Pauli Big jump

[jarno_k]

I've seen this guy fly over 5.70m by at least 8 inches from 6 lefts and then barely knocking the bar off on the way down.. He definately should have jumped over 6.00m by now.

[rainbowgirl28]

I just need to keep a pair of hair cutting scissors on me anytime I think I might run into Pauli. I really want a haircut! I hope he comes to Reno!

[altius]

Spot on VP!

[altius]

Have you got it now vtv?? Revisit Chapter 27.

[VTechVaulter]

yeah i mean i had a general idea what you were thinking. its just odd because his left leg swings really well, but then he sort of holds the right leg back and is late reaching the inverted position.

[KirkB]

... First needs to ensure a free take off ---- but he will certainly not jump really high until he improves the third phase considerably. ...

So HOW can he improve the third phase?

... really good chest drive at take off. long left leg swing. but the right leg looks like it tucks on its own, and comes way back. ...

So WHY is he tucking?

... the start of his jump looks like one of the best in the world, with his step being on, and a really big trail leg and chest drive!

VP: His step is not on, but he does have a good trail leg stretch and chest drive ... and a fairly good downswing (albeit late).

Have you got it now vtv?? Revisit Chapter 27.

... its just odd because his left leg swings really well, but then he sort of holds the right leg back and is late reaching the inverted position.

So WHY is he late?

I think the answer is in Chapter 26 (The take off) ... not in Chapter 27 (... the swing into inversion) ... as you said, Altius, in your first post ...

... First needs to ensure a free take off ...

I took a close look at his 5.50 vid, and at first I couldn't figure out why he needed to tuck, since his trail leg swing was so good. But if you look at his takeoff ...

Pauli 550 Takeoff.JPG (12.41 KiB) Viewed 4355 times

... you'll see that it's just not a free takeoff. The pole is bending well before his takeoff foot leaves the ground. Even tho he cleared 5.50 by a mile, he probably could have cleared 5.80 by a mile if he mastered the free takeoff!

If you're a drive vaulter, then you may not appreciate the importance of this BUT ... your SWING is compromised whenever you're putting bend into the pole BEFORE your takeoff. There's LEAKAGE!

By "your swing is compromised", I mean "your swing is SLOWED DOWN". Think about it ... will you swing faster/stronger/longer if your trail leg is free to SWING, or if your trail leg is PREVENTED FROM SWINGING by being still on the ground? ??? Think about it!

To a Petrover, this is a no-brainer. To a drive vaulter, I'm sure this isn't nearly as well understood.

So as good as his trail leg stretch and chest drive and swing LOOKS, it's sub-optimal! And THAT'S what sets up the consequent flaws ... which force him to tuck ... and force him to break the "continuous chain of motion".

Kirk

[swtvault]

Jake has made huge gains on his technique since I have known him (Jumped with him since 1998.) He used to have an extremely dramatic tuck in his earlier years, but has since migrated to a longer more uniform swing. I don't really like calling it more or less petrov--I think that label is kind of generic--but rather an evolution of a vaulter that has dramatically improved his technique over the years. I also agree that he has the capability of pushing 6.0m+. However, much like many pole vaulters world wide, injuries, family, and time constraints seem to place ceilings on even the most talented athletes in the sport.

I think if you boil down the data and look at what he doing, he is one of the top 3 or 4 talents in the world right now when healthy. He still does have a few good years left, so we shall see.

[altius]

For a US vaulter that is not a bad take off - cant really expect a free take off because most folk do not even believe that such a thing exists. I mean you cant really drive the bottom arm into the pole can you, unless you are a couple of feet under at take off????? His problem is that when he swings his legs up past the chord of the pole he does not connect/fix/lock them to the pelvis so they keep swinging up - but the butt stays down. Hence the V position we see in VPs still. Eventually of course the feet are driven towards the bar and the butt is pulled up - reluctantly i suspect. He is unable to cover the pole effectively and never in a position to fully exploit the recoil - even tho it 'looks' to the casual observer that he is doing so. For me -and I say this sadly -this is yet another example of a talented athlete who may never fulfil his potential because - in addition to the other problems he faces - of poor technique.

[rainbowgirl28]

For a US vaulter that is not a bad take off - cant really expect a free take off because most folk do not even believe that such a thing exists. I mean you cant really drive the bottom arm into the pole can you, unless you are a couple of feet under at take off?????

Alan, while that may be an accurate generalization of some hick HS coach who doesn't want to learn anything about the vault, it's not a fair generalization of our elite vaulters. They may not all be striving for your definition of a free takeoff (though I think most are) but none of them are striving to takeoff under. At most, any differences of opinion you may have with some of them is a matter of a few inches. What they are striving to achieve and what they are actually achieving may not always match up, but your mocking an athlete you don't even know doesn't help anything either.

The rest of your post was potentially useful, let's save the barbs for someone who deserves it.

[VTechVaulter]

and being friends with jacob and talking to him a decent bit about it, the number one thing he has tried to fix over the last few years is bringing the take off outside. sometimes its just easier said than done. but if you look at the change even in the videos we pointed out that are about a year apart. His 5.80 jump from 2008 hes taking off at 12'3-12'6, and in the 2009 video hes out closer to 14 ft, which he did fairly consistently this year.

I also can second swtvaults comment that his tuck was way more pronounced a few years ago. So hes definitely trying to make the changes to clean up the technique, but sometimes even the best athletes struggle to make changes. not that i am half the athlete jacob is, but i have struggled for years to get/keep my step out. its a constant battle. my best jumps in my career are all taking off between 4.15-4.25, but somedays im inside at like 3.80 and for the life of me i cant get it back where it belongs. i certainly dont enjoy or aim to be under. somedays pole vaulting is just a hard event. haha.

that being said, if he can get/stay healthy this year, it wouldn't suprise me at all to see him have a breakout year. i saw some really good flashes of brilliants with his further outside step, if he can keep doing that and get back to the kind of runner he was in 08, could be scary.

for further review and education altius, how do you feel about his approach. Seems like hes nice and tall the entire way, starting off controlled and acceleration well down the runway with a free pole drop. Would you agree?

[altius]

Becca -If you ACTUALLY read what I ACTUALLY wrote, you will see that the barb - as you call it - was not directed at Jacob but at a general belief that I still meet all over the US when I do clinics. Of course I am aware that many of the better vaulters are trying to change - indeed I am in contact with some of them as they look for advice. So please do not lecture me - you really are not qualified to do so. But I still respect you!!

[altius]

VTV = One of the problems with this kind of exercise is that one is commenting on ONE vault - not the sequence you would like to - and should - watch in competition for example. This is why I rarely comment in the video review section, especially on novice vaulters - who do something different every time they vault. But an experienced vaulter like this is probably pretty stable in most of what they do so I was prepared to comment - especially as there seemed to be a view that Jacob was technically very good, when in fact he has a major problem with his technique.

Sure he needs to improve the take off but as you indicated that can be a long hard process - especially if you did not grow up with a free take off! So improving that aspect of his vault will always be a work in progress and in a sense you have to move on - you cant wait until you have perfected that and ignore the rest of the vault. I believe that he could make significant improvements in his PERFORMANCE dealing with the aspect of the vault that I first drew attention to. With high bar exercises and 'long swings' on to the pad he can learn to extend his body through the entire swing. This will make a huge difference to his energy input and positioning on top of the pole.

Re the run up and lowering of the pole (dont like the term pole drop) - it seems pretty good but with a little more tension in the system than I like to see. Small things matter tho -so he should keep his left hand UNDER the pole throughout the run and the plant -this can only be done if he keeps the left hand higher as the pole is lowered. This will feed into a better hand arm position as the pole hits the box and then into a freer take off - which is not just determined by the take off point.

Sorry folks cant give the time to this that I would like or is needed as I have other fish to fry - as they say in Kentucky!