left handed vaulters

[Vaulterchick88]

I had a senior moment and thought you were the girl that vaulted at central wash. I was reffering to robert malphrus a lefty that went thier his freshman year two seasons ago.

nope, i go to nathan hale

[StickJumper]

I jump right handed in the low 13' range, but I've vaulter left handed for demonstration purposes and cleared 7' 8". Personally, I don't consider that high enough to make me an ampidextrous vaulter, and anyway, I straight-poled.

[Vaulterchick88]

I jump right handed in the low 13' range, but I've vaulter left handed for demonstration purposes and cleared 7' 8". Personally, I don't consider that high enough to make me an ampidextrous vaulter, and anyway, I straight-poled.

i don't knkow if you stick to and work really hard you might get 8'0" one day, ya never know

[oldvaulter]

There are a lot more left-handed vaulters these days. When I vaulted in the sixties, there were very few. Gerald Pratt was the first left-handed vaulter to clear sixteen feet. He was also a "wrong-footer" (took off his left leg, like a right-handed vaulter).

When I cleared 16'9" in 1966 it was a (meaningless) "world record" for left-handed vaulters.

[Skyin' Brian]

here is a thought: if an athlete is just starting vaulting will it matter which way you teach them to hold the pole. maybe if they are more powerful jumping off of their right foot they should learn to vault lefty.
what do you guys think?

[rainbowgirl28]

I think you should teach them to jump off of whatever foot is dominant. That is where they will have the most potential. I coach elementary kids sometimes, and I always have them long jump for me. I am always surprised by how many right-footers (lefties for vaulting) I end up with. If they try to vault off the wrong foot, they usually end up stutter steppping and jumping off of their more dominant one... at least at first.