Coaching and Care of Athletes

.• THE POLE VAULT the take-off running fast, but fully relaxed. He should be travelling at his optimum speed go ft. before taking off. As the right foot completes the penultimate stride of the approach run the right arm, remaining partly flexed, carries the pole-shaft up, as the point of the pole drops into, but does not yet touch, the slideway. This all-important movement is made by circling the right elbow up and forward from the shoulder-joint. This brings the right hand to a position above and slightly in front of the forehead. This action is well demonstrated by Boyd Comstock in Plate XXXIV, Fig. 99· As the left foot hits the track lightly, to complete the take-off, the right knee is raised, the pole-point strikes the angle between the floor of the slideway and the stop-board, and the left hand, which has been sliding up the pole, makes contact with the right hand. All these things happen simultaneously as the left foot completes the take-off stride (Plate XXXIV, Fig. 99). Note the arm-flexion and wide separation of the elbows, and that the nose, head, and body (upright) and take-off foot are directly behind the shaft and point of the pole. Having secured a proper take-off in the style described, the athlete can then make use of the pendulum swing, which has been explained in connection with the underhand, three– stride-planting style, or he can adopt a new style, which will be discussed presently. In either case the arms must retain their flexed position during the swing-up of the body towards the cross– bar. Before describing the new style we had better deal with normal variations common to all styles, but governed by the speed, strength, and stature of the vaulter. In the following discussion it will be assumed that we are dealing with a right-handed athlete, who therefore takes off from his left foot. In the first place, the height at which the right (upper) hand can establish its hold, and thus, to some extent, the height the athlete can vault, is governed largely by the strength of his arms an~ shoulder girdle. I do not refer to the height of the crossbar, since that constitutes a transitory factor. Speed and strength are essential to enable the athlete to overcome gravity in bringing his body to a hand-stand position upon the support of a pole which is situated vertically in the slideway at the instant of bar clearance. Tall or fast or really strong vaulters can use an advantageously higher hand-hold than can athletes who are less 325