PoleVaultPower.com

When reading BTB you get the impression straight pole vaulters did not tuck.
Now I have found this picture in a german book "Fundamentals of Athletics" from the fifties.

http://acmatheysin.free.fr/docs/1218110666.jpg

They more or less recommended to tuck.
The text does not say who did this jump.
Other kinograms in the book show P. O'Brian (shot), M. Järvinen (javelin), A. da Silva (triple jump).

They tucked to speed up the rotation of their body (the second pendulum).

They did not tuck and PAUSE to wait for the pole to rotate to vertical (the first pendulum).

Since the steel/bamboo pole has no stored energy to return (not quite true with bamboo), there's nothing to wait for. You had to keep moving, else you become "dead weight" on the pole, and lose your momentum.

Also, the more elite vaulters swung more (straight-bodied) and tucked less than the less elite vaulters. I think that's what you're reading in BTB.

Kirk

Good explanation!

Yes it is! (As usual...)

But the faster the swing (correlation to 'more elite'), the less they had to tuck.