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Post #13 - Jump to the Split Position - and Lift the Trail Leg Back This is the part of the vault that most vaulters refer to as the takeoff. I coined the term “Jump-to-the-Split-Position” (or more simply “Jump-to-the-Split”) to better describe what I really did on takeoff and immediately after take...

Post #12 - Plant I will explain my plant from both ends of the pole. From the bottom end of the pole, the objective of my plant was to drop the pole into the back of the box, without hitting the sides or apron. I always aimed for the left corner of the box, so that the pole would have more room to b...

Post #11 - Pole Drop I timed the drop of the pole to coincide with a high plant and vigorous takeoff. I did not carry the pole high, and then push it forwards near the end of my run. It was a gradual drop for the duration of the run – so that the pole felt weightless the entire way. This was importa...

Post #10 – Run My run was unremarkable, so I won’t go into details. I just did the best I could with the wheels that I had. The objectives of my run were to gain top controlled speed, and to get my body into the proper posture for a good plant and takeoff. My posture was fine - I ran on the balls of...

Post #9 - Pole Grip, Start-of-Run, and Pole Carry I used a “high pole carry”. To accommodate this high pole carry, I had a relatively narrow hand spread – 22 inches. This was quite a natural spread at the start of my run, as it put my lower forearm approximately parallel with the ground. (It was als...

Post #8 - Pre-Vault Preparation (Mental Preparation) This part of the vault is often left out in descriptions of pole vaulting technique. However, certainly in my case, it played a major role in whether or not I would clear the bar on my next turn. This prep started several minutes before my turn, a...

Post #7 - The Bryde Bend in Detail My vault consisted of these major parts: • Pre-Vault Preparation (Mental Preparation) • Pole Grip and Carry • Run • Pole Drop • Plant • Jump to the Split Position - and Lift Trail Leg Back • Single-Leg Swing • Shoot (Extension) • Fly-Away (Bar Clearance) I call the...

Post #6 – Pic of Midway Thru my Extension http://www.treemo.com/files/treemo.KirkB.399814.dd.jpg This photo is courtesy of the Washington Track & Field 2008 Media Guide. Pat Licari sent me the soft-copy about 4 years ago. I’m a little embarrassed that they still use this photo, with all the rece...

Post #5 – Glossy Pic of the Start of my Extension http://www.treemo.com/files/treemo.KirkB.399794.dd.jpg Here’s the same photo (courtesy of The Seattle Times) with better quality, but unfortunately cropped. It does not show the bar or the right upright. The shadow of the pole on this sunny day hides...

In digging thru my pole vault files last week, I came across this one of Jan Johnson clearing 17-6½ (5.35) on my Catapole 550+ for the Bronze in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. http://www.treemo.com/files/treemo.KirkB.399702.dd.jpg In case you can't read the fine print, it says "Jan Johnson was in...

DJ, thanks for your encouragement. To keep this thread focussed on the Bryde Bend, I've replied to your points about pole technology on a new thread in the "Pole Vault - Equipment" forum here: http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=111314#111314 I called it "Pole Technolo...

good morning kirk ...this is extremely good stuff.. and is where i was fortunate enough to view and study the vault from.. many mid night discussions over the years have taken place with a group of us oldie vault coaches.. from there (Kjell Isaakson) up and to today... with the same technique that ...