Elevated Runway

[Darth Vaulter]

Over the years I've seen videos of vaulters working on their top end technique using their competition poles but taking off from short runs on elevated runways set on top of the regular runway. If the plant box is below the level of the runway it is easier to move the pole to vertical. I think that I've come up with an inexpensive, completely weatherproof, no-wood-involved elevated runway for use in this manner and for street/beach vaults. If it works out, I will post the construction details. My questions at the moment are:

1. Are there drawbacks to using an elevated runway for top end technique development in the way I've described or attempted to describe? Are there bad habits that this will foster or cause to develop? Anything else I should watch for or be aware of? I have a vaulter who needs work on body awareness around the bar (hollowing, piking, folding -- call it what you want) and I'm hopeful that the repetitions she will get in this way, without having to expend the energy associated with full run, street-level vaults, will help accelerate this awareness.

2. What is the ideal height above the regular runway for an elevated runway to be used for top end technique development? My concept will work best with 12", 18" or 24" heights. Is 12" enough elevation or do I need to go higher?

[vaultmd]

In my opinion, the 12" version would be about 10" too high.

But I'm eager to see your plans for the 12" version if it facilitates getting a street vault going.

[KirkB]

Over the years I've seen videos of vaulters working on their top end technique using their competition poles but taking off from short runs on elevated runways set on top of the regular runway.

I must admit that I've never seen this, so take my remarks with this in mind.

In my opinion, the 12" version would be about 10" too high.

IMHO, the 12" version would be about 12" too high.

There's a few reasons for this ...

1. Compared to how you can increase your PR by FEET by working on your run/plant/takeoff/swing, I wouldn't worry about the FRACTIONS OF INCHES you can increase your PR by due to better bar clearance. OK, I'm exaggerating, but you get my point.

2. On every NORMAL jump, there's the opportunity to FINISH it by working on your bar clearance. So you don't need special jumps (or special jumping "props") for this. Personally, I practiced my bar clearances over a rope strung across a trampoline. That was good enough for me. I didn't want to waste VAULTING PRACTICE time and effort on this relatively trivial vault part.

3. It CAN lead to bad habits ... if you do too many repetitions. So your vault won't feel the same when you go back to a normal runway.

4. Similar to #3, you won't have a good feel for what a certain flex pole feels like when you bend it. You should know BEFORE you jump on each pole (at normal runway level) how that pole will feel when it bends ... at each grip ... and run length. The raised runway may confuse you. You will have to remember not only what the pole flex feels like at each grip and run length, but what it feels like at each elevation. Too many variables, I think.

5. I don't really follow your logic that this is a good solution for focussing on your bar clearance. Why not just use a softer pole?

For what it's worth, I think there's some merit in raising the runway when you first get onto a new (stiffer) pole. This would certainly be preferable to a coach tapping you. But for all the cost, time and trouble it would take to raise the runway just for this purpose, I doubt that it would be worth the hassle.

I don't understand the street/beach vaults idea either. If the runway is raised, isn't the box raised too? Surely the box would not be dug into the street or sand!

It sounds to me that you've come up with an idea, and now you're looking for applications of the idea. Most good ideas START with a problem that needs solving.

Geez, I'm beginning to sound like Debbie Downer on SNL ... and I'm USUALLY open to new ideas. I better stop now!

Kirk

[Darth Vaulter]

I'll try to post links to the videos I'm referring to when I get home later tonight. For Street/Beach Vaults the box would be elevated too and at the normal depth in relation to the raised runway.

[KirkB]

For Street/Beach Vaults the box would be elevated too and at the normal depth in relation to the raised runway.

Oh, OK. I misunderstood that part. I'm all for REGULATION-box-level street/beach vaults. Even tho records are all unofficial, the actions of the pole and vaulter are identical to those in sanctioned meets, so they're good practice for vaulters, as they simulate "the real thing".

Kirk

[Darth Vaulter]

Here are links to two of the videos I referenced:

http://pvei.com/fusion/readarticle.php?article_id=167

http://www.stabartisten.de/

I'm not suggesting this as a substitute for full vaults or shorter/softer pole work but rather as another arrow in the training quiver. If you are coaching a high school senior with huge potential in a Northern state with a short indoor season, an outdoor season with high temps in the 40's and 50's until mid-May, no year-round vaulting opportunities, no middle school vault program, you are always looking for ways to accelerate the learn-by-doing process. That said, I don't want to do anything that hinders a vaulter's progress.

Any thoughts from coaches who have actually tried this approach?

[Darth Vaulter]

The link to http://www.stabartisten.de/ doesn't go directly to the elevated runway vault video. You need to click on the link "Obungsreihe Springen" on the left side of the screen and then launch video clip "3". Sorry.

[rainbowgirl28]

I have practiced once or twice with a little platform at takeoff, and our indoor box in college was like 3" deeper than normal because they set it so low in the gym floor... Transitioning from that to a normal runway, I always felt a little flat. I never thought there was that much benefit from this type of training.