Tim Mack's Stats

[~jj~]

Thanks for the kadoo's.
I will try to participate more when the topic is worthy, and time allows.
We have had a national epidemic of bottom arming and over gripping for almost 20 years. The results of this epidemic have been costly to our sport. Since the height a vaulter ultimately achieves is a combination of grip height and push-off, I felt compelled to use Tim's data as an example. In the future we are better off to teach our beginners the value of taking off clean and swinging, before we teach them to stick the bottom arm and raise the grip.
Thanks!
~jan~

[wacky274]

In the future we are better off to teach our beginners the value of taking off clean and swinging, before we teach them to stick the bottom arm and raise the grip.
Thanks!
~jan~

Absolutely agree!!

[dj]

Ah! Very nice information.
He used to be such a pole squasher, but he has improved that phase a lot in the last year or two.
Gripping 16'4 to vault 19'8.... lets see that's a 3' 4" plus 8" (box depth) so an even 4'.
Take the hint out there, some of you "over grippers" who can't even push a foot or two above your top hand. Your bleeding energy out of the system, all in the name of a high grip. You might vault higher gripping lower because the your take-off energy fits the equation better! Additionally, you will be safer, and less likely to break poles.

Consider this: Serge Bubka only gripped 16'8 or 9 to vault 20'2. That's a 4'2" push....and he was much faster than any other vault I know about.

Jan Johnson
Atascadero, Ca

[KYLE ELLIS]

I think its interesting that Tim has the lowest grip, second slowest speed on the runway, smallest flexed pole, and THE BEST PUSHOFF? Doesnt add up to me;..

Alot of thing in pole vault dont add up..

JJ has the answer to your problem with addition-
"You might vault higher gripping lower because the your take-off energy fits the equation better!"

It's about maintiaing/conserving/transfering that energy you create.

Well these arent exactly high school vaulters and some gripped just 16'6. All that I was saying is this that the other guys gripping around 5m were faster and on a bigger pole which ALLOWS you to jump higher over your grip! And the numbers dont add up to me because Tim was gripping 16'4 but jumping on a 12.7 flex pole? Here are the guys who gripped around 5m... And they are all around the same size.

name- wgt- grip- flex- spd- pr-
Tim Mack 80k 5.00 12.6 9.5m 601
Tim Lobinger 82 5.03 11.4 9.62 600
Danny Ecker 78 5.05 11.7 9.71 600
Jean Galfione 82 5.05 11.9 9.68 600

[KYLE ELLIS]

Well Bubka was not tall, nor did he have long arms. So he had to run faster and jump up better to create the all important take-off angle.
In addition, Bubka did not bend the pole very much. All this combined with a very stiff pole and great technique created huge push-offs. Keep in mind that he often started at 18'8 which was a 2'8" push right from the get go!
When he was on, he combined the straightening energy of the pole, and swing energy of his body so that he was lifted visably of the top of the pole.
FWEIW
~jj~

Didnt Bubka grip consistently between 16'9 to 17ft?

[Robert schmitt]

I think its interesting that Tim has the lowest grip, second slowest speed on the runway, smallest flexed pole, and THE BEST PUSHOFF? Doesnt add up to me;..

Alot of thing in pole vault dont add up..

JJ has the answer to your problem with addition-
"You might vault higher gripping lower because the your take-off energy fits the equation better!"

It's about maintiaing/conserving/transfering that energy you create.

Well these arent exactly high school vaulters and some gripped just 16'6. All that I was saying is this that the other guys gripping around 5m were faster and on a bigger pole which ALLOWS you to jump higher over your grip! And the numbers dont add up to me because Tim was gripping 16'4 but jumping on a 12.7 flex pole? Here are the guys who gripped around 5m... And they are all around the same size.

name- wgt- grip- flex- spd- pr-
Tim Mack 80k 5.00 12.6 9.5m 601
Tim Lobinger 82 5.03 11.4 9.62 600
Danny Ecker 78 5.05 11.7 9.71 600
Jean Galfione 82 5.05 11.9 9.68 600

And what I'm trying to say is Tim Mack must store/convert/ and then recieve more energy efficiently than the other jumps. Your smart, yes speed and grip hieght give you more potential to jump higher. If you cann't store the energy in the pole efficiently, convert the energy into a vertical vector and be in an optimal postition to recieve that energy you won't jump as high as you are capable of. JJ's quote implies this when he says "your take-off energy fits the equation better!"

[~jj~]

We just finished the Gill pole symposium. 30 of the top PV coaches and a hand full of the top vaulters all looking at the research and development Gill has done over the past 5 years.
Jeff Watry and his staff have done an amazing job of quantifying the dynamics of vaulting pole behavior. Much of the information directly applies to the energy requirments for grip and push-off in the vault.
I'm certian we will soon be hearing a lot about the research he has done and how it applies to the pole vault energy equation, and how it applies to pole construction.
Ask Rainbow! She was there too.
It was as impressive as it was informative. The will probably have some pictures and stuff up soon.
I was proud to be a part.
~jan~

[~jj~]

Here is an email I just got from my friend Dave Johnston in Florida. Over the years he has worked with many of the top people such as Tully, Bell and others. David is a big beliver in the midmark (as am I).....


hey jj

i tried to send on polevault power but don't think it worked..

t-mack 5.90 trials

tim's mid was 54-8 takeoff @ 13-8 = 41 feet = 12.50 meters

he covered the last 6 in apx 1.37 =-.1 = 9.1 mps

tim completed his jump from takeoff to max mass height body above the bar in
1.43 seconds.. bubka's 19-8 jump took 1.47 seconds..

t-mack was swinging faster which gave him great height above handgrip, like a
giant!!

from takeoff to max bending of the pole only took tim .50 seconds, 1/2 second
to load the pole, to reach the "pocket" , pretty awesome..

i don't have the max pole bend, shorting of the pole radius.. but from the
trajectory it looks good..

tim is jumping as good as anyone has ever jumped on fiberglass! period

takeoff angle is a non-issue, as long as it is not down of course..

dj

ps.. use the chart!!

[Scott Go Pre]

tim's mid was 54-8 takeoff @ 13-8 = 41 feet = 12.50 meters

he covered the last 6 in apx 1.37 =-.1 = 9.1 mps

tim completed his jump from takeoff to max mass height body above the bar in
1.43 seconds.. bubka's 19-8 jump took 1.47 seconds..

JJ, these are some impressive stats. Mack was faster over the bar than Bubka. WOW

[OAKPV2004]

tim's mid was 54-8 takeoff @ 13-8 = 41 feet = 12.50 meters

he covered the last 6 in apx 1.37 =-.1 = 9.1 mps

tim completed his jump from takeoff to max mass height body above the bar in
1.43 seconds.. bubka's 19-8 jump took 1.47 seconds..

JJ, these are some impressive stats. Mack was faster over the bar than Bubka. WOW

no he was in the air for a shorter period of time. Bubka went higher but also was in the air longer.

[swtvault]

no he was in the air for a shorter period of time. Bubka went higher but also was in the air longer.

I think what he is trying to say is that Tim was a little more efficient because his transisition to vertical took less time (he swung faster!) Dave Johnston is a big propenent on this aspect. All you can do once you leave the ground is lose energy. So the longer you are on the pole, the more potential energy you can lose. Its simple physics.

[Scott Go Pre]

swtvault, you understand what I was trying to say.