PoleVaultPower.com

Anyone got any tips for gettin in someone's head?

If you mean what we used to call, psych-ing as in "psyching" out an opponent, well actually that is an acquired thing. Generally you learn how to do it by having it done to you. I've told the story many times of a vaulter from another school and I were equal in ability. What allowed me to beat him or for that matter him to beat me was who psyched the other guy out the best at the meets. It was quite the game between us and whoever got into the other guys head during the meet would be the one to win in our case. Now keep in mind this wasn't a "tell the guy he's out when he's under" type of thing. The both of us were actually very supportive of each other cause back in those days, basically we were each other's coaches even though we were competing against each other. Nope, it was different thing all together that when you recognize it you'll know. Didn't really tell you anything......did I? If this wasn't what you were referring to then.......well.......never mind. Later.......Mike

what would you guys do/say to each other to get into each others' heads? say you had fun with his girlfriend the previous night or something? lol kidding. seriously i'm wondering.

just please don't be a jerk about it

i haven’t really tried psyching other people out in vault but i know if you stand there and make it look as though u think u have no shot in beating them then they may very well get over confident and end up vaulting bad while you go on and vault good....another thing that might work is during warm-ups make it look like ur watching him and make it look like u see him doing something wrong and then he may begin to start over analyzing things and end up messing things up.

another thing to do is along the lines of making it seem as though u have no shot at beating him/her is to make them think u don't feel good that day..like if they ask how ur doing be like well i haven’t had a good day/week and am not sure how i'm gunna do...

idk if this will actually work for you or maybe its even a gerky thing to do here but oh well sorry if it is...

lol i don't plan on being a jerk about it, just to create an "edge" over some of the guys. i'm friends with most of em, so i'm not gonna wanna be an idiot and like shout things out as they go to jump or whatnot.

The best way I've found is by being modest. What I mean by that is don't talk yourself up, just stay quiet and reserved. When its time to vault, come in at a lower height just to enter yourself in the competition, and SKY over the bar. For example, I like to come in around 11 just to make sure I don't screw up my chances of doing well in the meet. (I usually go 13 or so) Nothing makes an opponent more afraid than when you jump two feet or so over the bar.

We never ever were jerks about it. Keep in mind, we were friends. Little things like where we would open, and telling each other (depending on the meet) "it's my day today". The "catch my pole after you go out" statement was made once or twice I'm sure by both of us. It's just littlethings said and ribbing would do it for him.....or me. It did make it fun. Later..........Mike

I don't do this myself, but I figure a really good way is to say stuff like, easy height, we all got this, just clear it and get it over with, or just plain face, say, no pressure

LHSpolevault wrote:what would you guys do/say to each other to get into each others' heads? say you had fun with his girlfriend the previous night or something? lol kidding. seriously i'm wondering.

lol well like he said above, you support each other, and thats what i do to kind of syke someone out. Say its just me and another kid left at 13'6, and ive weve both gone 14. After his 13'6 jump im like "hey man that was awesome, that was a really good jump! Just keep thinking about staying back and make sure your step is right on man, you got this, lets go!!"
It sounds really nice, but if you think about it, in the back of their minds they are thinking, wow this guy knows a lot more than i do about vaulting.... and physcologically they think they cant beat you. Boom, game over right then.

Cooleo111 wrote:The best way I've found is by being modest. What I mean by that is don't talk yourself up, just stay quiet and reserved. When its time to vault, come in at a lower height just to enter yourself in the competition, and SKY over the bar. For example, I like to come in around 11 just to make sure I don't screw up my chances of doing well in the meet. (I usually go 13 or so) Nothing makes an opponent more afraid than when you jump two feet or so over the bar.

haha i love that approach. My first meet of indoor this past year everyone is just getting back into it but i had been practicing all fall, but not jumping hieghts. I came in at 10 when most people were just about finishing, and my handhold was about 2 or 3 feet higher than the bar, and i hit this 14 foot jump for the first time in my life, and i had enough time to bring my hands back behind my back on the way down, lol it was a fun jump. But then i only went 13 that day .

One of the things we use to do (and it does not seem anyone does it now) was to not pass to your opening bar right away. Instead just pass one bar at a time. The rules are different now, so be sure you know how to pass. In most cases your OK if you tell the official at the change of bar, "I'm passing this height". Works really well if you are vaulting after the person you are "working on". Of course all this is for naught, and you look the fool, if you keep passing and then "no height". As was said - keep it fun and don't be a jerk.

Dan