Every vaulter has that jump. Same pole, same grip, same run you nailed ten minutes ago, and somehow you’re dropping into the front of the pit instead of the middle. Or a teammate in the stands yells “your bottom arm collapsed!” for the fifth time this season. Or somebody tells you that you just have to get upside down.
Here’s the good news: most pole vault faults have a cause you can find and a fix you can practice. And some of the “faults” people obsess over aren’t the real problem at all. Let’s break down three of the big ones.
Fault #1: Landing Shallow in the Pit
Landing shallow happens to everybody. Landing shallow over and over is a safety problem, and it’s worth fixing right away.
Apex Vaulting coaches start with a simple rule: if your pole and grip were the same as on your last good jump, you can rule them out. Look at the run first. There are two usual suspects:
- Too far out at takeoff: You’re probably overstriding. That slows your run, makes it hard to jump up, and a flat takeoff slows down your pole speed.
- Too far in (under the pole): Your strides get choppy and you need to back up. Taking off under the pole gets you yanked off the ground instead of jumping up, and your pole speed drops again.
Either way, the fix is the same: watch the run and get the step on. You can’t fix technique when the step is off.
When it is the pole or grip
Sometimes the resistance really is too much. If you moved up a grip and started landing shallow, you may not be ready for that grip yet. Go back down, keep working until you’re landing deep consistently, then try the higher grip again.
Same idea with poles. Apex Vaulting recommends moving up only 5 pounds at a time, and only once you’re rolling your current pole well and getting lots of bend. If the new pole is too much, drop back to the smaller one. Their motto sums it up: match your pole and grip to your ability, not the other way around.
| What you see | Likely cause | First fix |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow landing, same pole and grip | Step is off (too far out or too far in) | Fix the run and step |
| Shallow right after a grip change | Too much resistance | Go back down a grip |
| Shallow right after a pole change | Pole too stiff for now | Drop back to the smaller pole |
Fault #2: The “Collapsed Bottom Arm”
This one gets pointed out constantly, mostly because it’s easy to see. Anybody can tell whether your bottom elbow bends at takeoff. Seeing the run, the pole carry, or a passive swing takes a trained eye.
Apex Vaulting makes a great point: the bottom arm matters, but only as much as every other phase of the vault. Run, carry, plant, jump, swing: each phase sets up the next one. If you pour all your attention into one spot, you can wreck the phases before or after it.
And forcing it can backfire. If a vaulter blocks out, locks the elbow and forces the bottom arm straight, it can keep their center of mass from rising, slow down the swing, and make it harder to clear bars above their grip.
Want a quick reality check? Apex offers this rule of thumb: take your grip height and subtract about 8 inches to account for the box. If you’re jumping way below that number, the problem is probably bigger than your elbow. Look at the whole jump.
A note for coaches of young vaulters
A light, young athlete may not be able to bend a pole no matter how hard they try, and that’s okay. Apex describes having young kids straight-pole while learning to run, carry, plant, jump up and swing. As they got stronger and faster, the pole started bending on its own. A collapsed bottom arm is often the last piece to get cleaned up, not the first.
Fault #3: Chasing the Invert Too Early
Getting upside down looks amazing on video. But does it matter? According to Apex Vaulting: maybe. It depends on how fast your jump is.
Once you leave the ground, every jump has three parts: takeoff, swing and turn. The invert happens when a vaulter is fast and strong enough to finish the swing and get their hips above their hands before the pole reaches vertical. That still leaves time to turn and push off before the pole goes past vertical.
A beginner who’s still building strength may not get there. The pole reaches vertical before they can even turn. Forcing an invert on that athlete can actually slow the jump down and produce jumps with no turn at all.
The takeaway: jump speed and pole speed need to match up. The flow of the whole jump matters more than hitting any one position. Don’t force the invert unless you’re getting there early enough to use it.
The Common Thread: Pole Speed
Notice a pattern? All three faults come back to pole speed and takeoff quality. Stavhopp’s takeoff guide, written by Norwegian vaulter Sondre Guttormsen, backs this up with a few takeoff keys:
- Plant your takeoff foot under your center of mass. Too far forward loses energy; too far back doesn’t make enough force.
- Keep your speed through takeoff. Many vaulters slow down right before the plant; focus on accelerating through the last few steps.
- Keep your top arm extended and strong to transfer energy into the pole.
- Jump up, not forward. Think straight up into the pole and let your momentum carry you forward.
For drills, he suggests short-run vaults (3–4 steps) to isolate the takeoff, box jumps off your takeoff foot, and jump-and-reach reps with the top arm.
Apex Vaulting’s advice on grip progression ties it together: let pole speed decide when you move up. If you’re landing deep and the pole isn’t bending much, grip up. If there’s lots of pole speed and a big bend, go up a pole. If you’re not getting enough pole speed, work on technique or get faster before you grip up.
Quick Fault-Fixing Checklist
Before your next practice, run through this:
- Check the step first. Most shallow landings start on the runway.
- Don’t raise grip or pole on a bad day. Go back to what works and earn the next step up.
- Watch the whole jump. Don’t get fixated on the bottom arm.
- Let the invert come naturally. Build swing speed and strength, then worry about getting upside down.
- Film it. Slow-motion video makes run and takeoff problems way easier to see.
Ready for the Right Pole?
Fixing faults is a lot easier when your pole actually fits you. Moving up in small steps means having the right sizes on hand. TetonVault carries UST-ESSX, Gill Pacer and FiberSport poles, so you can find the right length and weight without guessing. Browse our pole selection or check out the full TetonVault shop.
Stuck on a fault that won’t go away? Reach out to Coach Dopp. Send a video and a few details and we’ll help you figure out what’s really going on.
