New vaulter, need help with pole change

[TheDuke]

I had recently finished vaulting on weekends at sessions for a month with a coach who provided poles. He put me on a 140 that was 12ft, i believe. I was doing very good for a starter. The last day he showed me the proper way to hold the pole in order to get it to bend. Doing this made me sit rather than swing, and my penetration was low. Now, I just started at my high school, we only have a 15ft 140, so i used this. However, i do not remember where the coach i went to sessions for a month before had me hold the pole, so i struggled to find my grip. Through trial and error i found a fairly comfortable grip. However, my jumps feel very uncontrolled now, i dont feel a way to swing, my knee drive is terrible, and my penetration is low. These were all not an issue with the pole i used with the previous coach last month. Any advice?

[KirkB]

Maybe he taught you how to bend the pole, instead of teaching you how to swing properly on the pole?

I ask, because you say

Doing this made me sit rather than swing, and my penetration was low.

That doesn't sound good to me.

Kirk

[TheDuke]

I didnt even know that there was a certain way to hold the pole to make it bend, the last day thats what he showed me, then i started sitting. Now im back at square one with the 140 im using now from my high school

[KirkB]

It's called Pole VAULTING for a reason.

It's not called Pole BENDING.

In other words, the object of the game isn't to BEND the pole. The object of the game is to VAULT over the bar.

By "sitting", I assume you mean hanging under the pole with your legs raised level to the ground, but not SWINGING to an upside-down position?

Yeh, sounds like he screwed up your technique. Get back to SWINGING on the pole, not SITTING under it!

Kirk

[TheDuke]

Ok thanks

[vcpvcoach]

Remember that vaulters before fiberglass used steel poles that did not bend. They cleared 15 feet on those pole. Good luck.