Coach’s Critique with Russ Johnson

Russ Johnson breaks down technique in this analysis of a vault by Pole Vault Carolina athlete Mason Coon

Run

I really love how Mason pushes aggressively out of the back of his run and appears to create some power and momentum during the first two thirds of his run. He is bringing a lot of energy. He is running with a good natural rhythm and tempo.

I would love to see less forward and backward pumping of his hands and more support underneath the pole with hands and elbow. He appears to also be sinking in his hips and over-striding a little bit during his last three lefts. If he can work on staying taller and getting his feet down quicker while punching his hands up, I believe he will go even higher!

TAKEOFF

I love how committed and aggressive Mason is when hitting his takeoff. He transfers a lot of energy into the pole and really follows through his takeoff leg. He is also really solid with his arms and core.

If he can stay tall, get his feet underneath him and jump up a bit more before the initial pole impact, I believe he will really improve his pole speed and technique on the pole. Improving his last 3 lefts and getting his step a little farther out will help give him some freedom to complete the transfer off the ground and remain elastic while pushing the pole.

SWING

Mason is working really hard to get upside down and get off the pole. His swing is hampered a bit by his final few strides and his takeoff angle and step. As he improves his running mechanics, posture, carry, and takeoff angle, I believe he will be in a more advantageous position to swing fast and stay behind the pole. Having more freedom to swing dynamically behind the pole and re-align with good top hand pressure should allow him to really elevate his hips and turn into his top hand earlier.

Commentary

Mason is looking great! I love how aggressive he is on the runway and how solid he hits his plant. He shows a lot of commitment in his jump and is really close to making some big improvements. I believe he can really benefit from some small tweaks to his approach run in terms of pole carry and running mechanics, which will help set up a more efficient takeoff. I would really look at his runway numbers to make sure his mid-mark matches up to his speed and grip. In combination with getting his mid-mark where it needs to be, I believe he could focus on pole carrying drills to get the left hand, wrist, and elbow supporting the pole drop from underneath and try to tone down the forward and backward pumping. Study Sergey Bubka’s pole carry and his shoulder movements.

Mason is bringing a lot of aggressiveness and strength into his takeoff! This is always hard to teach. If he can learn to run taller and maintain proper sprinting technique (avoid overreaching or squatting) during the final strides, I believe he can really carry all that aggressiveness into the takeoff. Keep in mind that pole carry, drop, and posture greatly affect running mechanics. The swing and turn will continue to get easier for him as he improves his run and plant. Don’t get bogged down on the stuff in the air yet. Changes in the pole vault take time, patience, and determination. If Mason keeps working on these pieces, I think that all the dominoes will start to fall into line for him.

Some good activities to perform in additional to vaulting would be: • Measured pole runs (check mark, mid mark, takeoff mark) with a towel or slide box • Sand pit takeoffs for posture, angle, and rhythm • Hurdling and hurdle drills to work on tall hips, foot placement, and rhythm • Stiff pole vaulting to work on connecting the takeoff, swing, and turn • Lots of pole carry drills and rhythm runs with a heavy pole • Inversion/swing-up drills on the rope and high bar.