pole breaks
Moderator: Barto
- SlickVT
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Weight drop
In reply to the possibility of dropping the weight label 10 pounds on all poles is a great idea. It would teach people to learn how to vault properly instead of holding high, running fast and praying everything goes well. Yeah, high school vaulting would change, and yeah thats because there wll be less bend, but the quality of vaulting in the US would shoot through the roof. A large set of balls is not a substitute for technique.
Vertical Technique Pole Vault Club
Blacksburg, Virginia
verticaltechnique.com
Blacksburg, Virginia
verticaltechnique.com
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- PV Master
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it is never good to break a pole and it can get expensive, but doesnt it make you feel manly when you break your first pole. it is kind of a right of passage. i only broke one pole ever and that was at the illinois prep top times indoor meet my sophomore year in high school. it was a 14' 145 and i weighed 130 and it broke into three pieces with the middle piece flying high into the air. i broke it in competition and proceeded to miss three times in a row after the break. kudos to anyone who has cleared a height in a meet right after breaking a pole.
less bend is good
I agree that less bend during the early formatiative stages is good. Early technique progressions are much easier to learn with modest amounts of bend.
Small bends encourage the vaulter to jump up into the pole, which is a good habit to get into.
~jj~
Ps.
How aboout my Cubs?
Small bends encourage the vaulter to jump up into the pole, which is a good habit to get into.
~jj~
Ps.
How aboout my Cubs?
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- PV Master
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i, myself, being a white sox fan didnt shed too many tears for the poor cubbies. i will admit that it was hard not to be swept up into the cubs fever, if they won the pennant i would have definately gone down to wriglyville to hang out by the ballpark and take in the excitement while the world series was going on, but did anyone actually expect them to win? i mean they were still the cubs. even their fans couldnt just let them win. anyway, there is always next year and then the next year and the next year.
voodoo
So I turn on the game, its the 8th, the cubs are up 3-0. I had not watched a single moment of any cubs game in 10 years or more. I'm like; oh s***!
They are on their way to the world series. Not even 30 seconds later, it all turns into a huge pile of Cub poop.
So I will remain a south-side guy.
~jj~
They are on their way to the world series. Not even 30 seconds later, it all turns into a huge pile of Cub poop.
So I will remain a south-side guy.
~jj~
SOX Rule
Go White Sox
DSMFS! Right back at ya.
~jj~
DSMFS! Right back at ya.
~jj~
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- lonestar
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I've broken 3 in my career:
11th grade: 14' 130? Rocket - broke 1' from the bottom after my teammate planted over the box/under the pit and cracked it on the previous jump. Basically just stood me up and I rode it down. Probably weighed 135 but was gripping down from a short run.
Freshman year: 14' 150 Pacer III - Just jogged in from 6 steps and the next thing I know I'm on my back in the pit, and the pole tip sailed about 130' back to the end of the runway. Broke in 2 pieces just under the label.
2 years ago: 14' 170 Spirit - again from 3 lefts, broke just under my bottom hand. Funny thing is, I've seen 3 or 4 Spirits of different lengths all break in that same spot, right near the orange warning sticker. Landed safely in the pit, but got a huge welt on my left back ribs.
Just had a girl break a pole 2 days ago: 12' 125 Lady Rocket - she was gripping about 11'0 from 4 lefts. She weighs about 120. She had taken 8 or 10 jumps on it already, had a great run and jumped up well at takeoff, didn't sit on it, and it just blew up. No noticeable damage to it, and it wasn't dropped or spiked between her last few jumps. About 3 feet from the bottom of the pole. She backflipped and landed on her head in the pit, got some mild whiplash - she got tough though and went right up 2 more times after that.
It was her 2nd break in 3 years.
I've actually had 4 girls break 6 poles in the last 3 years, and only 2 of them were from bad technique (I had a girl who went through a phase of sitting on poles and pulling down at takeoff). None of the girls outweighed the poles, and none of them got hurt. Almost every single pole broke in two below the bottom label.
And oh yeah, I'm a YANKEES fan!!! Can you say COMEBACK baby!!!!!!
11th grade: 14' 130? Rocket - broke 1' from the bottom after my teammate planted over the box/under the pit and cracked it on the previous jump. Basically just stood me up and I rode it down. Probably weighed 135 but was gripping down from a short run.
Freshman year: 14' 150 Pacer III - Just jogged in from 6 steps and the next thing I know I'm on my back in the pit, and the pole tip sailed about 130' back to the end of the runway. Broke in 2 pieces just under the label.
2 years ago: 14' 170 Spirit - again from 3 lefts, broke just under my bottom hand. Funny thing is, I've seen 3 or 4 Spirits of different lengths all break in that same spot, right near the orange warning sticker. Landed safely in the pit, but got a huge welt on my left back ribs.
Just had a girl break a pole 2 days ago: 12' 125 Lady Rocket - she was gripping about 11'0 from 4 lefts. She weighs about 120. She had taken 8 or 10 jumps on it already, had a great run and jumped up well at takeoff, didn't sit on it, and it just blew up. No noticeable damage to it, and it wasn't dropped or spiked between her last few jumps. About 3 feet from the bottom of the pole. She backflipped and landed on her head in the pit, got some mild whiplash - she got tough though and went right up 2 more times after that.
It was her 2nd break in 3 years.
I've actually had 4 girls break 6 poles in the last 3 years, and only 2 of them were from bad technique (I had a girl who went through a phase of sitting on poles and pulling down at takeoff). None of the girls outweighed the poles, and none of them got hurt. Almost every single pole broke in two below the bottom label.
And oh yeah, I'm a YANKEES fan!!! Can you say COMEBACK baby!!!!!!
Any scientist who can't explain to an eight-year-old what he is doing is a charlatan. K Vonnegut
Oh Lonestar....I really hate the Yankees... a lot
In fact, I dislike the Yankees even more than Nebraska or Oklahoma Football, or the Dallas Cowboys! Well at least my Lakers looked good last night . I like the Glove and the Mailman running the ball up the floor. I sure hope your a Spur, or Mavs fan...... so I can beat on you about something next spring .
Lets see, we have broken a few pole out here.
Hannah Johnson (no relation) 11'9 HS girl broke a sky pole in 1997. She weighed approx. 140 and broke a 14'140 from long run.
Tex broke a 13'6 180 Gill tecnique pole from 5 lefts a couple of years ago
KCL broke a 12'120 spirit last year from from short run.
Ryan Tonneson (15'9) broke a 15' 170 carbon at one of our all-comers meets last summer after setting a PR. His mid was way out and he sat on it real bad.
We might have had a couple more I can't think of at the moment. But we really don't break too many poles for how many people jump here.
How about them Fresno Bulldogs? Anybody?
I wonder if Fraley reads this board?
~jj~
Lets see, we have broken a few pole out here.
Hannah Johnson (no relation) 11'9 HS girl broke a sky pole in 1997. She weighed approx. 140 and broke a 14'140 from long run.
Tex broke a 13'6 180 Gill tecnique pole from 5 lefts a couple of years ago
KCL broke a 12'120 spirit last year from from short run.
Ryan Tonneson (15'9) broke a 15' 170 carbon at one of our all-comers meets last summer after setting a PR. His mid was way out and he sat on it real bad.
We might have had a couple more I can't think of at the moment. But we really don't break too many poles for how many people jump here.
How about them Fresno Bulldogs? Anybody?
I wonder if Fraley reads this board?
~jj~
- lonestar
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Re: Oh Lonestar....I really hate the Yankees... a lot
~jj~ wrote:In fact, I dislike the Yankees even more than Nebraska or Oklahoma Football, or the Dallas Cowboys! Well at least my Lakers looked good last night . I like the Glove and the Mailman running the ball up the floor. I sure hope your a Spur, or Mavs fan...... so I can beat on you about something next spring .
~jj~
At least I'm a genuine Yankees fan, having been born and raised in NY and didn't jump on the bandwagon. I'm also a Jets, sometimes Giants, but never a Bills fan. Used to follow the Knicks a bit, but not much of a bball fan.
I do have to admit though, I'm a Bill Parcells fan above any of the teams, so I'm jumping on the Cowboys bandwagon despite having hated them most of my life.
After last weekend, it's tough to admit that I'm a Longhorns fan as well

Any scientist who can't explain to an eight-year-old what he is doing is a charlatan. K Vonnegut
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Re: Oh Lonestar....I really hate the Yankees... a lot
~jj~ wrote:I wonder if Fraley reads this board?
~jj~
Doubtful
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