I really don’t get what separates good pole vaulters from bad pole vaulters. Is it speed? Strength? Body type? What’s stopping me from becoming a world champion pole vaulter?
I really don’t get what separates good pole vaulters from bad pole vaulters. Is it speed? Strength? Body type? What’s stopping me from becoming a world champion pole vaulter?
All three of those, in addition to finely honed technique.
To be a great pole vaulter one must be half sprinter, half gymnast, and half daredevil.
Yes, that adds up to more than one because pole vaulters are that much more athletic than a plain old runner.
A lot of it is getting on the right pole. The stiffer the pole is the more it will catapole (sp) one up. But it also takes strength to bend a stiffer pole.
Extraordinary spatial ability.
Surfers and swimmers probably make better pole vaulters than distance runners or sprinters.
Free Advice wrote:
To be a great pole vaulter one must be half sprinter, half gymnast, and half daredevil.
Yes, that adds up to more than one because pole vaulters are that much more athletic than a plain old runner.
This. Basically, the best athlete on the team
lkj wrote:
A lot of it is getting on the right pole. The stiffer the pole is the more it will catapole (sp) one up. But it also takes strength to bend a stiffer pole.
BS. I’ve seen, trained with, and coached vaulters that we’re strong as oxen that couldn’t vault worth a damn regardless of what pole they used.
Technique rules. Speed kills. Strength is so much less important.
short shorts and shorties wrote:
I really don’t get what separates good pole vaulters from bad pole vaulters. Is it speed? Strength? Body type? What’s stopping me from becoming a world champion pole vaulter?
I've noticed dive coaches on high school swim & dive teams recruiting female gymnasts (I do not see male high school gymnasts competing for their high school). Are high school T&F coaches recruiting gymnasts and divers for pole vault?
I've noticed ... wrote:
short shorts and shorties wrote:
I really don’t get what separates good pole vaulters from bad pole vaulters. Is it speed? Strength? Body type? What’s stopping me from becoming a world champion pole vaulter?
I've noticed dive coaches on high school swim & dive teams recruiting female gymnasts (I do not see male high school gymnasts competing for their high school). Are high school T&F coaches recruiting gymnasts and divers for pole vault?
It’s the first place we look.
Regarding the original question the takeoff in the polevault has somethings in common with the long jump takeoff. Most elite vaulters can long jump at a high level.
I knew two brothers who were good but not great HS and college vaulters. Both had a sprinting and gymnastics background. Both were built like gymnasts.
As mentioned previously, a good/great vaulter has to have that proprioceptive sense of where their bodies are in space.
That aside, I think being somewhat crazy in the head helps, especially once a vaulter begins getting a lot of bend in the pole and really getting up there in height.
Technique rules. Without it, you're dead in the water. Having said that, you also need a lot of speed down the runway, gymnastic ability, and upper body strength. Sergey Bubka, probably the greatest pole vaulter ever, possessed great strength, speed and gymnastic abilities. He gripped the pole higher than most vaulters to get extra leverage, though Bubka himself played down the effect of grip alone. In addition, Sergey was also a very good sprinter and had experience in the long jump as well.
His development and mastery of the Petrov/Bubka technical model is also considered a key to his success. The Petrov/Bubka model is considered superior to many others today, because it allows the vaulter to continuously put energy into the pole while rising towards the bar. Most conventional models focus on creating maximum bend in the pole before leaving the ground, by planting the pole heavily on the landing pad. The Petrov/Bubka model follows the technique used by Kjell Isaksson, which concentrates on driving the pole up, rather than bending it while planting it on the landing pad, combined with high running speed. While the traditional models depended on the recoil by bending the pole, the Petrov/Bubka model may exploit the recoil of the pole and exert more energy on the pole during the swinging action.
Speed definitely helps...
They are wicked fast, like faster than most NFL receivers. And can obviously long jump at a high level too.
Just for reference, Duplantis managed 10.57 and 23’5.5” as a high schooler while hardly ever training for or competing in those events.
My HS girlfriend went on to be a Big East Champion in pole vault and she did not fit any mold for a pole vaulter.
She was incredibly skinny, primarily a 400 runner and high jumper and yet cleared nearly 13 feet with a high school PR around 11 back in 04 when PV was first getting traction in Ohio.
Her dad and brother were both able to clear 15 I believe and they had a pit in their backyard.
So I guess for her, the ability to practice technique, speed and jumping ability is what made her great at it.
Free Advice wrote:
To be a great pole vaulter one must be half sprinter, half gymnast, and half daredevil.
^^ 3rd quality very true. Every good vaulter is a little loco.
Ca$hclay wrote:
Free Advice wrote:
To be a great pole vaulter one must be half sprinter, half gymnast, and half daredevil.
^^ 3rd quality very true. Every good vaulter is a little loco.
That sounds like something Groucho Marx or Yogi Berra would say. You can't have three halves.
Yogi ...Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.