Guidelines for the Pole Vault
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- Category: Technique
Guidelines for the Pole Vault
Increase Safety, Reduce Cost & Improve Performance
by Jan Johnson
Teaching Beginners Each season, start all beginners as well as more advanced vaulters with the following beginning drill sequence. Encourage your vaulters to use this set of drills each day as part of their regular routine prior to actual vaulting. Each drill should be done 5-10 times per session emphasizing perfect technique. Your vaulters are ready to begin vaulting for height when they have mastered the beginner's drill sequence. They should first find a pole they can bend and vault on safely from 4 or 5 lefts. This is commonly known as short run vaulting and is an effective approach to learning good technique. As they improve, athletes should gradually raise their grip one or two inches at a time until the pole is too soft. At this point, they should take the same handhold on a slightly stiffer pole from the same run. If the new pole is too big from their present approach, have the vaulter increase the length of his or her approach by one left (two strides). If the pole is still too big, he or she may need to move back one more left. This system is called "making the run fit the pole." It will save your program broken poles, give your kids great technique and improve the safety of your vaulters. Once the fundamentals of technique have been learned, the progression is really just a series of higher grips, stiffer poles and longer runs. During this entire sequence, it's very important to keep your vaulters focused on the basic elements of perfect technique listed at the right.Basic Technique Concepts for Success n n Use a measured check mark system for all approaches.n n Take off directly under top hand. n n Both arms pressed all the way up prior to pole hitting the box at take-off |
"Standing Reach Grip" or "Bottom Hand-Top Hand Starter's Grip" is the perfect beginner's starting grip. With the tip of the pole between feet, reach as high as you can with your bottom hand. Then hold 12" higher with your top hand.
Common Technique Mistakes
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