My First Pole Break

[VaultMarq26]

I know this is an old post but I have a quick question about stressing the poles. If a vaulter is holding at the top of a pole that is rated at or above their weight, and they are jumping correctly, then is it possible to overstress the pole? Does "crushing" the pole, meaning that the pole is too soft for you, overstress the pole even if it is rated above your weight?

Crushing the pole is usually due to the pole being too small......it could also be that you are not jumping off the ground and just sitting on it. I believe that it is definatly possible to over stress a pole that is at your weight. If you are running fast enough and really jumping into it I am sure you could do it.

[Bruce Caldwell]

A properly executed jump should not over stress a pole that is slightly under the vaulters weight. I have seen jumps where the vaulter goes with the swing of the pole and slightly bends the pole less than 90 degrees for a successful jump.

This may be true but is isolated.

But on the other hand a person who is flat on the take off can crush a pole or hang on a pole and press energy to high or too low causing damage to the fibers even if the pole is at or above the vaulter weight.

[VaultMarq26]

A properly executed jump should not over stress a pole that is slightly under the vaulters weight. I have seen jumps where the vaulter goes with the swing of the pole and slightly bends the pole less than 90 degrees for a successful jump.

This may be true but is isolated.

But on the other hand a person who is flat on the take off can crush a pole or hang on a pole and press energy to high or too low causing damage to the fibers even if the pole is at or above the vaulter weight.

This is what I was thinking, but this is explained much better. Thanks for making it more clear.

[CrossBarHOpper]

ok the other day i did something weird on my swing cleated the pole about 3 feet from the bottom. how deep would the scratch need to be to be dangerous.
i took one more vault after this but i was like 2 feet under and barely went up and it made a weird creeking noise just wandering how bad is this

Its a essx 13' 149 if that helps

[Bruce Caldwell]

any crack, spike or ding should be paid attention too on any brand pole. I recommend you retire the pole as it will break as the weak spot gets bigger and bigger as you stress it. All the energy of the pole will build up at the spot and it will blow on the next jump or maybe 10 more jumps not worth taking a chance.

[VaultMarq26]

isn't it possible to have the tested to see if it could withstand the pressure. i have seen some video of it being done by a machine i think.

[SKOT]

any crack, spike or ding should be paid attention too on any brand pole. I recommend you retire the pole as it will break as the weak spot gets bigger and bigger as you stress it. All the energy of the pole will build up at the spot and it will blow on the next jump or maybe 10 more jumps not worth taking a chance.

Hope College owns a 14'6" PacerFX that was scratched pre my time here (im a junior). the scratch is about 6" long, right next to the "PacerFX" logo and deeper than any other one i have ever seen. myself and others have jumped on it for over 3 years now and it still has yet to break. weird....

[Bruce Caldwell]

Glass is the same as glass on your windshield you get a ding and drive for years then one day the right vibration and the windshield is in your lap.
Please be careful there is a very good reason why manufactuers state to not jump on thier poles if the pole is scratched, dinged, or spiked.

Fibers run the length of the pole supported by fibers running around the pole, they all work together to support the load. The load can be transfered in many differrent angle, amounts, and forces alter and affect the weak spot each jump.
As the scratch, spike, or ding is weakend each jump, the tear is weaker as time goes by.
Outside force of nature such as Sun UV, weather, and then more bad jumps add up to pole failure as time goes by.
Treat the scratched pole as a ticking time bomb!

[DecaRag]

One of my HS vaulters (who is also my 16 year-old son) just broke a pole (13'3" 150 7.2 flex Altius) yesterday in practice. He was holding right below the red tape. No injuries.

He was having some confidence issues over the last couple of weeks with a larger pole (13'9" - 160 7.8 flex), but was comfortable on this larger pole at the end of last season and earlier this year. His weight has varied from about 150 to 160 (you know how teenagers can eat!).

Finally had a good solid plant, good foot position - right below his top hand (he normally is a little under), and the pole simply snapped on the high end just as RainbowGirl described (about 2/5).

The pole was not damaged that we could tell, but he may have been a few pounds (within 5) over the rated weight. I don't know much about pole manufacturing, but I also noticed that there was a white strip of material about 3/8" wide (don't know if I can describe it, but looks like plastic) running along one side of the pole (not sure how long it runs). Can anyone describe what this might be? I don't want to sound ignorant, but I thought most poles were simply wrapped fiberglass and resin.

Funny thing - he broke a pole as a 7th grader, and now again as a sophmore. I vaulted from about 6th grade through college and never broke a pole...