PoleVaultPower.com

I have a pole that has damage about a foot down from the top. Looks like it got closed in a door or something. It's a 14' 145 Spirit. I'm thinking of cutting the top foot off. As a Master's vaulter, I don't need to preserve the weight band to use it. So if I chop it, I'll essentially end up with a 13' 165.

Two Questions
1) Right now, I'm only holding at 12' - working on holding higher as my run and confidence improve. Given a 12' hand-hold height on a 14' pole, I'm likely going to be holding near the top of the sail piece. Once I cut the top foot off, should I flip the pole and put the tip on the top (and sail piece closer to the ground)? I'm assuming that after the cut, the sail piece is now closer to the top than the bottom and I should reverse that. Am I way off-base with my thinking?

2) Any reason why I should not cut the pole and carry the "dead glass" around?

Thanks for the help.

GasPasser wrote:Two Questions
1) Right now, I'm only holding at 12' - working on holding higher as my run and confidence improve. Given a 12' hand-hold height on a 14' pole, I'm likely going to be holding near the top of the sail piece. Once I cut the top foot off, should I flip the pole and put the tip on the top (and sail piece closer to the ground)? I'm assuming that after the cut, the sail piece is now closer to the top than the bottom and I should reverse that. Am I way off-base with my thinking?

2) Any reason why I should not cut the pole and carry the "dead glass" around?

No, do not turn it upside down. Th sail piece is shaped like a trapezoid, but I don't know if they cut it at the same angles on both ends, if that makes sense. Some people might recommend that you trim some off the bottom of the pole instead.

The dead glass has all the pole info etched in.

Do not turn it around -- the pole (mandrel they are made on is tapered) diameter is largest at tip and smallest at top -- big difference in flex rating - pole would bend low - would be very dangerous