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I just had my breakthrough practice yesterday with my plant! I could not be more excited! I used to lower my hands in order to raise the pole when I run, but I fixed that. I just used to not have a left arm. I also have been having lower back pain lately because my hands are pushing up and above my head when I plant, but I let my hips just sag through. My coach told me to keep my trail leg back and that fixed everything! I had no back pain and my plants were almost perfect yesterday! I felt like I could swing up without muscling through my entire vault for the first time using solely my abs. I even cleared the 12' bungee for the first time! However, I am still having trouble swinging all the way through to invert. I figured out that I bring my feet to a certain spot, like a sandwich, but row in order to get my feet to my hands. How do I stop rowing so I can finally invert?

We'd have to see some vid to know exactly what you're describing.

gabsterpv wrote: My coach told me to keep my trail leg back and that fixed everything! I had no back pain and my plants were almost perfect yesterday! I felt like I could swing up without muscling through my entire vault for the first time using solely my abs.

Getting your trail leg back immediately after takeoff is a good first step. But don't stop there. Instead of "keeping it back", you need to IMMEDIATELY swing/whip it forwards and up.

This will give you the momentum that you're wanting.

Oddy asked me a similar question today: (http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=51167), and I answered it similarly.

Done right, you won't even need to use your abs much --- a vigorous swing is the main thing that will thrust you skywards!

Kirk

If I'm reading your post correctly, you are "rowing" to get inverted. Would this be correct? If so, it is not necessary and actually inhibits your from inverting because by rowing you are activating your bottom arm which changes the axis. The axis should be the top hand. What Kirk stated about whipping the trail leg is certainly sound advice and you don't need to engage abs much. After looking at your video, to further invert you need to "cover" the pole more with your legs. I believed you referred to it as a "sandwiching"; the legs just need to come further back. Think "butt to the bar", but do not put your head back. More importantly, don't stop moving through your vault. There are no phases in the vault only progressive movement. So, as you invert into a cover position, you should actively thrust your hips into the pole (commonly called a Bubka) as you then with the arms pull as in like rowing a boat. But again, there has to be continual movement.

Thank you guys so much! I will keep all of this in mind (not all at the same time of course haha), I will also get a video of my jump tomorrow because its big jump day tomorrow! Conference is in a week and im so excited!