Choosing a Pole to use?

[sduvinage]

What is the best pole for me to use to accomplish my goals.

PR: 3.65 meters/ 12' October
Wanted PR: 4.2 meters/ 13' 8" Late April

Stats-
Softmore
5'6"
120 pounds
100 meter: 12 ish
5-6 Lefts are used.
bench press 1 rep: 145
Poles needed Anything from 12 - 14

I felt the bench press was possibly relevant for my press.
Can someone give me the height to weight ratio I should be using for my poles.
The flex number would be appreciated but not necessary.

[kcvault]

The bench press is not really a relavent lift to pole vaulting focus should be on the incline press and military press are much more relavent to vaulting. To anwer your question first we would need to know what is the lenght and weight of the biggest pole you have roled past verticle and also how high were you holding when you did this? The best I can tell you is use the poles you are using now, if you are getting the pole so far past verticle that you his the cross bar on the way up with the stadards on 80. Then your ideal next pole would be five pounds bigger. for example if you on a 12'6 140 the next pole is either a 12'6 145 or a 13 ft 135 10 pounds per 6 inches.

Hope this helped.
--Kasey

[sduvinage]

Thanks kasey.
I can blow through a 12' 120.
My pole that I use right now is a 13' 125.
My press is half way there but I can clear a bar at 70 with it.
Would you have any suggestions for a 13' foot or should i stick to this pole until I get my press down well.
Thaks for your help

--Simon

[VaultPurple]

were you using the 13' 125 when you vaulted 12'? And if so where were you gripping.

With your current PR and your current height and speed I would most likely recommend just going up in weight in the 13' poles if you blow through the pole you are on, say until you are at around a 13' 150. I know that seems stiff but bending the pole really has little to do with how much you weight and more on your speed and a 12ish 100 is plenty of speed to jump on a 150-160lb pole.

[kcvault]

Remember you want to focus on being in good position for swinging and on having your hands all the way up at take off. Bottom arm pressure is what I am assuming your referring to when you say press and is not very important and could hinder your vault if given in the wrong place.

You should try to get your hands on a 13 ft 130, but don't move to it until you are blowing trough with the standards at 80, then once you blow through that try to trade, or borrow, or some how get your hands on a 13 ft 135 or 13'6 125 if you go up in length only raise your grip a finger. (Remember if you are not able to jump safely getting the pole at least to vertical always go back down to the smaller pole and get over the bar with technique.)

As long as the pole is over your body weight don't worry about the pole weight compared to your weight just make sure if you start bending the pole past 90 degrees you need to either go up a pole or lower your grip, and you can higher your grip when you are not bending the pole past 90 degrees and you are getting the pole past vertical.

[KirkB]

I felt the bench press was possibly relevant for my press.

My press is half way there but I can clear a bar at 70 with it.

... Bottom arm pressure is what I am assuming your referring to when you say press and is not very important and could hinder your vault if given in the wrong place.

Yikes! That's what you mean by "press"!

Please search for and read all the threads about "bottom arm pressure" and "bottom arm push". You won't find many with "bottom arm press". If you're trying to follow the Petrov Model, then this "press" that you're talking about as if it's a GOOD thing is actually a very BAD thing!

And seriously, if you can clear a bar with the standards at 70 without it, then you're on the RIGHT track! But set them at 80.

Interesting how the topic of this thread of yours is about "choosing a pole" ... but you have MUCH bigger fish to fry!

Kirk

[sduvinage]

KirkB
Could you please explain your views and opinions on bottom arm pressure.

[kcvault]

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/files_at ... 7_GH_L.jpg

go to this link for pick

I know this was for kirk but you can see here with this pic of bubka that his bottom arm is not locked out. It is over his head not out in front of him he is putting himself in a position were his goal is to swing to roll the pole not bend the poll to roll the pole. Bottom arm pressure is not nesarily a bad thing locking your bottom arm out in front of you however can be detrimental to good vault technique. Your focus should be on having your hands all the way up at take off over your head not out in front of you, you should be in the backwards c position in a good position to swing, it is your swing that accelerates the pole not bending the pole that accerates it. You roll a pole by running fast, being tall at take off and swinging, focusing on pushing with your bottom arm and on bending the pole will only make pole vaulting more difficult. Kirk can probably exsplain this better but hope this helps.

----Kasey

[KirkB]

... Bottom arm pressure is not necessarily a bad thing ... Kirk can probably explain this better but hope this helps.

I agree with what Kasey said, except that I take it even more to the extreme than some other Petrovers. I don't think you need ANY bottom arm pressure. IMO, any pressure that you cognizantly put on the pole with the bottom arm adds NOTHING to your bend or swing, and on the contrary, it detracts you from your true objectives of (a) driving as hard as hell with the TOP HAND into the box ... to a full elastic stretch, and (b) SWINGING like hell.

I know I'm a bit of a broken record about this point, so I'm not going to say much more (on this thread) ... if you just search all the other threads ... you'll see that we've discussed this topic EXTENSIVELY in the past 1.5 years ... and you'll find all the info you need on this topic.

Kirk

[kmetzel16]

i am in need of the same info, my school is buying me a pole this year so i can clear my goal for this year 13' 6". i was using a 12' 4"120 lbs pole last year and i need to know what pole i should use i blew through that pole during the summer. but my standards were really close now i need some info on what pole i should look at to acheive me goal also what are some things i can do to increase my depth into the pit

[rainbowgirl28]

i am in need of the same info, my school is buying me a pole this year so i can clear my goal for this year 13' 6". i was using a 12' 4"120 lbs pole last year and i need to know what pole i should use i blew through that pole during the summer. but my standards were really close now i need some info on what pole i should look at to acheive me goal also what are some things i can do to increase my depth into the pit

How tall are you?
How old are you?
How much did you weigh last track season?
How much do you weigh now?
How high were you holding on the 12'4 120?
What is your PR?


"Blowing through" means you landed deep in the pit, which you did not. You were probably just bending it a lot. Drop your grip a fist or two and keep the standards all the way back. The pole won't bend so much, you'll land deeper, and you'll find you have an easier time swinging.

[kmetzel16]

i am 5'6" and i am 16 years old
i weighed 116
i was at the very top
i weigh 120 now and my PR is 11'9" and i dont want to sond cocky but i know i can clear more if i get a bigger pole so i need someones help on what pole to buy, now my scholl suplied the pole so i didnt have a wide variety so is there any company that u prefer