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Pole Vault Coaching Curriculum

The Pole Vault Take-off and Drive Swing with Bill Falk & Mark Strawderman

Bill Falk teaches the pole vault take-off. At take-off, the pole should bend inward - the athlete follows the bending pole into an explosive take-off. 3X All-American Mark Strawderman teaches the drive swing, the shortest and most critical phase of the pole vault. The chest must drive forward and stay balanced over the hips while the trail leg is back. The vaulter should not push or pull the pole during the drive swing. Instead, the bending action should be followed. Complete video available at Everything Track & Field.

Importance

The Take-Off and Drive Swing are products of a well executed Approach Run and Plant. Driving off the runway with upright posture and following the inward bending pole produces the dynamic energy needed for a powerful vault.

                                      Figure J

Technical Model

The Take-Off follows the completion of the Plant. It is the moment the pole tip hits the back of the box, the arms extend upward/forward fully and the vaulter leaves the runway. Everything happens simultaneously, like an explosion. Keep the top arm straight and drive the top of the pole forward/upward as the Take-Off merges into the Drive-Swing. (See Figure J).

            Figure K

Make sure the vaulter remains upright and does not pull the pole. As the pole bends, the chest moves ahead of the straight top arm to form a reverse letter “C”. (watching from the right side of the runway). (See Figure K).The bottom arm exerts pressure on the pole during the Plant and Take-Off, but the left elbow bends during the Drive-Swing to allow the chest to drive in front of the top arm. The chest stays in front of the right arm during the Drive-Swing as the vaulter remains upright. This delays the Swing-Up and prevents an early rock-back.

Drills

Short Run Vaults are a safe and effective way to teach the Plant, Take-Off and Drive-Swing. The vaulter is able to learn the fundamentals using a low grip and short run. Start with a three take-off step Approach Run. Hold the pole straight up and reach the bottom hand up as high as possible on the pole. Then place the top arm on the pole about a shoulder-width higher to get the proper Grip. Next, have the vaulter simulate the Take-Off Position by placing the pole tip at the back of the box and fully extending both arms upward. Now draw an imaginary line down from the top hand down to the toe of the take-off foot to get the correct Take-Off Position. The vaulter swivels around to face away from the pit, runs back three take-off steps and plants the pole. Mark the third take-off step, since that will be the start of the Approach Run.

The vaulter faces the pit, runs three take-off steps and plants the pole. The Take-Off and Drive-Swing will follow naturally and powerfully if the Approach Run and Plant are done effectively. Repeat this drill until the pole passes a vertical line from the back of the box up to the top hand. That means it’s time to raise the grip. Move the grip up one handgrip (3”-4”) at a time until the pole stalls out and does not reach vertical.

There should be no effort made to bend the pole during short vaults. In addition to raising the grip, have the vaulter add a take-off step or two as long as the pole top is rising to the vertical position. “Straight-poling” is a great way to teach the fundamentals. It’s safe, and the vaulter should be able to land in the pit easily.

Coaching Points

1. Make sure the vaulter and the pole move together towards the vertical at Take-Off. This happens when the pole hits the back of the box as the
   vaulter simultaneously leaves the runway. If the timing is not right, lower the grip until the timing is correct. Then move the grip up gradually.
2. Check the Take-Off Step. Make sure a straight line can be drawn down from the top hand to the take-off toe when the last step hits the runway. This indicates whether or not the Plant is being done correctly. Don’t move the vaulter’s  check-mark right away. Instead, see if his or her stride pattern is consistent. Many times vaulters take longer, slower steps at the end of their Approach Run. This causes the last step to land inside the proper Take-Off Point. Also, the vaulter may be starting his or her Plant late. This causes the Take-Off Step to be too long. When vaulters take-off outside their Take-Off Point, it may be the result of an erratic Approach Run.
3. Check to see if the vaulter is missing the correct Take-Off Point, because he or she is running faster or slower than usual. A consistent rhythm to the Approach Run is vital.

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