Congratulations! Making the decision to start pole vaulting means you’re about to join a very passionate community. Pole vault is one of the most entertaining events in track and field. Get good enough, and you’ll be flying more than a story high.
Equipment Needed
On your first day, it’s best to keep things simple and learn the basics. It may be surprising to hear you’re not going to be using the landing mat and pole together right away.
Good sneakers/running shoes
A small pole that is 10-13’ in length
A long/triple jump sand pit (optional)
Some open grass area
Pole vault runway and mat
Depending on the age, athleticism, and height of the vaulter starting on a 10’-13’ pole will give them enough pole to learn how to “straight-pole” without it being so much it’s awkward. The taller the vaulter, the more pole they’re going to need.
Key Terms
The mat: The pole vault mat. Pole vault mat dimensions are regulated so they’re large enough to ensure maximum odds of a safe landing.
The standards: Standards are what hold the bar up.
Pole: Pole vault poles are made of fiberglass and carbon
Bar: The bar is what a pole vaulter tries to clear. Do not mix the pole and bar.
Box: The box is where the bottom tip of the pole is planted in order to initiate the start of the vault. The box is at the front center of the pit and the back of the box is about 8 inches beneath the ground.
Top hand: The top hand in pole vaulter the hand closer to the top of the pole
Bottom hand: The bottom hand is your other hand and depending on skill level, heigh, and technique, could be 12-24’’ below your top hand. For just starting out, it’ll likely be 8-16’’ below your top hand
Are you a right handed or left handed vaulter?: This question is referring to your top hand.
Takeoff foot: The last foot to touch the ground, also the foot you jump off of.
Drive knee: The knee on the leg of opposite of your takeoff foot. Depending on the technique you follow, your drive knee may be more or less pronunced; however, the general consensus is it’s important to have a good drive knee.
Your First Drill
For your first drill, you don’t even need to use a pole.
Stand about 20-30 feet back from the mat and stand to the left or right of the runway.
If you’re standing on the left side of the runway, look at the mat to the left of the box.
Run towards the mat and jump off the ground off of whatever foot feels natural 2-3 feet from the mat.
Land on your butt with both feet in front of you.
Repeat 10 times.
Goals of the drill
By jumping off whatever foot feels natural you’ll learn what your takeoff foot is. If you’ve played soccer, your takeoff foot is likely your plant foot. If you play basketball, your takeoff foot, is likely the foot you prefer to jump off of to do a layup.
By landing on your butt with both feet in front of you, it should feel more natural to maintain a decent upper body posture throughout the jump. This will help you learn to jump and bring your feet forward without falling straight to your back.
Second Drill (Optional)
The second drill is optional and does include a pole. For this drill, you’ll place the pole at your side, reach up with your top hand and grab onto the pole. Move your top hand up about three more inches. This will be where you will hold the pole for the drill.
Using either grass, or sand (preffered), you’ll learn what it feels like to “ride the pole.” In the video below, you’ll see it’s important not to place the bottom of the pole too far away from the body. This could cause the tip of the pole to slide out from under you and thus end with you falling on your back.
As the vaulter is landing back on the ground, a right handed vaulter will have the pole come to the left side of their body. A left handed vaulter will have the pole come to the right side of their body.
Short Video Here:
Third Drill: Jumping w/pole into the mat
Finally, you’ve reached the point of jumping into the mat with the pole.
We want to simulate the two movements above:
Jumping towards the mat and landing with our feet in front of us
Moving with enough momentum to make sure we’re riding the pole forward, into the mat.
The Drill
Start by holding the pole with your top hand and bottom hand at the same spot as step 2. Now, move your hands up the pole about 6-8 inches because we want to accommodate for the box being about 8 inches deep into the ground.
Plant the pole into the box and hold your top hand straight above your head. If done correctly, the bottom pole tip will be touching the back of the box. Your top hand, head, and takeoff foot will all be in a straight line. For where you’re holding, this is the ideal place to take-off from.
Take four big steps backwards. After taking the steps backward, you’ll be facing the mat with the bottom of the pole out on the runway infront of you.
The vault. Run towards the runway, it should only take four steps, jump off of your takeoff foot, ride push the pole into the mat, and land on your butt with your feet in front of you. It’s important that your top hand is fully extended over your head at the point of takeoff.Congratulations! You’ve completed your first vault! As you get more comfortable with this over the next several practices with your coach, you’ll be able to move your step farther out, your grip up, and learn how to properly carry the pole.
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