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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU3yQkiz ... annel_page

Tear me up.

Things i have improved on since this video:

1)cleaner take off
2)straighter trail leg, less tuck and shoot
3)higher plant
4)better inversion


This vault makes me cringe every time i watch it, i spot so many mistakes.

This was about 5 months ago btw.

You need a higher pole carry. Your left arm was bent at the plant, you need to reach up high.

At the start of your plant, you reach too far forward with your bottom arm. You would think that this would give you a good forwards lean on takeoff, and good forwards-leaning body posture when you pass thru the C, but unfortunately, you fail to reach UP with your top hand enough to have a tall, smooth plant. You're probably reaching too far FORWARDS with your bottom arm, and not reaching UP enough. And your forwards REACH with your bottom arm is probably a little too early ... so you're having to HOLD the pole in this position ... which makes you lean back (just a guess). Try to drop the pole more "weightlessly".

The action of the top hand on takeoff is what gives a vaulter a good forwards-lean body posture. Where the hand goes as you punch it up, the body will follow. That's missing on your plant/takeoff.

From there ... once you're leaning back ... as you are ... there's hardly any downswing ... so there's not much you can do but muscle up and try to salvage the vault.

Not bad for your age and experience, but with a little coaching and a little focus on the plant/takeoff/C, you'll get much, much better.

Kirk

I have never actually looked at my pole carry but yes i do, and kirkb you are absolutely right about a forward lean at take off. My coach sometimes gets on me for that and i do feel like that i have to muscle to salvage the vault.

I am also confused on the whole left arm plant phase of the vault. I have heard it is supposed to be straight and tall, but you would still not want it to push, correct?

Starmancer wrote:I am also confused on the whole left arm plant phase of the vault. I have heard it is supposed to be straight and tall, but you would still not want it to push, correct?

There's 3 ways to use your bottom arm ...

1. Press up on the plant as high as you can reach with both hands, and after the pole hits the box, continue to push hard with the bottom arm ... while you swing.

2. Press up on the plant as high as you can reach with both hands, and after the pole hits the box, continue pressing upwards to "punch" the pole momentarily with the bottom arm, then swing ... with most of your weight on your top hand.

3. Press up on the plant as high as you can reach with both hands, and when the pole hits the box, relax the bottom arm without punching or pushing it. Make sure you have a good forwards lean on takeoff. Swing from the top hand, and use the bottom arm just for balance.

#1 is the tuck/shoot method, which is not a good idea ... expecially if you don't have an expert coach that knows this method inside out. Most young vaulters that try this method get it all wrong and don't jump very high ... altho in a few rare cases, some do "get it" and jump quite high.

#2 and #3 are both acceptable if you're following the Petrov Model (like Bubka and Isi). I much prefer #3, but some other Petrovers prefer #2. The main differentiator of the Petrov Model compared to the Drive Model (tuck/shoot) is that you don't push with your bottom hand after the pole hits the box. That slows down your swing too much.

Trying to do a mix of these is a bad idea. In practice, there's every combination under the sun, but as far as intentionally vaulting a certain way, it's best to choose either #1, #2, or #3, as the 3 alternatives don't mix very well (IMHO).

There's much more to it than this, but these are your 3 basic choices.

Kirk

So whilst still being relaxed as possible reach up as high as possible with both arms using the top arm as a fulcrum and the bottom for balance?

Yes!

Kirk