Hugging the pole

[rbosley]

I've been pole vaulting for about two years now. I can usually jump 7 feet on a good day. I know, it's not that high, but I plan on going to a camp before season to improve. My coach tells me that when I vault I hug the pole, and that if I didn't hug the pole I'd be jumping at least a foot higher. No matter how hard I try, though, I can't break myself of it. Any tips on how to stop this? Does anyone else have the same problem?

[CoachEric]

Many beginners have a tendancy to pull, so if you never corrected this habit when you started vaulting, it can be difficult to break. You should do simple drills that reinforce good body position with open shoulders without pulling. You will have to do lots of repeitions correctly to break the habit.

Here are some basic drills that you can go through. http://artofthevault.com/articles/pole-vault-elementary-school/ Focus on opening the shoulders as your weight transitions to the pole, and do not pull!