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[PV ers Dad]

[theczar]

that's not safe....they are called weight maximums for a reason.

especially in the high school level, the weights are important because generally people dont know too much about pole selection and flex numbers, so they need safety standards so people don't get hurt.

[vcpvcoach]

This is an interesting post.

First, you ask, "Why wound a coach tell his students to lie about thier weight and use a pole less than their weight?"

As a coach, I find this a very interesting question. Did a coach ask someone you know to lie? If he or she did, find another coach or, better yet, rat that coach out to the head coach or AD at your school.

Vaulting on a pole below a vaulters weight is illegal in competition at the high school level. It can also be dangerous if that coach doesn't know flex numbers and weight progressions.

When I'm coaching, I will put an vaulter on a pole rated below their weight when following the proper pole progress in the proper setting. I will be happy to explain further if you pm me. I would take too much time to try and expain it here on this board.


As for if it would make a vaulter go higher, I would that I would not chance it. I have had had a soph. girl break a pole ten pounds above her weight, holding nine inches below the top band. I have it on film.

Again, pm me and I will go into greater depth on this topic.

[bvpv07]

that's not safe....they are called weight maximums for a reason.

especially in the high school level, the weights are important because generally people dont know too much about pole selection and flex numbers, so they need safety standards so people don't get hurt.

let's make that weight minimums

[Rhino]

Yeah, they're called maximum weights for a reason -- so they can sell you more poles. If you are not bending the pole at all, it is unlikely that you will break the pole even if it is rated below your weight. There are a lot of high school pole vaulters that weigh over 150 who couldn't bend a 15' 135 lb pole. They will never be state champions, but I hate to take away their chance to vault because they can't afford to buy a 12' 165 lb pole.

Whether you are a high school vaulter or at any other level, if you are overbending the pole, don't use it. If you are asked your weight don't lie. But don't tell me it is unsafe to use a pole marked below the vaulter's weight when the vaulter is not substantially bending the pole.

[theczar]

that's not safe....they are called weight maximums for a reason.

especially in the high school level, the weights are important because generally people dont know too much about pole selection and flex numbers, so they need safety standards so people don't get hurt.

let's make that weight minimums

lol....duh....you knew what I ment

[drcurran]

Just to throw something in for consideration. Many of us have had, in practice, an athlete jump on a pole below her/his weight. As someone said it they are not bending the pole it will not break. But. . . . . if an athlete get injured practicing on a "light" pole the lawyers will have your a** for sure. Just my .02

Dan

[lonestar]

Weight ratings are very arbitrary. To this day I have not been able to get a single manufacturer to explain to me how they originally determined that a 15.0 flex should be a 185 pole, for example. It's not like they're bending the poles against some sort of pressure plate or weight scale that shows how much force can be applied to the pole before it breaks.

EVERY kid I've ever had that broke a pole weighed well below the pole's rating.

I weigh 180, and can demonstrate a drill on a 10'6 88 pole from 2 steps to my little beginners without breaking it - and yes, I am taking off and putting my weight on it, with virtually no bend.

So again, weight ratings are arbitrary. You should jump on the pole, that, with the right grip, has you landing in the sweet-spot (front-middle) of the pit with your standards at 80 in practice.

Now when you compete, and you're in high school, you have to follow the rules. If you have a few hundred poles of every conceivable size at your disposal like I do, you can pretty much always find a pole that will work and your kid will be legal on. But to the high school that doesn't have the budget for it, I have no problem with a kid who weighs 150 using a 14' 140 gripping 13'0, because at that grip, that pole is synonomous with a 13' 160, 10lbs over his weight - but again, if the kid is landing too deep with too much bend, or getting front-bunned, it's not the right pole. Use the pole that fits, that puts you in the sweet spot.

[rainbowgirl28]

Why wound a coach tell his students to lie about thier weight and use a pole less than their weight. Not to safe??? But will it get you higher?

Safety has very little to do with the weight rating of the pole relative to the vaulter's weight, and quite a bit to do with how the athlete is rotating the pole into the pit and how much the pole is bending.

A vaulter can easily be safe on a pole under their weight, and unsafe on a pole over their weight. Perhaps that is one of the biggest flaws of the weight rating rule requirement: a feeling that if the vaulter is on a pole at or above their weight, that it is going to be a safe pole for them.

I'd say at the high school level it is more of a moral issue. As a coach, you want your athletes to vault safely. The safest pole for an athlete may be rated below their weight.

The easiest way to fix this problem is have lots of short poles with stiffer weights. Most people don't have big budgets to work with, so the next best solution may be having an athlete grip lower and straight pole, or holding an athlete out of meets until they are ready to bend a pole at or above their weight.

Remember, the weight rating rule only exists at the high school level in the United States. If it were truly a safety issue, it would exist at more levels.

[Bruce Caldwell]

Remember, the weight rating rule only exists at the high school level in the United States. If it were truly a safety issue, it would exist at more levels.

The rule may only be at the high school level. And yes it is a truly more than a safety issue!!!

Ever manufacturer of poles from the beginning of fiberglass has a requirement to use the pole at or above your weight.
WHy what is the reason, to sell more poles???
The reason is as follows
1. The pole is less likely to break if you follow the guidelines.
(Hey that’s safety)
2. The pole will perform as it is designed to do so. (Hey that’s safety)
3. The pole is less likely to throw you off the back of the landing system. (Hey that’s safety)
4. Following the guidelines will help one to vault potentially higher (Provided one understands that a better execution of the vault will warrant a stiffer than body weight pole.) (Hey that’s safety too)
5. If the goal is upward why would one need a softer pole? Everyone knows a soft pole only bends and does not lift your hips?
6. Yes, one can lessen their run, lower their grip, not put as much muscle in it and use a pole rated under their weight as much as 10-20 lbs without breaking the pole. (but are they pole vaulting defined as jumping over ones hand grip?)

Vaulting since 1962 on fiberglass poles has established a rating system used by every manufacturer. Only small adjustments to the rating of no more than 5 lbs have been made to the rating system. The reason one uses the system is because it works and it provides a guideline for the coach and the vaulter to use to move from one size to another within the same size and brand...
A system that has worked for over 44 years safely, and has helped performances.
OK SO YOU CANNOT BEND YOUR POLE
If you are not bending the pole, there are other reasons why that have nothing to do with the pole.
In almost 99% of the cases the vaulter is holding more than 1 foot above the bar they are trying to vault over. THIS IS NOT POLE VAULTING!
In almost all cases if you have faith in the system of flexes and ratings one can use it to their advantage. Moving to a shorter stiffer pole usually provides compliance and better performance.
Using a pole rated under your weight is the same as requiring helmets.
ONLY those few who do not know how to pole vault need softer poles and helmets.
Follow the rules, recommendations; it will be a lot more fun and much safer.

PS We do not make poles in 2.2 lbs increments to sell more poles and we do not recommend vaulting on a poles rated at your weight to help us sell more poles GRIN We sell more poles because you vaulters start performing better and that is our goal at ESSX to help you perform better so you will need a stiffer pole to jump higher! Your goal should be the same as ours??Need more info about pole ratings
http://www.xlogicsports.com

[VTechVaulter]

i didn't see anyone mention this, but its late and im tired so if i missed it forgive me

no one seemed to say where this pole is being held at. maybe the h.s. doesn't have all the poles they need, so if the coach has him holidng a foot down on it, depending on length of pole its a good 10-15 lbs stiffer (more depending on who you talk to). but yeah, capping poles under your body weight is asking for bad things to happen.

[Bruce Caldwell]

the topic has been edited

but several eluded to using a soft pole and why we have a rating etc.