What size pole

A forum to discuss everything to do with pole vaulting equipment: poles, pits, spikes, etc.

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Bombshellbell
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What size pole

Unread postby Bombshellbell » Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:49 pm

What size pole should I be jumping on it's my first season and we don't have a coach for pole vault. I weigh 125-130lbs and I'm 5'9 or 5'10. We are limited on poles bc we just got it for this season.
We have altius 10'1" , 10'8 and either 11 or 12 140lbs
Rocket 13'1.5" 145lbs
Skypole 13'6 , 14' 140

Also if its not listed what size should I be using if they are wrong

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coachjvinson
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Re: What size pole

Unread postby coachjvinson » Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:57 pm

If your smallest pole is rated at or above your weight, start there - more important is to move your grip past vertical with sound technique: searching the forum for sand drills will be a good start

according to secondary school rules for competition, you will be expected to vault on a pole at or above your weight, so you are fortunate to have shorter poles that are rated at 140 - even if they do not bend much for you at first, straight pole technique and drills are very important...

with a little time, effort and determination, you will be moving up poles and flexing poles shortly -
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Re: What size pole

Unread postby PV2020 » Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:35 am

Being a male pole vaulter I would just start with the 13' 145, start straight poling, slowly move the grip up, and once you are back to 4-5 lefts just practicing planting as you move the grip up. When the grip to gets about 11.6-12.0 the pole will bend if you are running fast and planting right.

My coach was working with a small decathlete who is about your size and he just put him on a 13' 140-150 and upped his grip with a straight plant until he was gripping around 12'6. Making sure he just long jumped with his hands high, then kept moving bungee higher and higher and swinging leg up and over bungee.


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