We are doomed. Repent and ask for forgiveness.

[vaultman18]

I have a girl vaulter who has been working with me for one year. earlier this season in indoor she could not bend the pole. But all fall we worked mostly one arm drills and swing drills. This winter one day she took off on a one arm drill (free take-off) and bent a pole she had never bent with two hands. It actually scared me at the time but that was when I relized for myself what Agapit is talking about.

[BethelPV]

I believe that indeed the left arm has no play in initiating the bend of the pole, but the left arm is indeed needed to keep the pole bent... Even if you start to bend it, it will most definately come back and fiberhead you!!

Zachmo

[Tim McMichael]

I think it is an interesting problem of the imperfect interface between language and kinesthetic awareness. Words are usually not accurate enough to convey the nuances of motor movement, especially at high velocities. I believe that Agapit has correctly identified an area where my vocabulary has been less than precise. I said “push for a fraction of a second,â€Â

[Tim McMichael]

I have a girl vaulter who has been working with me for one year. earlier this season in indoor she could not bend the pole. But all fall we worked mostly one arm drills and swing drills. This winter one day she took off on a one arm drill (free take-off) and bent a pole she had never bent with two hands. It actually scared me at the time but that was when I relized for myself what Agapit is talking about.

How big was the pole, and how much did she bend it? Did her chest touch it before it started bending?

I am still having a difficult time with the idea that you could take Bubka, at the instant before his takeoff foot touches the ground, and magically dematerialize his left arm without some serious consequences.

If I am wrong, I am wrong, and I will be glad to learn something new; but it will take some convincing to get me to believe that the right arm alone, in complete absence of the left, is enough to move an athlete’s biggest pole into the pit. If the right arm alone does not account for all of the energy that goes into a pole, then I want to examine exactly what it is that the left arm does. I don’t care if we call it a push, a pull, a stabalization, or a jabberwocky, so long as the form and function are clear.

[MightyMouse]

First off; Peoples slight confidence or ego is multiplied by 10 when they post online. So often some slight humor comes off as condescending. Im hoping that’s agapits case

Secondly: According to Agapit what exactly is the left hand doing during take off? It cant immediately begin to pull? Can it?

[baggettpv]

She's finally taking off good enough to hold high enough to shorten the chord of the arc....which is the bending of the pole.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

[rabbit1]

I think rowing is both a push AND a pull involving lateral head of triceps and serratus anterior.

[agapit]

I have a question. What is going on with the top arm at this time?

It is gripping simply gripping the pole until the center of gravity of the body passes the horde and than it adds to the acceleration of the rotation, but it does not pull until after complete inversion.

[agapit]

Here is the point.......

The full extending left arm is important for a split second because it creates the "buckling force" just like the popliteus. It sets the pole bending and rotation into motion.

Left arm certainly does not set the pole bending into motion in our new religion. The left arm is just gripping the pole at the moment of the take-off. The body mass x speed is what bends the pole and hopefully you gripped the pole correctly, so the natural pole bend is at the top ( I know Spirit poles have that natural pre bend, sorry little plug) to set the pole bend in the proper direction.

You can continue to extend your arm. You have a free will. However, I suggest you repent. LOL. Or at least think, this guy does not seem like a COMPLETE idiot. He spent almost 30 years in the business and has a positive track record. Would he put his reputation on the line if he was not completely sure of what he was talking about. And why don’t we see any scientist disproving him. Perhaps this is because people who understand mechanics cannot argue against these points. Only vaulters who in majority cases base their view on their personal subjective experiences argue these points.

My friend if you feel any pushing pressure (except just gripping the pole) against the left arm at the take off, you are in error.

Not only pushing the pole is a useless action, but it is also very time consuming. You understand biomechanics and muscle structure, I gather from your post, so you could appreciate the processes needed to take place to switch from push to pull action of the same arm. We estimated it at around 0.15 seconds. That is about 12% of the whole off-the-ground phase of the vault. If you read The Original Manifesto (I hope Tim would change the name of his post to avoid confusions) you could see that time = money in our new religion.

Just open your mind and meditate. It would blow your mind when you get it. You can say thanks later.

[achtungpv]

I am still having a difficult time with the idea that you could take Bubka, at the instant before his takeoff foot touches the ground, and magically dematerialize his left arm without some serious consequences.

I have heard of Averbukh doing drills on a 5m pole where he takes off, releases his bottom hand, and moves the pole to vertical with just his top hand on the pole.

[agapit]

If I am wrong, I am wrong, and I will be glad to learn something new; but it will take some convincing to get me to believe that the right arm alone, in complete absence of the left, is enough to move an athlete’s biggest pole into the pit.

It would help you to grip the pole with the left arm for balance purposes, but yes you can move your competition pole into the pit with one arm. I have done it and many others did as well. It is tricky to remove left completely, but if you have good balance you can do it. I have done it many times and I have seen people doing it on close to 5m grips.

Think of this, if you are in the air before the pole bends and you are holding just with the right arm wouldn’t pole bend? Now if you think your left arm bends it than take the biggest pole you have and try to bend it with the left arm without putting your body mass x speed through it. How much success did you have in bending it with just a left arm. I would say 10 inches from the horde if that.

Bubka on several occasions specifically pointed out that left arm does not bend the pole but the impulse (mass x speed) bends the pole. Please ask Altius he will show you an exact quote and date of the quote.

[agapit]

I am still having a difficult time with the idea that you could take Bubka, at the instant before his takeoff foot touches the ground, and magically dematerialize his left arm without some serious consequences.

I have heard of Averbukh doing drills on a 5m pole where he takes off, releases his bottom hand, and moves the pole to vertical with just his top hand on the pole.

Thank you