A few things to improve that anyone can do to increase their potential PV max height:
The greatest quote about the pole-vault is one said by the greatest pole-vaulter of all time – Sergey Bubka: Pole vaulting is a professor’s sport; One must not only run and jump, but one must think. Which pole to use, which height to jump, which strategy to use. For me it is science, there are many interworking of the pole-vault, one of the more complex events in track and field if not the most complex… although of course some will challenge that statement, and rightly so. It is the same debate of any sport, similarly many debates of which athlete is the best at his/her relevant sport and of all sports combined… it is never going to be 100% unanimous. Although this contradicts my first statement that said that Sergey Bubka is the best pole-vaulter ever, and that may change if someone ever breaks his records, of course to be the best you have to be consistent, and bubka was consistent, breaking the world record 35 times.
As a science, pole vaulting can be broken down to its major components which include at its basics to height and velocity at takeoff. While pole-vaulting, there are two major energies that are stored and tapped into. Kinetic Energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. The other is Potential Energy.
So the question is: what can you do right now to improve your potential max height?
- #1 is Speed! Leaving everything you do today the same, and just increasing your speed will increase your potential max height. This is the “easiest” component to improve on. To increase speed is relatively easier than the other components I will mention. At the very least you need to increase your speed at the point of contact/take-off. It does not mean you have to increase your 100m time from 11sec to 10 sec. Of course that would definitely help. But at the very least you need to learn how to maximize your speed at moment of take-off, this is where the energy is transferred from kinetic to potential and into the poll, which later will resonate back to you as you use it for your push-off.
So how do you increase your speed at take-off. The first thing you have to do is make sure your running approach is not too long, meaning you can hold your top speed when you get to the end. Some PV believe that a longer run will get them more speed. Not necessarily true. You have to have an approach that is comfortable for you. Some PVs that is 12 strides some are 14, and some like 10 or 11. This is something each PV needs to figure out for themselves. The main goal is to reach your maximum controllable speed at the moment of take-off. The main word here is controllable. You need to be in control while you reach the end of your approach and the start of your take-off. I am sure all of you either saw a Pole vaulter run through at the first time they get to a new height or change pole. This is because, most likely, they were trying to increase their speed at take-off, and were not comfortable doing it – meaning they were not in control. You should never try to increase your speed in the middle of the competition because a pole change. The reason to change a pole is because you blew through a smaller pole, meaning your controllable speed was enough, and would be enough for the next pole – giving you do not jump 2-3 poles at once. The same rational speaks to trying to increase your speed quicker in your approach thinking you’ll be faster at take-off, this may or may not be true, it should not be tried in a competition but in practice. Doing this in competition is more likely to get you out of control, then to increase your speed (while under control). Because just increasing your speed will not help if you are not in control.
The first thing I would work on, is reaching maximum controllable speed at take-off, this is very important. The second thing I would work on is speed work and increasing your over-all speed (from 11 sec 100m dash to 10 sec or as close to it as you can). Increasing your overall speed will translate to having higher controllable speed at take off.
Why am I harping on control? Because it does not matter how fast you are, if you are not in control you will not transfer your energy to the poll correctly, causing more than one potential problems. Take off is short (meaning you are under) you will get ripped of the ground, and lose lots of energy in your body. Take off is long (meaning you are out) you will “sit” on the pole, losing energy in the pole. Of course the two above can potentially be very hazardous. They can cause the pole to break in a bad way, it can cause you to miss the mats, it can cause you to come back down on the runway, and many more ill wanted affects. Control is VERY important.
Maybe now would be a good time to mention the basic formula that explains the above:
h= v2 / (2*g)
Maybe now would be a good time to mention the basic formula that explains the above:
h= v2 / (2*g)
h= height, or potential max height
v2= velocity at takeoff squared
g= gravity (Which is 9.81m/s2)
if you read into the formula above, you will notice that the only thing you can change is the velocity of takeoff, since gravity will remain constant – unless you are pole vaulting on the moon. Of course this is the basic formula and not the full formula that tells you how high you can jump, this does not take into account the pole, the bar, the potential energy loss (technique), etc.
So work on speed! Speed drills are important! Once you increase your overall speed, work on maintaining you maximum controllable speed at takeoff. Leaving everything else constant, this is the easiest change out of the potential changers to increase your height.
2. Angle at take off! = higher center of mass
As I mentioned above the formula is very basic and does not take into account a person, but a small object / ball that would transfer kinetic energy to height. Since you are not a ball and each of us is different, we have to tweak that formula a bit to consider we are all different. When we say maximum height, this refers to height of our center of gravity. Our center of gravity is different from person to person. The center of mass or mass center is the mean location of all the mass in a system. In the case of a rigid body, the position of the center of mass is fixed in relation to the body, but not directly in the middle, although close in most of us.
Example of a Pole Vaulter’s center of gravity in the different positions of the vault:
Start Takeoff over the bar
So the higher your center of mass is at takeoff or the point where the kinetic energy in transferred the higher your potential height is.
How do we increase the height of our center of gravity at takeoff? This takes practice and control. At the point of take-off you want to be as tall as you can be. This will relate to your angle at take off. This is the angle in which the pole meets the box and where you take-off. The higher the angle the better. The following illustrations I took from an article written by Kimo Morris, as he already have the illustrations, and why do something that someone already done for you?
How do we increase the height of our center of gravity at takeoff? This takes practice and control. At the point of take-off you want to be as tall as you can be. This will relate to your angle at take off. This is the angle in which the pole meets the box and where you take-off. The higher the angle the better. The following illustrations I took from an article written by Kimo Morris, as he already have the illustrations, and why do something that someone already done for you?
Here is an explanation of the angle by Kimo Morris:TAKE OFF ANGLE. This is roughly determined by the angle the pole makes with the ground at the plant when your right arm (for right-handed vaulters) is straight above your head. If two vaulters hold in the exact same place on a pole, but one vaulter is taller, then the taller vaulter will create a larger angle at takeoff, and will subsequently be closer to the box (Figure 1). The shorter vaulter will have to compensate by either running faster, or modifying their takeoff to give the effect of having the same angle at takeoff of the taller vaulter. This is why coaches constantly tell their vaulters to take shorter, quicker strides at the end of the run, so the center of mass is as high as possible at the take off. Another technique used by more advanced vaulters is "jumping into" the vault, that is, beginning the long-jump-style take off before the bottom of the pole has contacted the box. What advanced vaulters do to accomplish this is to jump outside of their standard take off, also known as the plumb line (plumb line is defined as the place where your take off toe touches the runway when you are standing perfectly straight with the pole in the box and your arms extended above your head without leaning backward or forward - we all do this when we check our step). This is known as "taking off outside". I DO NOT recommend doing this unless you are experienced. If you do not have enough speed at the plant, taking off outside could lead to serious problems. Only attempt taking off outside under the instruction of an experienced coach.
The height of ones hand grip will also effect the angle at take off. If we have two vaulters of identical height, but one vaulter holds higher (closer to the top end of the pole), then the vaulter who holds higher will create a smaller angle at take off (Figure 2). This means that as you improve and you begin to hold higher on the pole, you will have to compensate by running faster, keeping your center of mass high, and producing more force at the plant.
Along with the angle of take off, the distance of ones take off from the box also affects the vault. Since the distance of take off is related to the angle of take off, it is hard to see why they are separate things. However, think of it this way. The further away from the box you are, the greater the distance that you must carry your energy to complete the vault. Again, the shorter you are, or the higher you hold, the greater your take off distance will be from the box. Speed at the plant is key for this variable. Let's face it, holding higher means you have to run faster and hit the back of the box harder!
The formula has expanded to include the center of mass:
h= (CoM)* ½ v2/g
CoM= one’s center of mass, which is roughly .55xHeight of Pole Vaulter
As you can see there is an advantage of being tall here, or better put, it is better to have a higher center of mass when you takeoff.
So this is ranked second in my potential changers that anyone can do today. Film yourself (or have someone else film you from the side, best would be at your level – at practice, if you are on your own, get a tripod, put your camera on it, and just film the takeoff. Make sure you get the whole take-off, meaning from the ground all the way up to the top-hand. If you can get a wider angle to show some of the angle of the pole that would be best. To increase your max potential height, you want to make sure this angle is at its highest. To increase, make sure your take-off foot is close to under your top hand at take-off. Also make sure your hand is straight and as high as possible at takeoff. If you are under, your top hand is not at its highest, because if you move it from behind you (where it will be if you are under) to right above you the angle will increase. If you are out, your hand is not at its highest either, as if you move it back to be above your shoulder it will be higher, given a higher angle, and therefore a higher potential max height.
As currently the best pole vaulter in the world is Australian – I would suggest further reading by Nicholas P. Linthorne of the School of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, Australia. He ran computer models of the trade offs mentioned above. (link)
3. Technique:
Technique comes in many forms, all the way up and down the pole (sort of speaks). Technique is most important when we talk about energy transferring in and out of the pole. Poles used today in the pole-vault are able to take on energy (In the first phase of the take-off), and release the energy back to the vaulter at the push off phase of the pole vault.
So just a side note: Here are the basic parts of the pole vault – The run or approach, the take off, the long swing, the upside down or rock back, and the push off phase, which is followed by clearing and landing, and the courtesy wave to the crowd (kidding here, but it’s true that each pole vaulter have their own distinguished wave).
Technique is something that is not easy to change, and it takes lots of patience and practice. Usually this occurs without a pole first, to enforce the correct technique, we use many less stress (on your shoulders/body) exercises. They include gymnastics, pool drills, rope drills, and many other that build the technique off the pole. The second phase of this would be to transfer what you learn off the pole to the pole.
Technique building can be broken down to each phase of the vault:
1. The run technique, remember you need to find the technique that will yield the maximum controlled speed at take off. This includes the technique to carrying and lowering the pole, there are a few different techniques used by different vaulters.
2. The plant technique, remember here you want to achieve the largest pole angle, with highest controllable speed at takeoff. Repetition is the key here. Start with 3 step plants, and keep moving back until you optimize the plant with your long run approach.
3. The takeoff technique, transferring your kinetic energy to the pole, the key here (and for the rest of the phases until the push off) is to lose as little energy as you can. There are specific ways to do this throughout the phases.
4. The swing and rock back technique, this is the most important part of the technique as it is the place you can lose most of the energy stored in the pole if the technique is not optimal.
5. The push off and over the bar technique, again to optimize your height, you would want the center of gravity to reach its highest point over the cross bar.
a. You may notice that most pole vaulter use the same basic technique, with their body in an upside down u shape over the bar. Although there has been other techniques in the past of vaulters which coined their techniques to achieve great height. The huffman roll was one of them, infact he set the American record with this style (link)
4. 4. Pole: Stiffness and grip height
This last one is only going to be effective if the previous are accomplished. Although if everything else stays constant, and you can use a stiffer pole, and a higher grip you will increase your max vaulting height. This is probably the most difficult to do, because if you do not increase your speed at takeoff you will not be able to get on larger poles, without increasing your angle at takeoff, and by raising the grip the same is true, your angle will get smaller, which means you need more velocity to reach vertical.
This last one is only going to be effective if the previous are accomplished. Although if everything else stays constant, and you can use a stiffer pole, and a higher grip you will increase your max vaulting height. This is probably the most difficult to do, because if you do not increase your speed at takeoff you will not be able to get on larger poles, without increasing your angle at takeoff, and by raising the grip the same is true, your angle will get smaller, which means you need more velocity to reach vertical.
All in all, pole vaulting is a dangerous sport; make sure you take every precaution before embarking on this journey. This small paper was just an account of what you can do today to increase your pole vaulting height. These are my opinions as an ex-pole vaulter. All these improvements, come with lots of practice and patience, as I mention some are easier to achieve than others. The above are my opinions of which is easier, but it could be very possible that for you the sort will be different. Remember safety comes first.
