Getting yourself over the bar.

[Alsobrooks]

Today was my Third Competition in only maybe...3 weeks of training? Our starting height is 7"3. My running is good. My jump sometimes tips me over to the side. Then my best skill in vaulting is going completely upside down. Which also is the worst and most frustrating part for me. I can't time myself to push off the pole and over the bar. I always end up hitting it with my neck or thigh.

So is their any advise/drills/forms to help me on this?

[skyshark177]

OK, the problem is you never finish going up the pole so that your feet have a chance to drop over the bar.
You are just going up and stay upside down and then letting go of the pole while your still inverted. The pole never gets a chance to recoil so you never shoot up the pole. so, in other words you land on the pit head first with your back facing the back of the pit and your stomach and knees facing the runway.

[chsvaulter]

alex your form is good and speed and all but you need to pull up the pole when you get upside down and then you'll probably get over it.

[sooch90]

Not a coach here, but I think that at your stage of ability, don't worry about getting "upside down", and then pushing off. The best thing you should work is your run and your plant. Working on getting those 2 down.

What size pole do you use? How much do you weight? Where do you grip?

[Alsobrooks]

OK, the problem is you never finish going up the pole so that your feet have a chance to drop over the bar.
You are just going up and stay upside down and then letting go of the pole while your still inverted. The pole never gets a chance to recoil so you never shoot up the pole. so, in other words you land on the pit head first with your back facing the back of the pit and your stomach and knees facing the runway.

Were the sand pit drill's practice for that? During the drill's I kept on trying to shove off the pole and get over it then push the pole away. I did that mostly because of my problems in real vaults...But I doubt we are ever doing those again...

Grip: Maybe 3-5 inches from the top. It's a bit of a estimated guess so yah...I once in practice moved my hands like 6cm up to see if I could push off better with more power but ended up 720ing close to the standard...haha...That was probably the most spinning I have done since my last snowboarding competition in Febuary...
Height: 5"6.
Weight: Havent checked in awhile, since buying my snowboard in January. 120-130.

[Siros]

My friends who pole vault have the same problem too. I think that vaulting straight up just comes with practice and pop-ups.

[vaultgirlsummer]

There are two guys who do the same thing at my school. One of them is a pretty desent vaulter .It took some convinceing but he finally let me work with him on getting on up the pole. I told him to focus on trying to get sideways on the pole the keep pushing.
He did short runs the next couple of days just working on extending up the pole and turning. Try on a jog up to get vertical then turn and land fully extended on your stomach. He improved his pr by a foot. The other guy didn't listen and ended up quiting.