A fear of 15 footers

[jnsm19]

Ok so here is the situation. I'm 5'10'' 150-155lbs. Moderately quick with the run and have been on 14ft poles for as long as I can remember. It has gotten to the point where my swing up is too slow for the 14fts and I end up going in really deep and I want to make the move to a 15ft pole to give myself a bit more time to swing up but they just scare the crap out of me. I have a bad habit of throwing my head back and my shoulders don't go all the way through to completely get under my hips during the inversion and we are working on fixing that problem but its just the 14foot pole moves so fast that I can not keep up with it and I again go in so deep that my standards would have to be at 120 when the max is only 80. So far on a 14ft pole I have done 14ft and choking down on a 15ft pole as if it were a 14ft pole I have gotten 14'6''. The poles I use are 14ft 170, 15ft 160*choking* and I want to move to the end of the 15ft cause our school has mostly 15footers and if I can get on them the progression of poles will be easier but again they scare me, well holding at the end. Any suggestions as to build confidence on the run and what not so that I can harness the power of these beasts.

[master]

Are you looking for something besides the obvious answer of gripping the 15' pole where you can jump on it, then over the course of several practices, work your grip up by raising it an inch or so at a time?

- master

[AVC Coach]

It has gotten to the point where my swing up is too slow for the 14fts

Fix this before worrying about anything else!!!! If you can't swing fast on the shorter of the poles you have at your disposal, moving to a longer pole is not the solution. If you're landing in the back of the pit, the pole is too soft and not necessarily too short.

[txpolevaulter_k25]

Sometimes you just have to go for it, I know it may be unsafe sometimes, but it works for me. Also just go up in small increments. I move 1 handgrip up each jump, starting a couple of inches above your old grip. Box drills with the pole also help.

[lonestar]

#1 - Don't take advice from high school pole vaulters

#2 - what AVC Coach

#3 - what Master said

[powerplant42]

Do what you know you can grip. Move up slowly, and if it's absolutely necessary, get a tap for the first few times you're at a new grip height (if the height is just too distracting). However, if the grip is too distracting, then that means you should be working more on form more than moving up your grip, in order to become confident enough so that you DON'T get freaked out and/or feel you need a tap.

[txpolevaulter_k25]

2 words, never tap

[kev44000]

why not a tap it has helped my son get on bigger poles

[SlickVT]

2 words, never tap

#1 What txpolevaulter_k25 said

Tapping is a bad idea. Search PVP for tapping and see what you come up with.

[txpolevaulter_k25]

It builds bad habits, plus when you try to jump without a tap in a meet you will most likely not be able to turn the vault over. If you cant jump without a tap you are not ready for the pole. I am sure there is someone else that will agree with me on this one.

[vaultman18]

No tapping.

[vault3rb0y]

Some argue that petrov gave taps to some of his top athletes at some point, but thats taken out of context. I think ive read it was simply during short pole drills for a reason other than a lack of confidence to get on poles.
If you need a tap to get on a bigger pole, the pole is too big. In practices, you never need to be getting on poles that you would need standards closer than 80 to clear with. The point of a practice is not to get on the biggest poles you physically can, its to hit the best positions to get on the biggest poles you mentally and comfortably can, and do it over and over. That way when you are in a meet you dont change the way you jump to get on bigger poles.
If you are in a mental block during practices and cant bring yourself to move up poles, you arent accomplishing anything. A tap wont change your fear of the pole, but build a dependency on a tap. Just move down to a comfortable pole until you feel good enough to get on your next pole.