If you want a challenge, try the same drill with some ankle weights.
As for the high bar, I know that a lot of people have difficulty with this, because they have no sense of timing. If you can do a "beat" at the bottom of your swing, this will make it a lot easier. It also simulates driving through your takeoff before swinging in the vault!
If you're not sure what a "beat" is (some people call it a "tap"), here's what you do...
-make sure that your grip is with thumbs around the bar (guys and girls should both do this for safety)
-get a small swing going (a big swing becomes hard to control)
-when you reach the back end of the swing, start pointing your toes towards the ground directly under the bar
-just before you get to the bottom of the swing, "beat" or "tap" your feet back, allowing your chest to continue to move forward (but just for a fraction of a second)
-swing upside down
I hope that makes sense. If not, watch an experienced vaulter doing rockbacks on the highbar... they are likely to do this automatically! Otherwise, ask a gymnastics coach how you could do this.
To make it more like pole vaulting, do it with your right knee up (if you're a right-handed vaulter).
Enjoy!
