I think every coach's and athlete's goal is to set a new PR, and one way we all know to do that is by gripping up. It seems so simple, grip higher and you will jump higher, but is that always the case? There are times when you might find out that your grip has gone up 6" to 12" and yet, you haven't pr'd yet. In these moments we tell ourselves that the grip alone is an indicator that we are getting better, and anytime now we will have that PR we are looking for. What does it mean if that PR never comes? The great Vitaly Petrov, coach of Sergey Bubka, Yelena Isinbayeva, and Thiago Braz DaSilva, said that for every 1/2" your grip goes up, your PR should go up an inch. He figures that with ever
Everyone knows that if you grip higher, you can jump higher, but how do you know if you should grip up? Often coaches and athletes will try to raise grip, regardless of pole speed which can lead to athletes getting stood up, veering to the left or right and possibly hit a standard, and or get rejected. This can eventually lead to an athlete that now has developed fear of taking off due to some sketchy jumps. That’s when the run throughs begin. So how can this be avoided? Coaches must watch pole speed and have this be the guide for when to grip an athlete up. If an athlete is landing deep into the pit and the pole isn’t bending a lot, grip up! If there’s lots of pole speed and a big bend, go
After watching the world championships this past week, it makes me wonder, where’s all the analysis? Why aren’t their people breaking down the meet, the good, the bad, the ugly? Every other sport has great analysis. It’s because our sport has a problem with honesty. Pole Vault, like the rest of track, wants to paint a picture of a friendly nice sport, where everyone is kind and caring. Everyone hugs each other after every event and no one can be criticized. And then there’s that topic you are never suppose to talk about, PED’s. Did everyone forget that track is a competitive sport and no one is perfect. Our sport is filled with come from behind wins like Isinbayeva’s first Olympic gold and
