COACH’S CRITIQUE

Jon’s grip may be a bit wide which can affect his running posture as he builds his approach and drops the pole. Make sure the vaulter supports the pole with his hands and elbows close to the body.

Jon’s top (right hand) should also stay close to his right hip as he sprints and drops the pole. Carrying the pole behind and clear of the body negatively affects your running mechanics and creates a longer/slower path to finish your plant.

Work on an active pole drop. Jon starts with his pole tip lower than I would like which causes balance and posture breakdowns during takeoff. As he starts his plant, three steps from takeoff his pole tip is low and will inhibit his rhythm and takeoff.

Below, Olympic medal coach Jim Bemiller breaks down the run, takeoff, and swing of Pole Vault Carolina athlete Jon Horn.

Jon’s last three steps are long and low. The last two steps should be quick and tall to optimize your takeoff speed and posture. Work on your approach and pole drop to improve the rhythm into takeoff.

Jon does a good job of getting his hands up early and strong but waits for the pole to hit the back of the box. This is a slight variancew from the optimal idea of rolling up actively off the takeoff foot and attacking the takeoff.

Get to the takeoff and move through the takeoff. Don’t wait for the pole to hit the box, attack through the takeoff. This is a subtle difference between a good early plant and a great aggressive takeoff.

Jon keeps pressure on the pole as he swings his hips past his top right hand.

The goal is to swing and turn our right hip into the top of the pole before the pole reaches vertical. Jon could turn earlier and into the top of the pole as he extends, rather than out towards the crossbar.

Jon has good pole speed and swing speed and is crushing this pole. Good job!

Each coach has different experiences and training so different coaches may see a film clip differently or prioritize in another way, but I always tell my vaulters that it is good to hear different feedback and pick out the nuggets that make sense to you and your coach. My coaching is based on teaching the vaulter to attack the basics so we are always focused on basic fundamentals and dynamic execution.

There are two parts to any athletic event: technique and tempo. It is imperative that our athletes establish the fundamentals of how to vault and execute aggressively. The pole vault has many moving parts, but is quite simple. The goal is to generate momentum to raise the center of gravity over the bar. The vaulter creates that momentum through pole speed and swing speed.

First, he must move the pole to vertical generating momentum through his run and takeoff (pole speed). Second, he must swing effectively on the pole to raise the center of gravity over the bar (swing speed). Jon is doing a great job for one of his first vaulting sessions of the year. He has a good strength/speed/ weight ratio and shows an aggressive, attacking tempo throughout his vault. The tips I have given are intended to refine his pole speed/swing speed fundamentals so that he can vault effectively over his hand grip and gradually raise his grip.

My tips are heavy on the approach and takeoff because that is where 80% of the vaulter’s energy is generated. Keep working on your approach run, pole carry, and takeoff fundamentals.

Great job, Jon! Keep up the good work, make gradual improvements, and attack the basics.

Good luck this year!

f you wish your video to be considered for analysis by an elite coach in a future issue of TAKEOFF, please email it to adele@thetakeoffmagazine.com.

Olympic Pole Vault Coach

Jon Horn Pole Vault Carolina Athlete