We are doomed. Repent and ask for forgiveness.

[agapit]

If you read The Original Manifesto (I hope Tim would change the name of his post to avoid confusions)

I wish we could change the name of the "Texas Pole Vault Manifesto"
Because I sometimes get it confused with the original 6.40 Manifesto, because there are so many similarities!

It seem we are going to have a manifesto for every state and than country and every vault club. Perhaps we need to start work on the constitution.

Any ideas?

[achtungpv]

If you read The Original Manifesto (I hope Tim would change the name of his post to avoid confusions)

I wish we could change the name of the "Texas Pole Vault Manifesto"
Because I sometimes get it confused with the original 6.40 Manifesto, because there are so many similarities!

I certainly hope no one confuses the TX Manifesto with anything resembling good technique.

[vaultman18]

I certainly hope no one confuses the TX Manifesto with anything resembling good technique.

They will. They always do.
The coach I had who taught me to lock my arm also taught me to take off under. He said it would help me get upside down I mean what the *#@$. I can't believe I am still involved in Pole Vault and not dead.

[OUvaulterUSAF]

I remember reading this article on pressure with the bottom arm. Here it states the vaulter must be fully inverted before applying bottom arm pressure. I can see some similarities with what Agapit is describing with the pressure used immediately upon take-off. Agapit, your thoughts?

http://pvei.com/fusion/readarticle.php?article_id=14

Pole Thrust
by Mark Hannay

During the flyaway phase of the vault, a "summation of forces" occurs and is the resultant of the cumulative forces of the pole's rotation to a vertical position, the vaulter's rotation around the handgrip, and the unbending elastic energy of the vaulting pole. It has been scientifically established that the total sum of energy at the end of the vault was derived by these three factors each converting and storing approximately 33.33% of the lifting energy. The accumulated energy is responsible for the vaulter's vertical lift and vertical velocity during the flyaway portion of the vault.

It is important to note that both the vaulter's position to the vaulting pole and the timing of getting into the ideal position prior to the flyaway will determine how much of the energy is available or lost. Assuming that the vaulter is properly inverted, in a position close to the pole, and aligned with the pole he/she will be able to utilize nearly all of the available forces that the summation will provide.

An advanced technique for maximizing the effect of the pole's thrust and flyaway velocity is to have the pole's unbending forces returned by the vaulter firming his/her bottom grip hand and arm. The stored energy of the unbending pole will be transferred to the vaulter through a shorter lever by a stiffer portion of the vaulting pole. For example: A vaulter is using a 460 cm. (15'1.5") 200 pound design vaulting pole. His/her top hand grip height is 14'6" with a 13'0" bottom hand grip results from an 18" hand spread. If the unbending pole's thrust is applied to the vaulter through the top hand, the amount of the unbending force will be applied through a 14'6" lever and an amount near the capacity of the 200 pound design of the pole. However, if the vaulter focuses on clamping down on the bottom grip hand and arm during the pole's thrust, the pole's energy will be returned through a 13'0" lever that will unbend similar to a pole that is of a 227 pound design.

This technique takes advantage of two factors. First, vaulting poles have a measurable amount of resistance to bend (stiffness) at any point along the shaft of the pole. That amount varies from pole model to model, but an average amount would be approximately 1.5 pounds per inch of hand movement along the pole. If the top grip hand is move up, the pole's stiffness would decrease approximately 1.5 pounds per inch. If the top grip hand was moved down, the pole's stiffness would increase approximately 1.5 pounds per inch. Therefore, if the vaulter's hand grip spread is a distance of 18", the apparent stiffness of the pole unbending through the bottom hand is a significant 27 pounds stiffer than the apparent stiffness of the pole returning through the top grip hand.

Second, short bent levers unbend faster than long bent levers. If the unbending pole is directed to return its unbending force through the bottom grip hand and arm, the force will be returned quicker and increase the impulse of force on the vaulter.

Finally, by focusing the unbending pole's energy to return through the bottom hand and arm grip, the available forces will be returned in a quicker and more powerful manner. If the vaulter is in the ideal inverted position at the proper time and he/she is focusing the pole's thrust through the bottom grip, it will increase the flyaway velocity of the vaulter and potentially increase the height that the vaulter will vault.

Please note: Caution should be used when teaching and/or using this technique. If the vaulter prematurely focuses on firming the grip of the bottom hand and arm, the vaulter may fail to get completely inverted. Too firm of a bottom hand grip during the swing-up phase preceding the inversion will decrease the ability of the vaulter to become completely inverted. It is not until the vaulter is fully inverted that the bottom grip firming technique should be applied. Furthermore, this technique is not recommended for vaulters with limited vaulting experience. Advanced vaulters who consistently vault 18" or more over their top hand grip height should be able to effectively use this technique.

[Tim McMichael]

I am tired and feeling my 40 years, but this has inspired me to spike up and see what is possible. This is me in the back yard today on a very small pole. It’s a new camera, and I don’t know how to work it, so the date is wrong. It is also not a completely free takeoff. The pole is bent slightly as my heel leaves the ground, but that is not my fault. Tiphy kept catching my step wrong. Anyway, this is about as early as I can conceive of letting go with the bottom hand.

http://www.treemo.com/users/tmcmicha/ch ... set/31091/

I’m going to keep working to see how much earlier I can let go. This should be interesting.

[vault3rb0y]

pretty cool! Ive heard about that demonstration being done at camps like slippery rock. Good luck with that in the future, hopefully you can nail it if tiphy (your adorable daughter?) catches your step right .

[MightyMouse]

I am tired and feeling my 40 years, but this has inspired me to spike up and see what is possible. This is me in the back yard today on a very small pole. It’s a new camera, and I don’t know how to work it, so the date is wrong. It is also not a completely free takeoff. The pole is bent slightly as my heel leaves the ground, but that is not my fault. Tiphy kept catching my step wrong. Anyway, this is about as early as I can conceive of letting go with the bottom hand.

http://www.treemo.com/users/tmcmicha/ch ... set/31091/

I’m going to keep working to see how much earlier I can let go. This should be interesting.

to get lessen the stabilization factor you could try pushing, as in not carrying the pole upright but pushing on the runway

[agapit]

I love these stuff guys. It is constructive all last four posts. Let's move along this direction.

I am preparing an answer for that scientific post, so give me an hour.

[agapit]

Now, I must tell you that I have mentioned two apostles in the beginning of the post. The name of the first one is “Higherâ€Â

[agapit]

It is important to note that both the vaulter's position to the vaulting pole and the timing of getting into the ideal position prior to the flyaway will determine how much of the energy is available or lost. Assuming that the vaulter is properly inverted, in a position close to the pole, and aligned with the pole he/she will be able to utilize nearly all of the available forces that the summation will provide.

An advanced technique for maximizing the effect of the pole's thrust and flyaway velocity is to have the pole's unbending forces returned by the vaulter firming his/her bottom grip hand and arm. The stored energy of the unbending pole will be transferred to the vaulter through a shorter lever by a stiffer portion of the vaulting pole.

It is an interesting observation. I would offer a few points to consider in line with this train of though.

1. The most important variable in measuring the effectiveness of the technical effort is the vertical component of the center of gravity of the vaulter. Storing energy in the pole is a less effective proposition because a considerably smaller portion of that energy could be ever recovered by the vaulter. Losses occur in the pole as well as in the friction of the tissues of the vaulter and other significant resistances.

2. The meaningful transition of forces through the left arm can only occur after the center of gravity position close to the vertical line over the bottom grip. Well at that time the actual distance of the lever should be measured from the middle point between both grips as the forces distributed evenly between arms at that time.

3. So really the left arm pull that I describe does not take into consideration the effect that you have mentioned. The left arm pull that I have described in The Original Manifesto has only two objectives: accelerate the vertical component of the speed of the center of gravity and decrease the amount of time the vaulter is passive during the inversion phase (refer to The Original Manifesto).

It is interesting in 1986 Nikonov at the time Head Vault Coach for the Soviet Team (a substance less title at the time) published an article describing this effect from the point of view of advantages to the grip height. I believe this article was translated in to English. Alan Launder may have it or maybe I have read it in Track Coach here in the States. I do not remember where I read it in English.

P.S. I must admit some validity in this as the forces realy not equally distributed between two hand in case when a vaulter is leading with the left arm pull I have described, so in addition to all benefits I have mentioned the effect you have described would also make some positive contribution.

[trackpole]

Wow, so much new info to catch up on here!!! I am trying to get my head around all these issues and was wondering under this train of thought. What would be an appropriate grip width for this approach. Obviously too wide puts too much pressure on the bottom arm and two narrow loses stability. Its seems as though Bubka's grip width widened slightly over his years and was wondering if there was any reason why this had happened.

[agapit]

I am tired and feeling my 40 years, but this has inspired me to spike up and see what is possible. This is me in the back yard today on a very small pole. It’s a new camera, and I don’t know how to work it, so the date is wrong. It is also not a completely free takeoff. The pole is bent slightly as my heel leaves the ground, but that is not my fault. Tiphy kept catching my step wrong. Anyway, this is about as early as I can conceive of letting go with the bottom hand.

http://www.treemo.com/users/tmcmicha/ch ... set/31091/

I’m going to keep working to see how much earlier I can let go. This should be interesting.

Well I think this was technically your best vault. LOL. You still was just a little late with the free take-off but I hope now you see that it is not that difficult.

While you were doing all this "swining" imagine what you left arm could have done?!!!

Regards.

P.S. Not you don't have to come up with $500. LOL.

P.S.P.S. You were late for two reasons. First your left arm did not extand far enough away from your chest during the plant because your pole drop began too late and second, you had an intention to move your chest forward excesivelly that made you move flat through the take-off and run into the pole too early.

P.S.P.S.P.S. Many people will be saved because of this little video you have done today. Thank you.