If you’ve spent any time around pole vault, you’ve probably heard two coaches argue about “the right way” to do something — the plant, the swing, the grip, take your pick — like their lives depended on it. Here’s a little secret that takes a lot of pressure off: there is no single correct way to pole vault. There’s only the way that works best for you. And once that clicks, the whole event gets a lot more fun and a lot more productive.
The crew over at Team Hoot put it about as bluntly as anyone: “The pole vault is a lot like religion and politics — if you hear an opinion that doesn’t match yours, it’s bull.” They’re only half joking. Vaulting attracts strong opinions. But underneath all the arguing is one simple, freeing idea that we’ll build this whole post around. Let’s dig in.
The One Thing Every Vault Has in Common
Before we talk about differences in style, let’s nail down the one thing that never changes. Team Hoot boils the entire event down to a single sentence: “pole vault is just creating and transferring energy.” That’s it. Every sprint down the runway, every rep in the weight room, every drill you grind through — it all exists to serve that one job. You build up energy with your run, hand it off to the pole, and the pole hands it back to launch you skyward.
Here’s the beautiful part, and it’s the key to this whole article. As Team Hoot points out, “There’s lots of ways to create and transfer energy!” Two vaulters can clear the exact same height using wildly different approaches — because they found different routes to solving the same energy puzzle. Once you understand that, you stop asking “Am I doing it the right way?” and start asking the better question: “Am I creating and transferring energy efficiently for my body?”
Why One-Size-Fits-All Coaching Backfires
Think about shoes for a second. A size 8 that fits your teammate perfectly would be miserable on your feet. Team Hoot uses exactly this analogy for technique — the goal is to “create a shoe (technique) that works best with the vaulter,” not to cram every athlete into the same pre-made model.
Vaulters come in every shape: tall and lanky, short and springy, fast twitch sprinters, grinding strength athletes. Forcing all of them into one identical technique is a recipe for frustration and, honestly, wasted potential. The best coaches don’t hand you a rigid template — they figure out what you bring to the table and build the vault around it. That’s not lowering the bar (pun intended); it’s the smartest path to raising it.
So how do you figure out what you bring? It comes down to two ingredients.
Speed vs. Strength: The Two Ingredients You Bring
Almost every vaulter leans a little more toward one of two things — and knowing which one you are helps you and your coach shape the right style.
Speed. Runway speed is rocket fuel. Karlie Place, a former NCAA Division I vaulter, is direct about it: the fastest runway speed directly correlates to vault height. More controlled speed at takeoff means more energy to pour into the pole. If you’re a natural sprinter, that’s a massive asset — your style will likely revolve around carrying that speed all the way to the box and taking off big.
Strength. The other side of the coin. Karlie highlights core strength as the piece that lets you invert — that upside-down, hips-over-head position you need to clear the bar — and gives you control of your body in the air. Vaulters who are strong and powerful but maybe not the fastest can build a style that leans on that power to muscle through the swing and turn.
Most of us are some blend of the two. Here’s a rough way to think about it:
| If your strength is… | Your style tends to lean on… | What to prioritize |
|---|---|---|
| Raw speed | Carrying velocity into a big, aggressive takeoff | Sprint mechanics, approach consistency |
| Power & strength | Driving the swing and inversion | Core work, upper-body strength, takeoff punch |
| A balance of both | A smooth, well-timed transfer | Dialing in rhythm and pole fit |
None of these is “better.” They’re just different shoes for different feet.
Building Your Personal Style (Without Reinventing the Wheel)
“Find your own style” doesn’t mean “make it up as you go.” The fundamentals still matter — you just apply them in the proportions that fit you. A few starting points, all pulled from coaches who’ve done it:
- Master your sprint form first. Karlie recommends studying proper running form — even reviewing your run on video — and practicing your approach without a pole before layering it into full jumps. Speed you can’t control is just chaos.
- Build the strength that unlocks inversion. Offseason lifting and dedicated core work aren’t optional garnish; they’re what let your chosen style actually function when you’re upside down over a bar.
- Use drills to isolate your weak link. If your takeoff is the leak in your energy system, a drill like the Partner Plant Drill — where a coach supports you as you punch your top hand up hard at takeoff — grooves that explosive upward motion. Karlie credits that single drill with taking her from 11’6” to 13’2” in a year.
- Let a coach be your mirror. You can’t see your own vault. A good coach spots which ingredient — speed or strength — you should be leaning into, and tailors the cues to you.
Your Pole Is Part of the Equation Too
Here’s something a lot of vaulters miss: your pole should match your style, not fight it. Different poles bend and return energy differently, which is exactly why TetonVault carries three trusted brands side by side — UST-ESSX, Gill Pacer, and FiberSport — so you can find the right fit instead of settling.
A few examples straight from the specs: the Gill Pacer One is designed to “slow down” the bend, giving developing vaulters more time to rotate into position — great for athletes still grooving their style. The UST-ESSX Recoil is built to be easy to roll with a powerful, perfectly timed return. And FiberSport’s carbon line uses “Easy Bend” technology for a natural, forgiving bend that helps you develop technique. Three brands, three feels — the point is that the right pole supports the style you’re building, and a rushed or mismatched pole can quietly sabotage it.
Not sure which fits how you vault? That’s literally what we’re here for.
Go Find Your Shoe
The takeaway is simple and freeing: stop chasing some mythical “perfect” technique and start building the vault that fits your speed, your strength, and your body. Every great vaulter you admire found their own way to create and transfer energy — and so can you.
Ready to match your style to the right equipment? Browse our full lineup of UST-ESSX, Gill Pacer, and FiberSport poles, or reach out to Coach Dopp directly — as a former collegiate decathlete and vaulter, he’ll help you find the pole and the plan that fit the vaulter you actually are. Let’s go get after some bigger bars.
