Shoulder Drop Technique

[grandevaulter]

This is a real person that I coached when I was quite green. (My and his second year) I would tell him to swing to inversion and peak at me standing on the runway. Approximately one week prior was helicoptering over the bar. He went from that to a dropping the shoulders. No flagging. Proprioception.

[PVDaddy]

What I have personally experienced, as an athlete and a coach, especially in sports requiring very long and numerous complex motions involving both conscious and unconscious (Proprioception) motor skills, is that I agree with Kirk that the unconscious action ("The FEEL") is superior to the conscious action, because once learned and perfected (Through numerous correct repetition) it provides a seamlessly smooth and faster action by far than the conscious action is capable of.

However, the numerous movements are so complex and the precision required to perform them correctly is so high, that it in order to learn them in a time that is practical, the conscious actions should be taught first. This should involve every component of the vault. If the vaulter and coach is not capable of seeing and feeling the entire vault in perfection in their minds eye (Consciously) from the first step to landing on the pit how do they expect it to occur during the actual vault? It is only after they are capable of doing that, that the superior unconscious proprioception actions can be developed and seamlessly employed. In order to learn the complexities of the vault correctly in a practical time frame, the coach must make every effort to teach every section of the vault by providing sensory-biofeedback cues to the vaulter as check points for the timing and positioning of these motions until it becomes autonomous. By doing this, the development of proprioception is greatly accelerated. This is what a Biologist had to say about the development of proprioception:

While proprioception is necessary for learning a type of movement or skill involving muscle, concentration from the I-function is essential as well. Once the skill, such as the appropriate movements of driving or the movements a baby must accomplish to walk, have been conquered and learned the I-function is not as functional during these tasks. The proprioception and motor systems can take over, utilizing a feedback system to accomplish a job that the unconscious brain already has learned. The I-function can go on to do other things, because it would mainly just hinder smooth muscle processes with to much thought and analysis.

[KirkB]

You should credit your sources by including their name and the name of their publication in your quotes.

I hope we can close this topic now, given that we now have a mutual understanding of the best practices and the science behind them here.

Kirk

[PVDaddy]

I agree. Here is the link to the article on Proprioception I referenced, written by Shannon Lee. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1699

[vquestpvc]

I feel like I'm watching a film loop regarding this posting, but I promise I will let it go at this (thank goodness right). First, remember your roots. Making a 15' vault seems to have become a trivial thing to some; seemingly a beginner skill. Well, there are hundreds, nay thousands of young vaulters (both HS and college) that would love to be making 15'. So, probably those who have become "elite" need to remember their roots and how they got started. I recently attended a track clinic featuring Greg Foster who is probably America's greatest hurdler. Well good for him as he primarily works with youth and very few elite hurdlers and never coached at the college level (directly from his mouth). His whole approach is to teach it in a simple manner with clear cues. Secondly, it seems to me, that those who have reached an elite level (or think perhaps they have) complicate the pole vault for the very reason that it has become a subconscious skill (feel). But in fact, each has gone through a process of learning the skill and developing muscle memory. Additionally, I truly believe the "elite" as coaches are less patient as teacher. And for what you've been waiting for: lastly, it seems to me that Americans in particular are too impatient to develop more technically sound skills and prefer short cuts. Well, short cuts are really only for elite athletes. Those of earthly skills must depend more on technical development. As I wrote that last statement I'm thinking: great athlete and good technical skills......oh, Bubka; actually, Stacy Dragila could be considered the same in my opinion. Anyway. From the mouth of Greg Hull, his son was not real fast and certainly not very strong as he could not bench press as much as Stacy Dragila and yet, his son vaulted 16' as a high school athlete. Much as i have done over the many years as a track coach, I will sift through the info and try to make the best decisions i can to better my athletes. Thank you for the indulgence.