In between sticks

[NovaVault]

I've been jumping on an older model 15' 180 Pacer Carbon for the last couple of weeks, but I just no heighted at my conference meet and since then I've been blowing through it. I have a 15'6 170 carbonFX, but that's too soft. And the next pole I have to move up to is a 15'6 180 carbonFX, but everytime I've tried to get on that I've ended up back on the runway. I also have 3 16' spirits (175,180 & 185). Any suggestions on what pole I should work with (I don't have the $ to be buying any new sticks and my school is cheap.) or any new approaches to getting on the sticks I have? Sorry for not putting down the flex #'s.

[vaultguru6]

i would work on getting on those spirits so you can have a steady progression from here out. A couple years ago I made the same transition....if i recall correctly I went from a 15' 15.8 which is a 180 to a 16' 20.2 which is a 170. However those poles were very close to the same, it was just nice to have a small 16 footer to make the transition with. My next pole was a 16' 19.6 which was a 175. I then moved to a 18.8 which was a 180. If the 175 spirit is a 19.6 or smaller it should be an alright transition. Might be a little big, but if you are blowing through that 15' 180 you should be alright. Although I know some people have been speaking out against this, I'd tell you to take some taps on that spirit. Keep your grip down, no higher than 15' or 2 or 3 inches higher than your present grip on the 15' pole. I think it is much better and much safer to take taps on a pole in practice that you've never been on so that when you go to it in a meet you know how its going to react. Obviously you don't go to it til your ready, but it gives you a lot more confidence when you go to it.

All my opinions......take them for what they're worth.

[Bruce Caldwell]

I've been jumping on an older model 15' 180 Pacer Carbon for the last couple of weeks, but I just no heighted at my conference meet and since then I've been blowing through it. I have a 15'6 170 carbonFX, but that's too soft. And the next pole I have to move up to is a 15'6 180 carbonFX, but everytime I've tried to get on that I've ended up back on the runway. I also have 3 16' spirits (175,180 & 185). Any suggestions on what pole I should work with (I don't have the $ to be buying any new sticks and my school is cheap.) or any new approaches to getting on the sticks I have? Sorry for not putting down the flex #'s.

AS rule you could look at your pole like this
a. 15'6" 170 same as 15-177
b. 15-180 is a 15-180
c. 15'6" -180 same as 15- 187
d. 16-175 same as 15-190
e. 16-180 same as 15-195
f. 16-185 same as 15-200
so as you can see unless you increase yoru speed or hold higher succesfully the poles you have will be too stiff.

You can buy a new pole or borrow one
I suggest a 15'6"-175 if you weigh less than that and if you are jumping at or over your handhold with a full run.

[njvaulter]

I thought if you went down a foot from liek 16 to 15 you add 10lbs not 15lbs?

[Bruce Caldwell]

I thought if you went down a foot from liek 16 to 15 you add 10lbs not 15lbs?

I think in the big poles it is more like 7 lbs per 6 inch length at least in our poles.
If 10lbs was the case for a 1 foot increment
he could of jumped on the 16-175!!! ( it would in that case been like a 15-185)

[njvaulter]

So on smaller poles it is actually 10 lbs? Would you consider a 14ft pole a small pole.

[Bruce Caldwell]

So on smaller poles it is actually 10 lbs? Would you consider a 14ft pole a small pole.

Actually it is about 14 to 16 lbs depending on the range or if it is a rounded up weight rating.

I use 6-8 lbs per 6 inches. It is not an exact science as it varies because it is only a weight rating placed on the pole by the manufacturer and not a measurable occurrence.

When I stated the bigger poles I was not referring to length but rather to stiffer poles. 175 lbs on up.

I believe that the way the other companies rate their poles the 175 lbs on up are really too stiff.
The FEA software we used stated that as the stiffness increased the spread in relation to the flex number and the rating was less between 5 lbs increments than those measured at lower weight ratings and larger flex numbers.

We have reverted back to the same ratio as the other manufacturers even though we feel it is the wrong reading.

Bruce

[uconnvaulta]

i was in the same position as you a couple meets ago, i was on like a 15 90 but it was too soft, so i would go to a really really stiff 15 95, and the thing would go thru the phases so damn fast i couldnt keep up with it, so we bought a stiffer 15 90 which helped a lot, i use that for opening heights, then i go to the 16s when i get to about 16 3. and the 16s are awesome , you say you have 3 spirit 16 footers, thats what i use but i hold really low like a grip higher than i do on the 15 and it is amazing in the difference, you have more time and get a better toss, in my opinion, you should most definately try for the 16s because in the long run you will be on them so start slow, and hold low on small ones to make sure you get in the pit, good luck man
and tough luck at Big East man, just keep workin hard

[bjvando]

FOLLOW THE SPIRIT!!!!

i went with the same progression when i was on those poles.... no need to move the grip up either, the higher grip will come naturally as you get comftorbale on the 16 ft poles. no need to 'push' for a higher grip.....

g'luck with everything.

[Skyin' Brian]

i would work on getting on those spirits so you can have a steady progression from here out. A couple years ago I made the same transition....if i recall correctly I went from a 15' 15.8 which is a 180 to a 16' 20.2 which is a 170. However those poles were very close to the same, it was just nice to have a small 16 footer to make the transition with. My next pole was a 16' 19.6 which was a 175. I then moved to a 18.8 which was a 180. If the 175 spirit is a 19.6 or smaller it should be an alright transition. Might be a little big, but if you are blowing through that 15' 180 you should be alright. Although I know some people have been speaking out against this, I'd tell you to take some taps on that spirit. Keep your grip down, no higher than 15' or 2 or 3 inches higher than your present grip on the 15' pole. I think it is much better and much safer to take taps on a pole in practice that you've never been on so that when you go to it in a meet you know how its going to react. Obviously you don't go to it til your ready, but it gives you a lot more confidence when you go to it.

All my opinions......take them for what they're worth.

yes, the taps can be ok if it is a big jump in pole size. just dont get dependent on the tap and make sure the tapper knows what they ar e doing.

[bjvando]

I totally agree, becoming dependent on taps is a terrible thing...

just in the beginning to get that lil bit of confidence in the vaulter to think, " this aint so bad, i got it !!!"
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[theflyingkorean]

i was in the same position as you a couple meets ago, i was on like a 15 90 but it was too soft, so i would go to a really really stiff 15 95,

Oh my God.

Spirit 15 90 and 95's.

Those things are so massive. How do you get a good grip around them? I'm working on a Spirit 15-70 and its almost too big for me to grip