VAULTER
MAGAZINE
Get the Sparks Started FUN POLE VAULT GAME! By: Bubba Sparks Here is a great starting point for an offseason, as well as a good way to stimulate conversation. Dave Johnston is obsessive about a six step mid mark in this chart - http://www.bubbapv.com/Pages/dj.htm. Dave worked with Mike Tully for the 1984 Olympics and was active in the Arkansas State program when Earl Bell was coming up. I consider him a great sport scientist as you can tell by this chart. I have used this as my “go to” tool for most every vaulter of all levels, but not the way DJ likes it used.
the grip was 9’ 10”. In this case 33’ was the start of the run. You stay there until you can make 8’. Once you do, you get three attempts at 8’ 6” with the 8’ set up to see if you can “beat the list”. I’ve had vaulters beat the list by 3-4 heights after they got the timing. Next you move the start (mid) to 34’, the takeoff mat to 9’ and the grip to 10’ 2”. It takes most vaulters 2-3 sessions to get back up around their PRs but they are a lot more efficient when they get there and probably gripping lower on a bigger pole because their swing is better.
Long story short, I had a guy who could jump 15’ from 10 and 12 steps but only 15’ 3” from his long run. Another guy could jump 16’ from a short run and 16’ 1” from his long run. My theory was that SOME PLACE along the way they were losing efficiency and by using this chart I would find out where. My solution was to make all vaulters, 10’, 13’ 15’, or 18’, start the list at 8’ and jump every height so they could locate at what point their vault broke down. The 15’ 3” guy jumped 17’ 7” that year and the 16’ 1” guy jumped 18’ 4” within two years.
At some point you can’t get to the box with your first step at the mid so you move back a stride, but the rubber strip at the mid stays put. Your foot must hit behind the mid mat and the takeoff matt. If you make the bar but hit the rubber strips then it›s a miss. What you really learn is that with this method, at some point if you don’t run to the box you flat
DJ thinks you just catch the mid and that tells you about the jump. What I found was that the run didn’t really start until the athlete hit the mid. Many jumpers were too fast too early, reaching, chopping down, etc. So to me the first of the vault was like the ramp to the freeway and the mid in WAS the freeway. This chart just told you when to run. How did we do this? For 8’ I put a rubber mat at 33’ (mid) and at 8’ 8” for the takeoff, and
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ThE VAULTER mAgAzinE 2012