Bullet Points of Mechanics of Pole Vaulting
Mechanical bases of effective pole vaulting technique
Peter M. McGinnis, Ph.D. Department of Kinesiology •
SUNY College at Cortland
P.O. Box 2000 • Cortland • NY • 13045
email: pmcginnis@cortland.edu
U.S.A. Track and Field
2007 National Podium Education Project
December 13-15 • Las Vegas, Nevada
1.Bullet points of Pole Vault:
Tall & Lean
To be able to vault, the athlete must be tall and lean, not all the best vaulters in the world are tall, but nonetheless all of them are lean. Diet plays important role in it. Taller vaulters have advantage having a higher reach height on their grip.
2.Fast
The faster is the individual the more ability the athlete has to convert the kinetic energy into potential energy when the vaulter is lifted off the ground.
Most elite athletes (men) last steps reach 9.5 m/s.
My personal experience the most important drill for speed in last steps are the small hurdles in the last steps, while still having the full run up. Getting the nervous system used to impulses that you train.
3.Experienced
Elis vaulters are experienced, patient and relentless, many elite vaulters reach the elite status only after 15 years. It’s complicated and difficult event to learn. Most elite vaulters reach their best performance at the age of late 20’s or early 30’s.
4.Patient
It takes years of training and perfecting the technique. It doesn’t come overnight, body needs time to respond to physical training and learning new techniques. Pole vault can be frustr a ting and discouraging event. Many vaulters achieve high school success but never reach the elite athlete level.
5.Smart
Successful Vaulters are smart, thats a fact, you need to be well aware of how you spend your time. It takes sacrifices and be very well focused on what you want to achieve. Vaulter needs not only physical strength, but also knowledge of the Physics of vaulting to understand how to reach the maximum potential in his vaulting career.
6.Fun
It’s important to keep vaulting fun, it might be a challenge, if it’s not fun, you need to think and reevaluate what’s not working at the certain day. Everything is connected so bee well aware not everyday is gonna be perfect day.
7.High Grip on a Long Pole
It’s important to be aware for a vaulter to jump high grip height needs to be raised gradually to increase his/ hers jump. Top athletes grip for example in 2000 Olympics Games was around 5m the flex nr was 15.0 and LBS was around 198 LB or greater.
for female vaulters it was, 4.25m and kept getting higher.
8.Pole length, size, and performance matched to the ability of the vaulter
Elis vaulters are able to grip high, on a Long stiff poles because of their superior technique and physical abilities. The standards for those vaulters average is 60cm.
9.Fast Run
The last 5m are directly correlated how well the vaulter is going to perform.
10.Vertical Pole carry and pole drop
The way vaulter carries the pole determine how well he/she will imply the pole drop.
11.Mid-Mark (coach- chef mark)
I don’t have that, but some coaches use it, my main focus is the last 40-44 feet before I plant the pole. Side note- the more relaxed and free are my first two - three steps the better I will run the rest of the run until the plant. It’s important to feel comfortable holding and running in the beginning, if you don’t then you have to change the way you hold or carry the pole.
12.Accelerate during the last three steps
As mentioned before it’s important to have comfortable run, many vaulters have different approaches, but we are not sprinters, so we don’t need to accelerate fast in the beginning. When gradually increasing speed, the vaulters lessen the chances of straining too much pressure on their bodies, specifically hamstrings.
13.A longer second to last step and shorter/ quicker last step
Most vaulters have longer second to last step and shorter quicker last step, this helps to set the vaulter on jump takeoff, very similar to long jump and triple jump.
14.Upright posture
Important to keep the posture high and not bent in your knees, the taller the vaulter the more confident he/she is on approach and plant.
15.Maximum Angle Between the pole and runway at pole strike
The pole strike makes the beginning of energy transfer from the run. The vaulter has to be strong and not relaxed, this is the point where vaulter reaches straight line from take off leg all the way to fists with strong and straight alignment to efficiently transfer kinetic energy into potential energy.
16.Toes of Takeoff directly beneath top hand
Most efficient vaulters are the ones who take off directly below their hand grip on high posture. The best vaulters have their take off on the front of the foot.
17.Jumping takeoff
Elite vaulters takeoff velocities is faster than 8.0 m/s while elite female vaulters have 7.0 m/s. The result of the take off velocity is composed of horizontal velocity to vertical velocity.
18.Lower had initiates pole bend
It happens only for a brief period of time (about 0.20s), it also slows down the rotation of the vaulter, allowing to get into launching position. A side note the left arm after the vaulter has gotten into launching position needs to be placed directly all of the forearm on the pole to load up the body as efficiently as possible, most vaulters just goes through this phase without even knowing about it.
19.Sweeping and swinging the trail leg
The faster you can get the triple leg to your chest the more efficient your jump will be transferred vertically.
20.Axis of rotation moves from top hand to shoulders
During the takeoff swing to your chest the initial movement still continues with your top hands shoulder to move back, to put all the weight on the pole. This will allow the vaulter to be closer to pole thus more effective launch time in air.
21.Center of gravity aligned with or behind the pole
Allowing the center of gravity to pass in front or under the vaulter to go through the vertical is important, but not let it go past the vertical, that’s where the kinetic energy loses its potential energy.
22.Safe landing
Over the bar and on the mats, enjoy the flight on the way down!