PoleVaultPower.com

Essx and PVJunkie:

Would y'all give the viewing public your definition/interpretation of "Soft Side" and why it is called that? I know the difference, but there seems to be some discrepancies between different pole brands and it would help the average vaulter to understand what this means. Every week I attend high school meets and see kids planting the pole the wrong way.

Thanks!

Kris

And maybe a comment on why sometimes the soft side and the pre-bend don't line up?

Natdog...........the softside and the prebend are the same thing in my dictionary..........the softide/prebend can be two different things in very rare cases. There is a physical softside (sag) and a mechanical softside to every pole. In very rare cases these two do not line up and you get a pole that twists (turns no matter what you seem to do). This is what happens when the two do not line up. The soft side or compression side is the side of the pole that faces you when you have the pole above your head to plant, the stiff side (expansion side) of the pole is the side that faces away from you when the pole is above your head to plant. If the sag and physical soft side (the weakest point of the wrap) do not line up in the pole you get a twister. This can be caused by several things, improper storage, travel and in rare cases at the manufacturer. If you get a pole that twists no matter what you do contact the folks you purchased the pole from for a remedy. On Gill poles you can look at the top of the pole for an index mark to see if they dont line up. Try planting the pole with the line that is engraved into the top of the pole lined up as the soft side of the pole instead of what seems to be the sag. If this corrects the problem.......your all set. if not make the call. In todays man. process twisters are extremely rare but they still happen. If one person feels it and another does not its the person feeling the twist that may have a plant problem....not the pole, so experiment a little before thinking there is a problem with the pole. Every effort is made by each man. to line the sag and the phys. soft sides to eliminate all twisters but the storage and trasport of poles can also cause the problem.

Hope that helps..............

When the pole is setting in the storage, setting in the sun at a meet or practice or shipped in a tube that holds the pole in a bent position different than the mechanical axis or the natural oven curve of the pole (PreBend). You will get a pole that is off.

Remedy:1. Always set your poles at meets so the sag is down and the pole will not take a false set.
2. If a false set occurs allow the pole to cool then get warm again and it will correct itself.
3. Always store the poles so they are supported at least 3-4 supports on a rack or store upright.

Twisters are very rare now days.