Pole Vault

Pole-vaulting is an athletic event or sport where the person uses a long flexible pole to help jump or leap over a bar. The pole is made of either fiberglass or carbon fiber. The ancient Greeks used pole vault as a competitive sport many years ago.

Pole vault is similar to high jump in that you get three tries at each height. If you miss all three at one height, you are done. The person that is still left at the highest height wins the competition. There are different factors that affect how you perform with pole vaulting such as speed, skill, technique, wind etc. One good pole vault technique is to make sure you pick a pole that matches your ability with the right stiffness and length for your size and ability.

Anyone interested in reading other people's pole vault adventures and stories, can check out the Pole Vault World homepage. It shows different pole vault drills, as well as a pole vault video of the top 100 women and men's pole vaults. It may even show you an example of a pole vault gone wrong. In addition to the pole vault drills, a video or two of different pole vault competitions is there to view. It is a very interesting and informative site for anyone with interest in learning how to pole vault.

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The first pole vaulting poles were made of bamboo. As the people got better at the sport, they changed them to tubular steel poles tapered at each end. Today, the pole vaulter has the advantage of using pole vault poles made of fiberglass, as it gives them more bend to get a better take-off. Many people new to the game wonder how are pole vault poles made. They take poles and wrap sheets of fiberglass around a pole mandrell, to make a slightly pre-bent pole that will bend easier when the athlete takes off. The use of other fiberglass types is to give the poles certain qualities that make it easier to jump higher. When pole vault first started, the athletes had to land on sawdust or sand instead of the mats they now use. The pole vault crossbar, which was once made of aluminum, is now a round fiberglass bar with rubber ends.

Often if an athlete wants to learn how to become a better pole-vaulter to be able to compete, they go to a pole vault camp. They have professionals coaching the pole vault. This is a great way to be with others that pole vault as well as improve your game.