We’re nearing the end of April which means it’s time for championship season. In southern states we’re already seeing District championship meets while the north is wrapping up their regular season.
I don’t know if it’s the inconsistency of outdoor weather, pushing for bigger poles, or a number of other factors, but there are always some prime pole vault “fail” videos to come out of outdoor. Lately, I’ve seen a number of very preventable videos so I wanted to share some best practices and videos of what not to do.
In the photo above (pulled from a video on Instagram), a pole vaulter shares it’s his first time using this pole in practice, meaning it’s probably longer or stiffer than what he’s used to jumping on. After he gets rejected by the pole and starts to fall backwards, the pole vault coach decides to grab the pole where he can to prevent it from falling further back. This immediately causes the vaulter’s weight to shift to the left side of the pole as seen in the video, meaning the pole is no longer between him and the ground. The vaulter is also still holding at the top, meaning holding on a split second too long will recreate bend in the pole potentially putting both the vaulter and athlete in harms way. The vaulter can no longer use the pole as a point of leverage as they head towards the ground.
Thankfully, this vaulter was fully aware of his surroundings and was able to let go before the pole started to re-bend. If you’d like to see the full video, it can be found here.
Ummm…..
There’s another video of an athlete getting rejected going around social media with SO many things wrong with it. First, there’s probably 5 of 6 poles laid on the front bun of the mat. Second, the coach attempts to catch the vaulter mid-air. Third, there’s another athlete sitting on the front of the mat. This results in both the coach and vaulter hitting the ground full force. But, it’s even worse than that, they land on top of the other athlete and poles, likely damaging ruining those poles forever. Video here.
Around the Pole Vault Pit
Again and again at track meets, I see pole vault areas that are not safe. Lately, I was at a meet that was using a three foot tall plastic rod to hold the tape measure in place. I immediately removed it. It was just a foot off the runway at the edge of the mat. Imagine a vaulter falling on that.
Use the standard side pads. Keep the box collar in place and adjust between jumps as needed.
AND KEEP A 10 to 15 FOOT RADIUS FROM THE BOX CLEAR OF OBSTACLES.
How to Bail Properly
Notice you’re getting rejected.
Vaulter’s with adequate spacial awareness should realize the need to bail before they’re piking over the crossbar. This can be more difficult as the standards are pulled farther in and is a reason why high school rules don’t allow an athlete to move the standards any closer than 18’’ from the back of the box.
Steer the pole as it unbends
If possible, keep the pole directed towards the center of the pit. Falling towards the center of the pit or even straight back is often preferable than going straight to the standards.
Are you going into the pit or back to the runway/grass?
If you’re falling into the pit, use your eyes to ensure you’re over the pit, move the pole to your side a simply let go as you fall onto the pit. DO NOT land on your feet.
If you’re falling back towards the grass or runway, it can be helpful to have the pole in-between you and the ground. It can be used as a point of leverage to steady your upper body. At this point, if safe, it can be helpful to lower yout top hand down to your bottom hand or even slightly lower to make the pole stiffer and prevent more re-bending. Either way, the important thing is to accept you are falling and that the best way to fall is by rolling. It may sound counterintuitive, but try to hit the ground feet first while NOT putting any weight on your feet to prevent hurting your feet, ankle, or leg. What we actually want to do is go immediately into a roll to prevent one area of our body from absorbing all the impact.
Disclaimer: Every “rejection” in pole vault is different. The size of the pole, mat, runway type, surroundings, and skill level of the vaulter. Coaches should teach their vaulters what to do in case of a rejection based on the skill level and athleticism of the vaulter.
Here’s an example of a vaulter who realized he wasn’t as far in the pit as he thought. However, he should have landed on his feet.
Here’s a video of a vaulter getting rejected while using a raised runway. This is a key downfall of raised runways. They don’t provide an even surface should a vaulter get rejected backwards. While the video below looks rough, it’s important to note that this vaulter avoided a more serious injury by holding onto the pole and not falling over the box. The box is slanted everywhere and landing in the box often leads to more serious foot and ankle injuries. This is a key reason why many vaulters and coaches will say the #1 rule of pole vault is to never let go of the pole - because you shouldn’t let go until you’re sure you’ll land as a safe as possible.
Thank you for reading Pole Vault Online. This post is public so feel free to share it. We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled meet updates next week :). In the meantime stay safe.