Pole Vaulters Movement Analysis

Imagine sprinting for 40 meters while holding a pole up to three times your height. At the end of the runway you propel yourself up as high as you can to fly over a bar. The four stages include prep and stance, acceleration, pole plant, and clearance and landing. The pole vaulters stance is the set up in preparation to begin accelerating towards the platform. The 40 meter dash while holding the large pole is a phase known as approach. The stance swing occurs during the pole plant which then leads to the jump and follow through. The jump follow through occurs when the pole vaulter lances themselves straight up in order to clear the bar. During the entire event the pole vaulters body is enticed in play by play action where every muscle takes …show more content…
The pole plant requires the foot and ankle of the right side to plantar flex in order to lift off the ground while pole plant is initiated. The Peroneus Brevis is used briefly and the Tibialis Posterior is used as well on the left foot and ankle. The Biceps Femoris and Vastus Intermedius assist the left and right legs for flexion of the knee, extension of the hip, and extension of the knee as the vaulter sets their stance to pole plant. The left and right wrists are extended by the Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus and the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis. The Pronator Teres in the left elbow has weak flexion and pronation of the forearm. The Anconeus in the right elbow allows the extension of the elbow. The Infraspinatus and the Pectoralis Major work on bilateral sides of the body on the shoulder joints for horizontal abduction and internal rotation while putting all force into the pole to push off into the air. The Serratus anterior on the left shoulder girdle draws the scapula upward slightly, then it draws the medial border of the right scapula away from the vertebrae as the vaulter lifts themselves up. The pole plant is essential as well because without a properly executed pole plant a vaulter can fail at clearing the bar and even injure …show more content…
The Exercise and Sport Science field has interest in how an athlete can complete their sport the most efficiently. The kinetic chain movement would be a prime example of the studies done in this field. According to Linthorne and Weetman (2012), without the follow through of each muscle, tissue, and bone movement another area of the body can be hurt. Identifying the muscles used during Pole Vaulting, individuals in the Exercise and Science field can determine what form of training and practice an athlete needs. In this case the athlete has a 40 meter dash right before the pole plant which leads us to conclude he needs speed and agility training and practice in order to complete the run with enough force. Linthorne and Weetman (2012) also pointed out the amount of power required in order to complete the pole vaulting event. If this field did not conduct studies to show the differences in all the sports, coaches and trainers would have difficulty teaching their particular sport. As a group we learned Pole vaulting has different movements, transitions, and phases which are tied together to finish this taunting task. The Exercise and Sport Science field is very important because it helps athletes maximize their abilities through training and