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Ok, I have never pole vaulted before, but I am going to start. I can't remember, how to find the soft side of the pole, like is the writing suppose to be up or down, I am using a spirit pole.

Jaimie

spirit the writing goes down, to find the soft spot you just let the pole rest in your hand and the pre-bend should be up when you plant. so if rest the spirit on your hand you should be able to see spirit on the lable.

iunno if this is wat kyle meant but if u hold at the top of th epole and have the tip of it on the ground, jush down and it will bend to find the soft side.

You should be able to see UCS/Spirit when you put the pole in the box over your head, all others generally are facing away.

Thanks a bunch

Jaimie

read carefully I suggest you read it twice for clarity

Secrets revealed

In this post we will be talking about three things:
1. Soft Side
2. Flex Side
3. Prebend or natural curve

All vaulting poles have a soft side and a natural or prebend curve to them.
Manufacturers are about 99.5% in lining those up together. Sometimes .5 % of the time they do not and you get a twister.
If you get a twister contact the manufacturer, however it is very rare if they have calculated the pattern soft side like we do and line it up in the oven with the prebend curve. Some manufacturers do not allow the pole to sag in the oven which allows them no prebend and more control of the two occurrences.

A. To determine the prebend or natural curve of the pole, let the pole rest on a bench or in your hand. The pole will rotate down to the ground this is the side that must be towards the pit when vaulting curved away from you at the plant.
To help explain this:
A curved or prebend pole is easier to bend at the moment of the plant than that of a straight pole. While in some cases you can create a curved pole by planting early and the pole gets a negative bend and flips back at the moment of the plant to help bend the pole smoothly. It is desirable to obtain a complete planting action to place the pole in this position to ease and support the initial bending of the pole. If the plant is with the pole at your ear, you will not get the full benefits of the curved pole affect.

B. To determine the soft side the pole one can slightly flex the pole in the box without the bottom hand pressing, or trial and error in warm up jumps to see the soft side of the pole. ( Do Not Flex the pole in the box with both hands pressing against the pole.) Or look for a magic marker mark on the underside of the pole or on the topside.
To help explain this:
The pole has layers of glass rolled and each side of the pole has different stiffness. The stiff sides of the pole want to bend towards the axis of the two soft sides*

Otherwords if the pole is marked on the backside this is usually the stiffer of the two soft sides. The stiff sides of the pole want to move towards the softest of the two soft sides.. Yes I said there are two soft sides to a pole and if the manufacturer does not get the correct soft side in the calculations you can have a twister.

Two soft sides; Are as follows
· Soft Side is the mark that is towards the vaulter at the plant.
· Flex Side is the one towards the pit.
In reality the flex side is the softer of the two soft sides.

Usually the manufacturer will line the company label in line with the soft side or the flex side.*
Spirit uses the label on the underside of the pole the soft side which should be towards the vaulter at the plant, most all the others a line the label on the top towards the pit which is the flex side of the pole that should be planted towards the pit. read the instructions provided with each pole and all warning labels on the poles before usage!!!!!41

has anyone ever planted the not soft side? is it possible? and what would happen?

RoySloppy wrote:has anyone ever planted the not soft side? is it possible? and what would happen?

The pole will twist in your hands, that is why sometimes when you do not complete the plant you have the pole twist on you as the soft side is out to the side and not inline with your plant direction.

Good Question

i remember jan talking on his sky systems video (3 i believe) about a thermoflex pole he broke by vaulting with the soft side on the wrong side.

VTechVaulter wrote:i remember jan talking on his sky systems video (3 i believe) about a thermoflex pole he broke by vaulting with the soft side on the wrong side.

The way the thermoflex pole was made (VERY low density process) they all talked to you when you bent them as the process used centrifugal force to mold the pole and there was not a lot of pressure to bind the fibers.
Jumping on the wrong side of the pole has never produce a broken pole in a high-density pole to my knowledge.

Hey so i am akind of confused with this as well. I alway jump, and neaver pay attention to the soft side. I use a UCS Spirit, and a Skypole. If i understand correctly, the inner part of the pre bend should be facing the vaulter at the plant, but i am still confused with what a soft side is and a stiff side. I heard on UCS poles the label should face you, but is that at the plant, or the run? Please help...if anyone can show a video of explaining this with a pole, that would be great...thanks!

RoySloppy wrote:has anyone ever planted the not soft side? is it possible? and what would happen?

John Uelses, first 16 foot vaulter allegedly vaulted with the soft side towards him. If you carefully examine photos of him, you can see the bend is way off to the side if not slightly rearwards.