pole vault grip

[science geek]

I am an inexperienced vaulter (I have never jumped in a competition) but have a vaulter who has had issues this year with getting the soft side of his pole to line up correctly. This is his third year vaulting and he has never had this problem before. He is a consistent 13' 6 boy and has jumped 14' a couple of times in meets. His problem is not a consistent issue (happened maybe 5 times all season and the same number of times in practice), but he told me that he loosens his grip a bit to try and get the pole to "straighten out". Is this a common method for doing this? When he has done this he never looses his grip with the pole so that he can't jump, but I have never heard of this as a method for solving this problem. I just want to know if there is a better method for fixing the problem. I don't see anything wrong with his plant or pole carry while he is running, so I am not sure what to do.

[souleman]

I taught my girls this year (most of whom never jumped before) to put their top hand out to their side with the palm up and fingers outstretched. Then, leaving the hand open, lay the pole on the outstretched fingers. The pole will drop to the correct postion for their hand to close around the pole in the proper position. If you have a brand label on it usually the name will either face the pit at plant (like I think Pacer does) or face away from the pit at plant (like Spirit). Hope this helps.
Later..........Mike

[science geek]

not really. I know which side is the soft side of the pole, and so does he. He lines it up correctly before he runs, we even check this a couple of time before he starts his run when this happens and he is fine. When he jumps though the soft side is usually off to one side (and not the same side).

[Robert schmitt]

Are you saying after he leaves the ground the pole twists in his hands or he losens his girip to allow the pole to turn and straighten out? I've had this proplem myself and with briefly with warren. I think it is a combination of two things, when you take off under your planting action is not fully complete so the bend is not lined up and the other problem is that the altius pole tips are soft and "grabby" so the pole doesn't rotate easily as the vaulter finishes his planting action once it contacts the box. We solved this by putting gill tips on the altius poles and getting the step on and really making sure we plant and take off correctly.

[science geek]

he is loosening his grip to try and let the pole straighten out. I will have to watch his step more closely to see if the problem is related to being inside. thanks

[Robert schmitt]

It also has to do with not pressing up/getting really extended with the top hand at take off. which is more likely to happen when you take off under. It was really frustrating for me last year I bought this new 14'3 190 short runs and 2/3 of the time the pole would twist in my hands. I blew the plug out this year and replaced it with a gill tip and the problem nearly disappeared. That's when I realized the mechanism of what was causing it.