do this by getting the arms extended at takeoff and allowing them to move upward.

You're ready to grip higher and move to a 4 left or 5 left run.

emanuel98
PV Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:08 pm
Expertise: Beginner
Lifetime Best: 2.70m
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby emanuel98 » Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:42 am

I've been focusing on improving the plant and staying tall at the takeoff and the last few steps. It's starting to come together more. I have some of my better jumps from a practice 2 weeks ago here. I was using a 13'3 175lb pole from 6 lefts. I think this was the first or second practice where I had the realization that I can just make myself run tall. Since then things have started to come together alot more, so I'll try and get footage of some of my most recent practices. Either way, pole vault is so much fun when things come together and you can feel the improvement.

I also pr'ed and cleared 2.70 recently which was nice. I still am vaulting way worse in meets then in practices, I just can't force myself to swing long and not go straight for the bar. I'm working on it by putting the bungee up more in practice so I get used to ignoring it. I've started by putting a really low bungee and I've now got proficient at ignoring it, so I'll gradually move it up and keep challenging myself to vault normally with it.

CoachEric
PV Whiz
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:47 pm
Expertise: Former College Vaulter, Current Private Coach for HS and College Athletes
Lifetime Best: 16'
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka
Contact:

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby CoachEric » Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:06 am

Focus on getting the left hand over your head when you plant. You are planting with your left hand in front of your face. Make the correction and you will find yourself holding higher and swinging better.

emanuel98
PV Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:08 pm
Expertise: Beginner
Lifetime Best: 2.70m
World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
Favorite Vaulter: Bubka

Re: beginner feedback

Unread postby emanuel98 » Wed Feb 25, 2015 11:03 pm

I realized recently that I was high kneeing down the runway for the first few steps, not understanding that I should be driving forward at the same time. After I changed my mindset my run immediately became faster, making me feel more than a little silly. You can see the difference here from my vault in January to my vault in February. I have a coach now which is great, but I wanted to post this for continuity and to share how much I feel I've improved. I obviously have a long way to go, but it feels like some things are starting to make sense, which is always a nice feeling. Since I only have a semester left I'm just really trying to focus on swinging long and attacking tall at the takeoff and hopefully as much as possible will fall into place.


Return to “Pole Vault - Video Review”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests