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Pole Vault, Start Here

go from zero to vaulting

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Smart Progression

A proven step-by-step approach to learn and teach the pole vault – so you can progress safely with solid technique.

all-in-one system

Everything you need to learn proper vaulting technique. From essential mechanics and progressive drills to deep insight from one of the country’s top vaulting coaches.

rapid learning design

Experience a smarter way to learn. Lessons designed to rapidly convert your knowledge into increased performance. Learn more

cover of pole vault start here course

pole vault, start here

A complete guide for coaches and athletes to go from zero to vaulting.

Coach Kevin Brown reveals his proven approach to guiding athletes that have never held a pole to safely taking vaults and clearing bars. You’ll learn the principles and mechanics that make up the foundation of elite vaulting. The technical elements and skills taught in the course are the same ones used by world class vaulters and propelled Coach Brown to two Olympic trials and an 18’- 6’ personal best. If an athlete’s technical foundation is strong, the higher bars will naturally come with greater speed and higher grips.

Of all the events in track and field, the pole vault takes the crown for the most intimidating.The prerequisites commonly thrown around for an athlete to become a vaulter can seem daunting. They need the speed of a sprinter, the upper body strength of a thrower, the jumping ability and coordination of a high jumper and tremendous amounts of courage. And that’s before you get into the technical elements of the vault.

While there is some truth to the physical and mental aspects of the sport, it’s actually not as difficult as it appears. By utilizing a proven progression of skill development, an athlete can learn the critical elements of the vault step by step at their own pace. The system that coach Brown has developed ensures an optimal progression to vaulting that is safe and highly effective. Each phase of the vault is broken down in easy to understand detail with specific drills that reinforce the technique. You’ll learn the key technical elements that an athlete must demonstrate prior to moving on to the next phase.

Whether you are new to pole vaulting or have a few years of experience and are looking for an optimal progression to learning and teaching the vault – this course will provide you with the technique and drills that are at the core of great pole vaulting technique.

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Course Content

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Genres: Track and Field, Pole Vault

Duration: 1 hour 33 minutes

Lessons: 19

Coach Kevin Brown Hurdles and Pole Vault Instructor headshot

Kevin Brown

Instructor

The track and field wisdom Kevin Brown carries is built from a lifetime of experience in the sport. A pole vault All-American, Olympic trials qualifier and Atlantic Coast Conference scorer in five different events, his knowledge is rooted in direct training, struggle and performance.

After concluding his own athletic pursuits as the most decorated vaulter in school history at the University of North Carolina, Brown began his coaching career in 1995 at his alma mater. Through his personal athletic training and working with literally thousands of athletes in his career, he has developed a coaching system that has resulted in numerous SEC Championships, All-American honors, NCAA champions and record holders. Brown is currently an Assistant Track and Field Coach at the University of South Carolina where he coaches pole vault, relays, sprints and hurdles.

Learn more about coach Brown
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Course Details

Technique

Fix bad habits or prevent them from ever developing in the first place.

Everything in the pole vault is built upon proper technique. From mastering plant mechanics to refining and maximizing the approach and drop. A vaulter’s full potential is only achieved once all of these areas are dialed-in. Once the fundamental technique is established, higher vaults are reached by adding a greater stimulus (i.e. longer approach and/or higher grip). The fundamentals that are taught in this course don’t change.

That’s why we start from the beginning and cover every key element of the vault. The SMART progression of this course provides a straightforward path to learning and dialing-in optimal technique. Each lesson provides actionable technique and strategies so you’ll start seeing improvements from day 1 and continue to build towards greater heights.

Topics that are covered include grip and developing a proper pole drop, upper body mechanics, plant mechanics progression and drills, coordination, posture and speed development, developing spatial awareness, progression of grip height and approach, moving the pole to vertical, takeoff drills and much more.

Drills

Convert information into execution with cutting edge drills.

The pole vault is about technique. But it’s also about power, speed and athleticism. Every drill included works together as a progressive system that can be customized for the individual athlete. You’ll learn foundational drills to build and reinforce technique through every phase of the vault as well as drills to master the mechanics and safely progress to higher bars. You’ll also gain an understanding of when and why to use them.

Deep Insight

Learn the lessons of a lifetime from a coach who has been where you are.

Go deeper into the technique and develop a true understanding of how it all fits together. Coach Brown provides deep insight on pole vault technique and the methodology taught throughout the course. He also covers often overlooked training topics such as when to move up on the grip, dialing-in the approach, developing spatial awareness and more. 

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Pole Vault, Start Here

Lesson Plan

01

Course Introduction

Coach Brown shares what a great vault feels like and the sensations he experienced as a vaulter. He also dispels some of the myths about pole vaulting and breaks down the mechanics into their simplest form.

02

Introduction to Pole Vault Mechanics

Coach Brown goes over the premise of the pole vault and covers overarching principles that are at the core of successful vaulting.
Technical elements include: Establishing a proper grip, dropping the pole and introduction to proper hand movement.

03

The 3 Phases of the Plant

Plant mechanics are at the core of pole-vaulting technique. The technical elements of the plant are the same whether you are a beginner or a world-class vaulter. This chapter covers each of the 3 phases of the plant and drills to begin developing proper technique.

04

Plant Mechanics of the Pole Vault Overview

Plant mechanics occur in the last three steps of the approach. The first step is curling your hand up to your ear to put you in an open position. Then you press your hands up to move the pole to the vertical position and then you jump off the ground. In this chapter Coach Brown reiterates plant and swing initiation mechanics.

05

Determining the Correct Take Off Leg

Coach Brown has seen many vaulters take off from the wrong leg. Learn how to determine which leg a vaulter should take off from and why using the incorrect leg can cause several technical issues in the vault.

06

Plant Mechanics Progression- Field Drills

Now that we’ve gone through the three-step plant mechanics – curl, press and jump, we’ll progress that into running and jumping. As always, the most important focus is moving the top end of the pole to the vertical position. Coach Brown shares some helpful drills to begin this progression.

07

Pole Vaulting is Jumping - Coaching Insight

In order to effectively coach the pole vault you need to understand what’s occurring throughout the vault. In this lesson Coach Brown discusses the similarities of coaching the pole vault and coaching the long jump.

08

Pole Vault Sand Pit Drills

In the second phase of progressing plant mechanics, we’ll move to the long jump pit. The premise is always the same – to move the top end of the pole to vertical. In this chapter, Coach Brown shares drills that work anticipation of take off, jumping off the ground and pole movement.

09

Progressing Safely

The pole vault can be dangerous if the athlete progresses before they are ready. A common error is moving the grip height up before a vaulter is prepared – this creates safety issues. Moving the pole to the vertical position and moving into the pit safely are required before progressing to a higher grip or longer approach. Coach Brown shares his philosophy on this and how to safely get vaulters to a longer approach and higher grip.

10

Taking Vaults

And now the fun part! This chapter covers the next progression in learning the vault, which is actually taking vaults. Building on the drills, progression and technique from the previous chapters, in this lesson, you’ll learn how to apply what you’ve learned to start vaulting into the pit.

11

Dialing in the Takeoff

Now that you’ve learned how to progress to taking vaults, Coach Brown teaches you how to dial-in your approach so your takeoff is in the right position on the runway. As the grip is raised, you move back on the runway. In this chapter, you’ll learn the right way to adjust as you progress and the technique to look for as you do so.

12

Swinging on the Pole

All the previous drills and progressions have led to the top end of the pole moving to the vertical position, getting in the right position and the right step for the take off. Now you’re ready to initiate the swing. Coach Brown covers how to begin this phase, queues to use to ensure correct technique and common errors in the swing phase.

13

The Drop Step

The drop step, when the pole begins to drop down in the approach, may be different based on each vaulter. This is determined based on grip height, length of the pole, stride length and speed of the vaulter. Coach Brown shares how this is determined and provides examples of drop step number for vaulters he has worked with.

14

The Approach - Coaching Insight

In this chapter, Coach Brown goes into further detail on approach technique. The tip of the pole should start high and stay high until you reach the drop point. He reiterates how this drop point is determined and how to ensure you have a consistent approach even in competition, where you may run harder or faster.

15

The Approach and Drop - Demonstration and Drills

After plant mechanics, takeoff and swing have been developed you’ll progress to raising the grip and begin to focus on dropping the pole at the right moment. In this chapter, Coach Brown explains how to identify the step at which the pole should drop.

16

Coordination, Posture and Speed Development

Coordination and posture are vital to a successful vault. In order to execute the fundamentals of pole vault, you must understand the correct movement and coordination of your arms and legs as you run your approach. Timing and position of your arms and legs as well as an upright, tall posture lead to more effective vaulting. In this chapter, Coach Brown discusses the important elements of coordination and posture, drills to achieve correct technique and common errors to watch for. He also shares wisdom on maximum controllable speed and how to achieve this.

17

Mental Cues and Elements of Technique

The pole vault requires constant movement and work throughout the vault – you can’t just plant the pole and ride it over the bar. In this chapter, Coach Brown shares some the most helpful queues he uses throughout the vault to help focus on the technique of each phase. These queues should be adapted to fit how each athlete understands the concepts of vaulting. Communicating and teaching the mechanics in the way that connects with an athlete determines the usefulness of the queue.
Additionally, Coach Brown discusses the universal versus the individual elements of technique.

18

What Determines a Vaulters Height

Coach Brown discusses pole-vaulting studies that examine the determining factors that influence height. Other topics in this chapter include the importance of developing spatial awareness and drills he uses to help vaulters get comfortable being upside down.

19

Advice for Beginning Vaulters

Coach Brown shares the advice he would give himself if he could travel back in time and speak to his high school self.
He also gives general advice for beginning vaulters and what makes the pole-vaulting community so unique.

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