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I just moved to an 8L approach for this meet. It was my last chance to qualify for nationals in Oregon with 5m. My PR previously was 16 1. I Hit 5m and then hit 5.11 shortly after to get the all time state mark. I'm not even sure I want advice, I just want to share it because I'm so excited. Thanks for reading.

5.11m-

http://www.coachseye.com/v/XtW0?

Nice jump!! I'll give you advice anyway. You might narrow your grip by one finger. Maybe two fingers if it's comfortable. You're doing a lot of things really well. Great pole drop and run is setting you up really well. Your left arm is just getting away from you a little bit. You're going to need to raise your grip soon.

Thank you! To be honest, my grip usually isn't that wide, however on that pole I had bottom and top hand grips taped separately and when I raised my grip i ran out of tape on my bottom hand but was too lazy to put another layer on it so I just gripped at the top of the bottom hand tape, about 2 or 3 fingers wider then usual. I figured it would help me move the pole to vertical because that pole is very big.

WiscoVaulter wrote: ... I figured it would help me move the pole to vertical because that pole is very big.

Why do you figure that? It makes no sense.

Kirk

Now that I think about it, it doesn't really make too much sense. I have always been under the impression that a wider handgrip helps get on bigger poles at the sacrifice of the invert and narrower handgrips make it harder to get on bigger poles but easier to swing up. I suppose someone told me that when I was a beginner and I never questioned it.