leg hitting the pole

[bbel]

So I just started pole vaulting this season (highest is 9) and every time II go up to jump, my left leg hits the pole. (I'm a righty) I also go towards the right side and almost fall off the mat sometimes. I have no idea how to fix it and my coach is gone for the season. Help please. Thanks.

[GasPasser]

Hard to say without seeing a video.

Make sure you are getting your arms fully extended before the pole hits the back of the box. If the top (right) hand is not above you, you will go off to that (right) side. If your top hand is beyond vertical and past the line of the spine (like over the left/opposite shoulder) you will go to the left side of the pit.

As for your leg hitting the pole, I think that problem will clear itself up once you get the hands up every time.

[Cpu8]

tough hard to say without a video but most of the time when you fall to the right or left its mostly one of 2 things.
1. You dont have enough forward momentum to carry you straigt over the "0 point", you can fix this most of the time with a stronger controlled approach (not a longer but more power in the one you already have). Or you can fix this by gripping a bit lower so that the total arc will be a bit smaller and needs less energy to complete.
2. you push too hard with your lowest arm, i dont know in what part of the jump you start to move to the side but if its during the inversion you're most of the time pushing too hard so that your body doesnt align with the pole anymore and that could cause it.

These are just 2 things i noticed myself, im not a coach myself but this usually works for me c;

For the leg hitting part, that mostly fixes itself over time