Highest Jump with 12 foot grip!!!!

A forum to discuss pole vaulting related things of a historical nature.
dj
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Re: Highest Jump with 12 foot grip!!!!

Unread postby dj » Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:43 am

hey

the "height above grip" came from earl's swing not the run..

how high have you seen a gymnast go above the high bar???

and Kirk.. the vaulters jumped higher, yes because of grip.. the higher grip was because the vaulter could "shorten" the radius with the run and plant.. swing the shortened radius to vertical with the body.. But by the time the pole was vertical it was back at it's original length.. . one reason bambo was better than steel was the bending qualities.. one reason the tapered steel (Swedish steel model) was better than a straight steel was the bending quality...

the heights above grip have stayed about the same.. forever.. to me this "proves" the vault is not a catapulting event... and probably 90% of PVP readers/coaches believe and coach it as a catapulting event...

i truly believe, the belief that the vault is a catapulting event has hurt the vault dramatically.. at least here in the USA.

it is a run plant and swing... just exactly like steel vaulting, with the height above grip coming from the swing and the speed and acceleration of the swing, swinging with the body as "long' as possible until the mass passes horizontal to the ground (a long fast swing creates more force or momentum than a fast short swing)...

hope this will make some sense... i have been trying to tell everyone that the event is not a catapult!!! poles are not catapults.. they are "artificial" bamboo.. the greater the bend properties without breaking the better the pole...

dj

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2-15-46
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Re: Highest Jump with 12 foot grip!!!!

Unread postby 2-15-46 » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:26 am

Well said DJ.................................I was watching my Grandson trying to giants on the high bar....when he got nearly ready to get to 90 degrees, by massive build up of centrifical force, his mind aborted the attempt...he said he was afraid of coming down head first....I told him the his body would be pulling away from the bar, once he reached maximum centrical force to get to that position and just keep his arms straight.........then it dawned on me,back in HS I could push 20" on a aluminum pole cause we had a Gymnastics team at our school back then and I did alot of HB and rope swinging (usta watch alot of Tarzan on our three channel TV)..Then when I was coaching flexible vaulting years ago..all the "experts" said that the flexible pole's primary advantage was that you could grip higher on the pole...but also some were saying that the flexible pole was magic and all you had to do was "go for the ride".........

I know another guy who does giants, I think he may be related to you DJ, and I do believe he reaped the benefits of learning how to "swing" on a high bar :yes:
Bob


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