The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

88 ATHLETIC SPORTS OF SCOTLAND. POLE-VAULTING.— Pole-vaulting is comparatively a recent introduction at Scottish sports. It is one of the mostshowy of athletic feats, and isnot so dangerous as it looks. The greatest source of danger is in using a weak pole. Too much carc cannot be exercised in getting a pole certain to bear the strain put upon it. The best wood is straight grown pine without knots or cross graining, which, although it needs tobe pretty thick, is light andeasily managed. The pole shouldbe thickest at about from 3 to 6 feet from the ground, tapering slightly to both ends. The bottom end shouldhave a sharp edge or point, to prevent slipping on hard dry ground. The general idea amongst spectators is that pole-vaulting is a very severe strain on vaulters, from the height they have to fall. In reality, the strain is greatest on the armsand shoulders in rising, the shock in alighting at the long leap being much more severe than is experienced in vaulting. There are two recognised styles, so different aspractically to be different things. The original style, and the onlystyle which is really pole-vaulting, is that in which the athlete grasps the pole at from alittle under to a little over a foot above theheight to be clearedwith his upper hand, the lower hand being from two to three feetlower down. The pole is generally grasped with the fingers of both hands turned upwards, but some turn the fingers of the lowerhand downwards. Having seized the pole the leaper t k s a run, gradually increasin his speed until near the uprights,when he plants his pole from two or three inches to fully a foot from where a line drawn between the uprights would be. The impetus of the run and his grasp on the pole now throw him upwards, and as he nears the cross-bar he raises himself onhis arms and throws himself feet first over thebar, letting go his hold of the pole,just before, or at the momentit is perpendicular, and throwing it backwards as it must fall clear of the cross-bar. From the momenthe takes hold ofthe pole as he commences his run till he lets it go as he crosses thebar the pole-vaulter never shifts his hands, orat the most shiftsonly the lower hand up to near the upper hand. I n