PoleVaultPower.com

I'm jumping a 14'6" 165 but holding at 12. Every time I go to plant and takeoff, I quickly second guess myself, and sometimes I even stutter step about one stride before my take off. I know my mark is right, but I can't seem to trust it ever since I fell last year when my hands slipped off my pole and I ate it.

What can I do?

hey

what is your 6 step "MID" and total distance and number of steps???

dj

Try your normal approach with the pole without planting. Have someone catch your step at the end. See how that works

AR01 wrote:Try your normal approach with the pole without planting. Have someone catch your step at the end. See how that works

No body runs the exact same when they are running through. This is a bad way of determining if your steps are on.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:

AR01 wrote:Try your normal approach with the pole without planting. Have someone catch your step at the end. See how that works

No body runs the exact same when they are running through. This is a bad way of determining if your steps are on.

Case in point, everytime I run through to catch a step, I'm about 1 foot under. Mostly b/c I take a long last step when running through. Now over the years that's been consistent, so if I'm a foot under than my step is on when I take-off.

In your case, go down a grip or size pole, gain your confidence on that run and that grip, then slowly work your way back up by inching up your grip each jump.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:No body runs the exact same when they are running through. This is a bad way of determining if your steps are on.

my steps are always on when i run them through, and i never stretch or stutter when i take a real run, running them back is worse because you have no reference to see if you are stretching or stuttering, my mark hasn't changed much over the past year except a couple inches and i still have yet to have a problem with them, what do you propose rather than running them through?

spike gibeault wrote:

rainbowgirl28 wrote:No body runs the exact same when they are running through. This is a bad way of determining if your steps are on.

my steps are always on when i run them through, and i never stretch or stutter when i take a real run, running them back is worse because you have no reference to see if you are stretching or stuttering, my mark hasn't changed much over the past year except a couple inches and i still have yet to have a problem with them, what do you propose rather than running them through?

Using a mid mark.

The only sure thing in the vault is that vaulters who check their step by running through without planting their pole will be way under when they do. It's like a natural law of science or something. I think it's called the Law of My Coach and I Know Nothing about the Pole Vault.

Do you mean they'll be way under when they do plant the pole, or when they run through without planting?

You will be way under when you plant the pole.

Running through and planting to vault are two very different actions. When you run through you are setting up to long jump into the pit. If you run through without planting the pole it's even worse since you have to long jump into the pit while supporting the pole's weight. Neither is a good indicator of where your takeoff mark will be if you actually plant and vault.

Really, the only way to get a good step is with a mid-mark. When checking your steps, it is more important to check the mid than the takeoff. With a well established run, if you are on at the mid, you are on at the takeoff. Most of the adjustments to your run are made because of what is occurring before you hit your mid.

I say combine all the above..a mid mark is a sure thing..if your mid is off you will be off..but still get a mid and have someone catch your step..its a two fold plan..other than that just put your arms up and do it everytime!

Run-throughs are a waste of time. Whether you think about it or not, you know you have to jump into the pit, and your dominant jumping foot is typically your takeoff foot, so you won't want to jump off the other foot, so you'll stretch to get that takeoff foot as close as possible to the pit for safety. You won't start stretching usually until 2-3 steps out though, so if you have a 4 or 6 step mid mark, your foot placement in relation to that will give you the info. you need to adjust your starting point.

We simply grab a small enough pole and a lower grip than normal and take off the first time down the runway. You'll never get better info. than by just simply taking off, and if you're on a small enough pole and grip that you'll get in on no matter how bad your step, there's nothing to worry about.

It doesn't hurt to do a few measured out pole runs planting into a towel on the track while warming up before you jump whenever possible. You can get your starting mark adjusted to hit your mid there, measure it back out, then move it over to the runway.

Start by reading this thread: http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/vie ... php?t=4643