Rope Vaulting - Yay or Nay?

[rainbowgirl28]

I'd like to have a discussion about the merits of rope vaulting.

For the purpose of this thread, I am defining rope vaulting as completing the full vaulting motion on a swinging rope over a pit (drills with a stationary rope are not included).

I haven't done much rope vaulting. I suspect it's somewhat rare as few schools put up ropes anymore.

Here are some videos if you are not familiar with it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F2YKhGqFAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krsHsRfadjs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQK-LyKInXs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7UcwR3BH8o
http://polevaultvideos.fliggo.com/video/plFeshRP


Pros:
- Allows the vaulter to simulate the motion of the vault without having to worry about their runup and plant.
- Builds core strength.
- Can be used when legs are tired/injured.

Cons:
- In my experience, it tends to be an all-or-nothing thing. With the vault everyone starts out holding low on small poles which builds body awareness. It's harder to have a teaching progression with the rope vault, and I fear that lack of body-space awareness is contributing to accidents.
- To be safe, you really need mats all the way along the course of the rope. That first YouTube clip shows what looks like a very good setup. It's also extremely important to have adequate padding behind the mat. Both Chip and Leon's injuries were a result of overshooting the pad. So the con is you need lots of extra padding.
- Doesn't seem to be a standard teaching progression or facility setup.
- Length of rope is a big variable factor.


I think rope vaulting can be safe if it's taught properly and in a safe facility. My bigger question to the PV Power audience is how useful do you think it is? Also, please share some rope vault teaching progressions you have used.

[VTechVaulter]

I grew up through Jan Johnsons Sky Jumpers program and I believe that rope vaulting is a valuable tool. Its a great way to learn feel of the top end (IMO), way to practice multi-dynamic swing motions. Lots of pros.

However.. Like everythign else theres a progression to learn it, and it must be taught by someone who understands it. Also, depending on the length of the rope, you need as much or more landing pad than normal vaulting. Also like EVERYTHING ELSE.. INSPECT SURROUNDING AREAS FOR CONCRETE AND HARD OBJECTS THAT POSE THREATS TO THE SAFETY OF THE ATHLETES!

[dj]

good morning

i think rope vaulting is one of the absolute best ways to teach beginners...

the only problem is with little or no run it is hard to "swing" much above the grip.. but it still simulates the swing and bar clearance in the vault..

i like placing a piece of tape on the rope where the vaulter can reach and grab.. let them (for rightees') hold the rope in the left hand, run two steps, reach up to the tape and then swing over the bar.. maybe 8 foot bar for boys.. land in the pit of course..

when i started coaching "moons" ago we would put the high jump mats in the gym with the rope.. i introduced vaulting to my junior high kids during the winter... each spring i would have a 12 foot 9th grader...

whole-part-whole method of teaching.. teach run-plant-swing... then put the three together on the runway...

dj

[rainbowgirl28]

I guess I should also clarify that there are two big variations within rope vaulting: Standing from a platform and jumping into it as you see in most of those videos, or starting from the ground and running/jumping into it as DJ just described.

If you go from a platform, you have to release at the end because otherwise you crash back into the platform. If you run into it, you can jump and swing without releasing.

[bvpv07]

Yay when there's a proper emphasis on safety.

Although I'm sure it's exceedingly rare to find, my coach set up a pulley system and had us situated in climbing harnesses attached to a spotting rope. Mats were plentiful, helmets occasionally used, and the metal supports from which all of the equipment was attached were covered in foam. Since there was a constant spotter and a definite learning progression (swing and let go, swing/turn/let go, swing/turn up/turn/let go, etc.), the possibility of landing dangerously was practically null. All of the vaulters who used it found it helpful, and for the gimps (I am an expert in walking casts) jumping off of a platform and swinging was a great way to work on technique when injury prevented running/impact.

I'd love it if there was some way to make sure that those who planned on setting up a rope vault had guidance or supervision from a coach with a safe facility. Unfortunately, those who do have that experience are probably too few and far between to provide it (in person at least).

[VaultPurple]

Yayish for video 1, 4, and 5, NAY for other ones. You absolutly need the propper training area to do this. I did some rope drills over summer into a foam pit but I had a foam pit and around the foam pit was more mats.

I only say yay for those three videos because they looked like they are taking all the safty percautions, but I do not see how any of those remotely simulate what a vault is suposed to feel like. For starters most all of them did a two leged swing, and in some of the videos they just jump straight to verticle with no swing and their legs split behind head... that never happens in a real vault. The only remote thing I see a any of these drills doing is practicing dropping sholders... but thats nothing you couldn't get from just toing a bubka on the high bar.


As far as videos two and three.. they are just asking to get hurt. First off, jumping onto trampolines from high places never turn out good (watch americas funniest home videos), and expecially so close to the house. And the other video, the pit is too small to just swing from a tree and anyone that let go too late or too early or swang a little to the side would compleatly miss the mat.

[tsorenson]

I used the platform vaulting drill at Jim Gardiner's facility in Grand Rapids, MI, back in the day. To distinguish from rope vaulting from the ground itself (also very useful and probably safer), they called it "scaffold vaulting." They had a very good setup, with an entire second pit's worth of pads laid out between the scaffolding and the pit itself. The rope was very long, all the way to the peak of a high gymnasium. The scaffolding had two levels you could choose from, depending on your experience/confidence with the drill, and I felt this made it safer for younger vaulters to learn the motion before committing to the big swing. As you can see in the videos posted by Becca above, there are two ways you can do the drill: you can immediately go into inversion off the platform, holding this position and simply extending at the end (much easier); or you can do a longer swing more representative of the actual vault (more advanced). This setup allows for a teaching progression.

The best advantage for me, at the time (I was a first year vaulter), was that I found the scaffold vaulting to be much scarier than normal pole vaulting! I was actually relieved when it was time to get back on the runway! The timing of the drill did also simulate the extension/bar clearance quite well, and helps young vaulters learn how to swing back "past vertical." Strength, timing, and mental confidence seem to be the main "pros" of this somewhat sketchy drill.

I would not even think about doing this drill unless there was a completely padded area from the scaffold to the pit, although it might be fine if you had a strongly built rope swing over deep water from a high tree...not sure how you would support the bungee, but someone inventive could come up with a way, I'm sure. Watch out for the back smacker.

With all the liability concerns these days, I'm surprised that people are still using this drill, even though it is helpful. As stated above, safety and a quality setup are paramount for this drill, every bit as much as vaulting itself.

[achtungpv]

Rope vaulting isn't the problem. The bigger question is why to athletes continue to jump/drill around areas with exposed concrete or other hard surfaces. The single common denominator in most deaths is that the athlete hit their head on an exposed hard surface that could have been easily covered for very little money.

[master]

I have a question. It appears in most of the videos I have seen, the vaulters do a double leg swing. Is that because it is easier to do it, or is it because you can't successfully execute a single leg swing in the rope vault?

- master

[powerplant42]

I haven't had much of a chance to think about this, but I'll spit out what first popped into my head...

Something to do with core stability and the bottom arm...? There's nothing there for the bottom arm to push against (like many vaulters are so used to doing when they swing), so could the abdominal system (or hip system?) not have either the muscle-memory or strength to perform the drill with the drive-knee up?

Just a thought.

[kev44000]

Nay ---unless well supervised and plenty of padding all around. Without strick supervision kids (high school and college) tend to goof off with the rope and do stupid things and end up getting hurt . Also at some vault camps I have seen kids use the rope as a play toy and get hurt. The rope is off limits to my son period.

[PVyeah]

In response to achtung:

I completely agree. It is crazy that there are still numerous exposed hard surfaces at so many places. At our outdoor conference meet two years ago, there was concrete around the pit, no collar, and clamps holding the standards up. We were faced with the decision to jump at our conference meet where points were crucial or I guess boycott b/c of the unsafe conditions. No athlete should have to make a choice like that ... it should just be a give-in that pit areas are safe ... esp. in college!