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School is buying me a pole...need help choosing?

Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:15 am
by relientgtar
So I'm a junior and my PR is 10. I can get over bungees at 10'6" or 11' but of course that doesn't count yet.
The season is starting and the school is getting me a pole..
I am pretty sure I want a spirit (unless somebody else has another suggestion?) But here is the issue.
I weigh 118 and use a 12' 120 Spirit at my club.
But this pole is going to have to last me through junior and senior year.
Spirit doesn't offer a 12' 6" pole, which I would have considered ideal.
So should i get a 12 foot pole or a 13 foot pole?
I hold at the top of a 12 foot pole on my long runs now, but would it really hinder my vault to hold at 11' 6" or 12' on a 13 foot pole?
And should I get a 120, 125, 0r 130 if I weigh about 120?

Thank you so much in advance.

Re: School is buying me a pole...need help choosing?

Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:46 am
by rainbowgirl28
What is your long jump PR?

Re: School is buying me a pole...need help choosing?

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:32 am
by relientgtar
rainbowgirl28 wrote:What is your long jump PR?


I've never done a long jump so I'm not sure

Re: School is buying me a pole...need help choosing?

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:47 am
by rainbowgirl28
In my experience, girls with a great takeoff can transition from the 12' to 13' poles relatively easily, but girls who tend to be flat at takeoff do much better on 12'6 poles. Gill makes 12'6 Mystics and PacerFXs. The weight label is right at the top, so your max handhold would be about 12'4, maybe a little higher. Spirit makes 13'1 poles with the label 6" from the top, so your max handhold is 12'7 or so.

For me, I had trouble rolling over the 13' Spirits when I was gripping less than 12'. I jumped better on my 12'6 poles... and I was amazed throughout college at how many of my female teammates jumped significantly better on 12'6 poles than they did on 13' poles.

12' Spirits tend to run pretty stiff, if you went with a 12'6 Mystic, you'd probably want a 125 or 130. If you went with a 13' Spirit, it's probably going to be a jump from a 12'120 to 13'120. It would be tough to go with an even bigger jump than that...but with the amount of time you have left, it would be nice to have at least a 125 just in case you gain more muscle....

If your club had a 12'130 Spirit you could borrow, it would make the transition to 13' poles a lot easier.