Bigger poles!

[jcoover]

Here's to the guy who digs the brown Skypole or the green Catapole out from the depths of the storage shed.

amen!

altius,
i really think that it is shallow and conceded to downplay nearly every vaulter that posts on here by saying that they are not posting marks that are good by your standards if they do not jump 17 feet by 17 years old. Take a look at the 6 meter club chart would you? The highest jump by a 17 year old is 5.40m by tarasov... and you earlier said that even 5.50m wouldn't be considered great vaulting at 17. Bubka jumped 5.10m (16'8.75''). 6 out of the 14 vaulters were under 5 meters at age 17. Hartwig jumped 4.70m... so according to you, none of these vaulters were 'great' at age 17... maybe they should have quit. To anybody out there who is 17 years old and continuing to jump PRs... you are what keeps pole vaulting alive and you could be the next 6 meter vaulter. Tim Mack jumped 4.11m (13'5.75'') at age 17..... and now he is the olympic record holder in our event. good thing nobody was there telling him that he wasn't that great because he wasn't jumping 18 feet.

[LHSpolevault]

Here's to the guy who digs the brown Skypole or the green Catapole out from the depths of the storage shed.

amen!

altius,
i really think that it is shallow and conceded to downplay nearly every vaulter that posts on here by saying that they are not posting marks that are good by your standards if they do not jump 17 feet by 17 years old. Take a look at the 6 meter club chart would you? The highest jump by a 17 year old is 5.40m by tarasov... and you earlier said that even 5.50m wouldn't be considered great vaulting at 17. Bubka jumped 5.10m (16'8.75''). 6 out of the 14 vaulters were under 5 meters at age 17. Hartwig jumped 4.70m... so according to you, none of these vaulters were 'great' at age 17... maybe they should have quit. To anybody out there who is 17 years old and continuing to jump PRs... you are what keeps pole vaulting alive and you could be the next 6 meter vaulter. Tim Mack jumped 4.11m (13'5.75'') at age 17..... and now he is the olympic record holder in our event. good thing nobody was there telling him that he wasn't that great because he wasn't jumping 18 feet.

good post. good post.

[Cooleo111]

Here's to the guy who digs the brown Skypole or the green Catapole out from the depths of the storage shed.

Right on!! My high school had two green Cat's...a "carbon" and a "teryon", and a 15 foot brown Skypole cut into about 5 stubbies!

[Mecham]

Confidence comes from technical competence and knowing what you are doing

I beleive that if you are doing the right things in the vault, you wont have to worry about "nutting up" or "having the balls" or something else related to nuts or balls. Moving up poles is a part of improvement in the vault. Once you get better and your technique improves, bigger poles will come too. Bubka couldnt have jumped the hieght he did without very stiff poles.

[altius]

Quote "Here's to the guy who digs the brown Skypole or the green Catapole out from the depths of the storage shed. Unquote.

I just hope they have good insurance as well as large cojones because they are simply asking for trouble. Skydivers dont go into the shed and haul out the old parachute they havent used for years - scuba divers dont take chances with their equipment and nor does any sports enthusiast involved in an activity where danger lurks around the corner. Pole vaulting should not be viewed as an extreme sport even if some participants like to bask in the notion that they are 'macho' simply for taking part in it. Like all great sports it can provide the kind of test or challenge which gives an opportunity for personal growth but there is no place for a death or glory attitude.

I know all about Tim Mack. The reason he became a great athlete was because he did NOT sit in his comfort zone - he knew there was a big world out there. He went out and met the challenge. Ask him how many hours he spent working on basic drills to improve his technique - because that is the secret to success in this event.

I say again - the term 'nuttin up' is stupid; not only that - it is sexist and should not be used for that reason alone.

[jumpbackin]

I just hope they have good insurance as well as large cojones because they are simply asking for trouble. Skydivers dont go into the shed and haul out the old parachute they havent used for years - scuba divers dont take chances with their equipment and nor does any sports enthusiast involved in an activity where danger lurks around the corner. Pole vaulting should not be viewed as an extreme sport even if some participants like to bask in the notion that they are 'macho' simply for taking part in it. Like all great sports it can provide the kind of test or challenge which gives an opportunity for personal growth but there is no place for a death or glory attitude.

You're missing the point. The point is a lot of vaulters don't have a choice. They either have to vault on a pole they've out grown or they have to tackle a pole that's either too big or is a complete question mark. It's not safe either way. Should they just quit?

[jumpbackin]

Confidence comes from technical competence and knowing what you are doing

I beleive that if you are doing the right things in the vault, you wont have to worry about "nutting up" or "having the balls" or something else related to nuts or balls. Moving up poles is a part of improvement in the vault. Once you get better and your technique improves, bigger poles will come too. Bubka couldnt have jumped the hieght he did without very stiff poles.

Mecham, I've been thinking about starting a thread titled something like "What Ever Happened to Mecham?"

You must be home for the hollidays. No on line privilege at BYU? How do you like it there?

[altius]

Quote. "It's not safe either way". Unquote.

Well that sums it up.

Perhaps the answer is to develop a new sport called "Nuttin up" in which the participants turn up - are handed a 20 year old 17' / 200 - required to grip at the top, run in and take off. If they run through they are tarred and feathered and run out of the stadium but if they get off the ground they are given the title of "Legend"! The one who can grip highest and land without breaking anything is the winner and is given the title "The Nutter". Naturally the National Champion is "The Supreme Nutter".

Just dont call it "Pole vaulting" because every injury in OUR sport is another nail in the coffin of a great activity, which is already riding the edge in many school disctricts in the USA.

[jumpbackin]

Quote. "It's not safe either way". Unquote.

Well that sums it up.

Perhaps the answer is to develop a new sport called "Nuttin up" in which the participants turn up - are handed a 20 year old 17' / 200 - required to grip at the top, run in and take off. If they run through they are tarred and feathered and run out of the stadium but if they get off the ground they are given the title of "Legend"! The one who can grip highest and land without breaking anything is the winner and is given the title "The Nutter". Naturally the National Champion is "The Supreme Nutter".

Just dont call it "Pole vaulting" because every injury in OUR sport is another nail in the coffin of a great activity, which is already riding the edge in many school disctricts in the USA.

Well, what would you seriously propose? It would be great for all high schools to have a competant coach and a full line of poles, but I'm afraid that's a long way off. Untill then, sometimes a vaulter is just going to need to "nut up". I don't like the term either, btw.

[VTechVaulter]

Confidence comes from technical competence and knowing what you are doing

I beleive that if you are doing the right things in the vault, you wont have to worry about "nutting up" or "having the balls" or something else related to nuts or balls. Moving up poles is a part of improvement in the vault. Once you get better and your technique improves, bigger poles will come too. Bubka couldnt have jumped the hieght he did without very stiff poles.

sometimes though, doing the right thing still requires a bit of bravery. i agree that the proper progression is key, but i dont care how much you blow through the next pole down, when u look down and realize you have a like a 5.10 210 in your hands... it takes a little balls to plant it...

[vault3rb0y]

Ok lets call it something else.... i think it will change the context of the entire conversation. to "nut up" is just American slang used to mean have confidence in yourself to do something. How about we call it "syke up and get ready to roll". I think most people would agree that that is the equivalent.

Other than that, Altius you must realize that 99% of 17 year olds will never vault 17. I can tell you for a fact that its not because they are blinded by their conference/ regional/ state competitions. It is because vaulters can only do the best they can do, regardless of others. I may never vault 17 feet while im 17, but its not because im satisfied with how im jumping now. How could i be satisfied with myself when a vaulter at my school is jumping 3 feet higher than i am? It comes down to taking everything one step at a time. Looking at junior world championships and seeing kids my age jump 18'7" is not going to change my mindset. I know that there are always going to be better vaulters out there, and dwelling on that isnt going to make me a better jumper myself. The best thing i can do is focus on MY jump and how to make it better, and not pay attention to anyone else. I train to be the best i can, regardless of how others across the world are vaulting. Sure id love to vault 18'7". But i wont do that until i vault 18'. I wont do that until i vault 17', only after 16', and so on.

I dont know what others overall goals for pole vaulting are, but my OVERALL goal sure isnt to go to world championships, or the olympics, or jump 19+ feet. Those are simply minor goals on the road to the major goal; to do everything i can possibly do to make myself a better jumper. Otherwise, when you hypothetically win the world championship or olympics, what do you do then, quit?

[captainfalcon43]

I wouldn't mind jumping 18 feet before 16.