how important is a straight left arm

[bulldogvaulter]

Whats SRU? Jonesboro AR and his name is Earl Bell. Alot of olympic athletes train there it the coolest place I have ever been to. Here is the website
http://www.bellathletics.com/

[vault3rb0y]

You should go to bells place, and THEN come down south to Arkansas Vault Club's 3 day camp. Coach Sanders that has produced over 50 state champions, 2 national champions, and a ton of all-americans, has just built a new indoor facility with 2 fast mondo "X" runways. Plus, half of those state and national champions will be there. Its high intensity and you learn a lot in a short amount of time. Between Bell's Camp and this camp, you should be ready to go around 19' next year .

http://www.arkansasvaultclub.com

[powerplant42]

Slippery Rock has a great program too. Check it out!
http://rockathletics.com/documents/2008/2/29/1696%20polevault.pdf?id=115

[altius]

Just to stir things up I will make the claim that Slippery Rock University will have the best vault camps in the USA - or anywhere else for that matter - this summer. Of course the only way you will find out one way or the other is to come to one of them! Oh and you might want to talk your coach into coming to the coaches clinic - which incidentally is open to athletes who intend to become coaches.

We already have a great staff but I am still hoping that Todd Cooper a great coach from Mo and Jeremy Bailey the vault coach at BYU will be joining us. Will keep you posted.

By the way PP42 the cheque is in the mail.

[LogIc]

i have this argument with one of my co-polevaulters. he likes the elbow bent so it is easier to lead with your chest. in my oppinion, keeping your bottom ( i am a lefty so that it is my right hand) hand out strait will not block you, if you are able to have a small hand grip, you can manage. but if your arm is locked and you have about a 90 dagree andgle with your arms, you are blockin your self. and you will most lickly get stuck in a "V" as some would say.

Side fact, we came up with a turn for blocking your self, we called it (excuse language) c*ck Blocking. lol

[AKell]

i think it is important to note that although you don't want to block out with your left arm by locking the elbow, your arm should be at least close to straight at the beginning of your vault as part of a high, fully extended takeoff position...the key is that it doesn't stay in that position!

[powerplant42]

This has lately been one of my biggest struggles: balancing the flexibility with rigidity in my bottom arm, and I can tell it's cutting FEET off my jump...

[vault3rb0y]

If you drive properly into the vault, you shouldnt have to put much of any pressure with your bottom hand. Your top does all the work, it is your fulcrum of rotation and gives the pressure to the box. Your bottom hand just goes for the ride and stabilizes.

[powerplant42]

It's just that whole 'properly' thing can be tough sometimes... I know that it doesn't make too much of a difference if it's just kind of there, pushing high, but I basicly pull towards myself with my left, and that usually gets my drive leg to drop and my swing to go nowhere, and I end up in the box.