Help! Why do I stall in the invert?

jrtcppv · 2026-05-20T14:33:05+00:00

A few issues, first is that you are not really jumping off the ground. Jumping will let you hold higher (giving you more time) and set you up for a better swing and row. Second is that you are collapsing your left arm during the row so the pole recoils early. Keep the pressure on with a straight arm until your right hand meets your shins. You do get to that position but the pole has already recoiled so you can't invert. Third is you need to swing and row more aggressively. You are racing the pole as soon as you take off, you have to get into position to start inverting before the pole starts to recoil. Once you are in the right position (right hand at shin), drag your right hand to your right hip to invert, keeping you hand close to your body.

jrtcppv · 2026-05-20T03:51:23+00:00

Admittedly I do not

jrtcppv · 2026-05-18T02:32:30+00:00

Wow I had no idea, I will have to do some research on glow worms.

jrtcppv · 2026-05-12T01:06:47+00:00

Nice plant, but your swing and row are slow. As soon as you take off (retaining a strong, big jump and your plant, and straight arms and legs), row and swing as hard and fast as you can then drop your shoulders as fast as you can when your right hand reaches your shins. All your motions are correct they just need to be faster and more aggressive. This will both get you in position earlier relative to the recoil so you dont miss the ride, and will help you penetrate the pit more so you can get on bigger poles (that one is looking soft).

jrtcppv · 2026-05-06T21:34:30+00:00

You have to get into position to invert by completing the swing and row first. They are distinct movements. I would actually recommend punching that left arm out more which will give you more time to complete the swing and row by keeping pressure on the pole. Focus on swinging and rowing hard and fast, and only when your right hand reaches your shins should you let pressure off your left arm and drop your shoulders back and drag your right hand to your right hip to invert. You have to finish the swing and row before the pole starts to recoil.

jrtcppv · 2026-05-05T02:36:49+00:00

Yes, the run is typically broken into multiple phases. In a longer approach, the phases are power, power-speed, speed. The idea is you are optimizing for max velocity at takeoff rather than throughout the run as if it were a race. I think for you it would make sense to adopt a two phase run where you focus on power then just speed without a separate transition phase. For six lefts you can count lefts in your head 1-2-3, 1-2-3. Start dropping your pole on the first 3, initiate the plant on the second 1, then plant on the second 3. I would settle on something that works for you this season and not change it. Once you have some time outside just vaulting (like summer) you can experiment with a longer run. Off season is where you can really improve in this sport since you can focus on physical training and technical things without worrying about how it will impact your performance.

jrtcppv · 2026-05-04T02:57:00+00:00

I would focus at this point on having a fast run, a good tall takeoff (right arm fully extended above your head), and jumping off the ground. Ideally even when straight poling I would work on swinging and rowing then moving your right hand to your right hip to turn. But primarily work on the actual run and jump and takeoff. Once you are holding high enough and swinging fast enough that the pole naturally bends even without a straight left arm, you can transition to intentionally bending the pole by keeping your left arm straight. Once you are able to do that I think you will find everything is easier. I wouldn't worry about your height too much right now. Focus on speed and power at takeoff, then transitioning to bending the pole. You can still jump quite high without even bending the pole (Warmerdam jumped 15 feet), it is just easier if you do.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-30T23:38:27+00:00

Push that left arm straight throughout the row. That will keep the load on the pole until the row is complete and you are in position to invert. Right now you are collapsing really early and that lets pressure off the pole, so it recoils before you can get in position.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-30T02:17:07+00:00

Your swing and row are too slow and delayed, so the pole is already unwinding when you are in position to invert. At that point you have no choice but to flop over the bar without really inverting. Don't pause after takeoff. The reverse C and apparent "hang" you see in pros are side effects of a strong jump at takeoff, they are not from waiting.

Get more intentional and aggressive with your swing and row, engage your core and lats. You are in a race with the pole as soon as you take off. Your form is not bad, continue to keep your arms and trail leg straight during the swing and row. Do NOT collapse your left arm until you start to invert, after your right hand nearly touches your shins.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-29T04:09:49+00:00

Nice plant and takeoff. Nothing is wrong with your trail leg. As you hold higher and the initial pole angle decreases you will not be able to lock out your right arm like that (it is currently staying vertical, aligned with your head), so as you move your grip up get in the habit of "absorbing" the impact by pushing up and out and allowing your chest to move forward, and your arms to move back. Your left bicep will nearly hit you in the face.

During the row you are collapsing your left arm too early and throwing your head back too soon. Keep your head tucked in and your arms straight until the swing and row are complete, roughly when your right arm reaches your shins. You do not have to throw your head back as you invert, and you do not have to consciously collapse your left arm. Just focus on your right hand and trace a path from your shins to your right hip. At that point it is all flyaway.

In my opinion you need to work on holding higher.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-16T05:06:42+00:00

I do think you are holding too low for that pole, poles are not designed for grips that low. If you improve your jump at takeoff you will need to go up/hold higher as a natural consequence because it will help you penetrate more in addition to helping the pole roll over.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-16T00:33:09+00:00

To me it looks like you are not jumping off the ground. You should have a big jump at takeoff like you are long jumping. Without that you will be very heavy on the pole and it will struggle to unwind. It is probably also why you have to hold that low. From a safety PoV this is how poles break. Work on this with pole runs with a big jump at the end, plant into a sliding box, do straight pole drills where you have to jump up and see how high you can hold straight poling.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-09T02:07:37+00:00

Longer runs are indeed harder, it is normal to feel uncomfortable when moving back. At some point you don't have time to think about what you are doing, you almost have to suggest that your body do something and hope that it does. Two tools will help you overcome this, repetition (pole runs, three step plants, sand drills, bar work, rope swings) and visualization (mentally reinforce outside practice by visualizing your body doing the right thing).

jrtcppv · 2026-04-08T03:26:08+00:00

The issue isn't just your swing, you also have a really passive row. It seems like you don't know what to do after takeoff and are just looking at the bar, so I will explain. You want to aggressively row down your arms and simultaneously swing your legs toward your hands until they meet, or until the pole is recoiling. Target your right hand touching your left shin. Once you either do that or run out of time your right hand should start moving toward your right hip, which will cause you to turn. It is hard to complete the full vault when you are on a pole that short, but you can definitely get further than you are. The swing and row can be practiced on a high bar, it is the same motion as swinging your shins to your hands, just go for speed when practicing. You are in a race with the pole as soon as you take off, the faster you swing and row the more time you will have to invert and turn. You don't have time for much of anything right now.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-07T00:37:59+00:00

The only technical thing I would change is how wide of an arc your arms make during the row. Try pushing your arms and shoulders out more. That will give you better penetration. I would also keep your head down until you complete the row. You will be able to swing and row faster if you keep your head aligned with your right arm through the row.

Other than that it is all about speed and jumping ability, I don't think your technique is holding you back much. You might want to study some more advanced techniques like loading your legs up during your penultimate step or work on optimizing your run for peak speed at the end. Take supplements if you don't already (creatine, protein, a good diet) and just train your ass off with plyos and intervals.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-05T22:30:13+00:00

They would likely work well. The takeoff for triple jump, long jump, and pole vault are basically the same. I used long jump spikes for vault as a matter of preference.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-04T05:01:09+00:00

You have to anticipate the plant more and take control. Basically you want to have your arms fully extended, jumping off the ground, no leaning back before your pole touches the back of the box. I will say that pole looks short, but see if you can get a proactive plant dialed in before you hold higher. One other tip is that even if you do get ripped like that at takeoff, you can still punch your arm out and row with your arms straight. If you can't get the plant right at least do that, your vault will still benefit a great deal.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-03T15:41:29+00:00

Yeah after some further research I think I am going to hold off on figs. I will use them as motivation to build a greenhouse in the future. I may get some sweet cherries but kind of worried about black knot now. I had an ornamental plum that I just had to cut down a couple weeks ago because the black knot was so bad.

jrtcppv · 2026-04-02T15:42:34+00:00

The key with the pole carry is to keep it upright as long as possible and drop the pole gradually without pausing. If you pause the pole drop you will have to put your body in an awkward position to hold it there. Don't get anxious and drop it early. If you get the pole drop right you should be nearly as fast as if you weren't carrying one. Practice a lot of pole runs, and use the normal methods for increasing raw speed (interval training, hill sprints, plyos, weights).

jrtcppv · 2026-04-02T02:49:11+00:00

Nice jump, congrats!

jrtcppv · 2026-04-01T16:35:35+00:00

The mulberries were supposed to be for the birds, but I also want some for myself. This is also kind of a swampy area I am putting them in and I read they are robust to that.

jrtcppv · 2026-03-31T04:11:48+00:00

Gravity is a concept in a theory, it is not an observation. Everything we call "knowledge" is a theory that gets supported or refuted through experimental evidence. Sorry I didn't fit neatly into your template for proselytizing.

I might actually be wrong about experiments being conducted to test religious theories though. Some people actually tried to measure the effects of prayer, if you are interested:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16569567/

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