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I have been working on staying tall during my run and my plant the last couple of weeks. I get my hands nice and high when I plant and am able to achieve the take off position with a high right knee, long straight trail leg behind my body, and high hands but my hips always get sucked under too fast. When I see videos of good vaulters, they plant, jump, and it seems like they hold that position slightly for awhile and then swing. What can I do to help me learn to hold that position?

What youre seeing is being patient before swinging up by letting the trail leg become elastic and the opening up of the chest by letting the shoulders rotate back. Some elite vaulters have a free take off so their jump starts with the pole not in the box so if they dont hold that position all hell can break loose. I would not recommend attempting a free take off as a beginning high school vaulter, most high school coaches (mine included), cannot adequately coach that technique and it will probably be a waste of time to try. The hips get swept under from being under and a low angle of attack. You can be tall at the plant but unless you decide to jump a little at the end of the run, youll come out flat and youll get sucked under. Let your arms/shoulders rotate back a little before you start the swing and it will set you up for a timed and powerful swing. Check your run and work on being aggressive on your plant, dont make the pole do all the work.

The best quote I ever heard was from Jan Johnson: "it's a race to the top". Having noted that, there is no time to be patient especially with the trail leg. Petrov, perhaps the father of modern pole vaulting, is quoted as saying the trail leg goes from zero meaning at takeoff. Try this experiment: jump to a horizontal bar, hold the leg back for a split second and swing up to cover the bar. Now, jump to the bar with the takeoff leg back and swing it immediately. You'll find the second method to allow you to swing your body through more successfully. Also, think of it as a soccer player who attempts to kick a ball for distance. The player steps to the ball with the opposite foot stretching out the kicking leg and immediately kicks the ball. Try stepping to the ball, pausing and then trying to kick for distance. Not going to happen as actively. Still need a high takeoff which will stretch out the takeoff leg.

Additionally, I disagree with the statement that a beginner shouldn't learn the "free takeoff". This is the one technique that should be learned first. A free takeoff simply teaches one to jump at takeoff. Most beginning vaulters learn runovers on the grass or into a sand pit. This requires a free takeoff. If one doesn't free take off over the ground, he or she will fall to the side. Additionally, a beginner is usually holding lower and can successfully achieve a free takeoff. As the hands move up the pole, the free takeoff becomes more difficult, but it can still be done. The lesson learn from trying to get a free takeoff is to jump up at the plant.