Four Pole Vault Drills All Track and Field Coaches Should Know

• By Grant Young

Effective pole vault drills are crucial for improving a pole vaulter's ability as they enhance various aspects of the performance, from technique to strength and mental preparedness. 

Pole vaulting drills focus on specific skill sets, allowing athletes to break down their technique into manageable components, such as the approach run, take-off, and clearance over the bar. 

Perhaps most important is how drills help refine the vaulter's technique. Consistent practice allows athletes to develop muscle memory, which is essential in executing complex movements smoothly under pressure. For instance, practicing the pole plant and swing provides the muscle coordination needed to achieve optimal height during jumps. 

Moreover, drills enhance physical conditioning, particularly in areas like explosiveness and strength. Exercises that mimic the vaulting motion can bolster the core and upper body strength required to propel the athlete upward. Targeted workouts can improve grip strength, which is vital for how effectively a vaulter can manage the pole during their ascent. 

And what can’t be discounted is how successful drills build mental confidence. Familiarity with various vaulting scenarios prepares athletes to face competition with composure. They learn to control their adrenaline, maintain focus, and adapt to different heights and pole types—all critical elements in high-pressure situations. 

All of this is to say that effective drills contribute significantly to a pole vaulter’s overall development, addressing technique, physical conditioning, and mental readiness, ultimately leading to greater success in competitions. However, it can be difficult to parse through all the pole vault drills available online. 

This is why we’ve taken your pole vaulting drills from two elite track and field coaches with decades of experience between them, and are sharing them with you today. 

Rick Baggett - High Bar Whip Drill

Rick Baggett is the USATF NW Director of Pole Vault Development. He has coached 87 state high school champions in a 37-year span in both Oregon and Washington. His vaulters have held both the Male  National High School Record (Tommy Skipper 18’3”) and the Female National Indoor Record (Sara Sasaki 12’8”).

Coach Baggett’s ‘Pole Vault Ground Work’ clinic details several drills, one of which is what he calls the high bar whip drill. 

This drill requires a high bar like there would be in gymnastics, or any other sort of horizontal bar that’s high enough for an athlete to hang from without touching the ground. The drill begins with the athlete pulling back with their waist while gripping the pole like they could during the pole vault, get a swing going, and then the left leg will whip up to the high bar. 

Ideally, the right knee is going to be totally under the bar. The important part of this drill is feeling the whipping action of the left leg, which simulates the whip required when the vault is being executed. At the same time, the arms must come in toward the body so that the entire body is closing off, which will maximize the vaulter’s chances of clearing the high bar. 

Rick Baggett - 12 Step Plant Drill

Another one of Coach Baggett’s drills is the 12 step plant walking drill, which requires all the athletes to hold a pole in the air and stand in a line.

The goal is this drill is to get the cadence and timing of the jump correct without tiring the athlete out by executing an actual vaulting rep. The athlete will begin by walking forward with their pole in ready position (simulating the approach phase), and the coach will count their first eight steps in a “one, two, three, four” cadence with every other step.

After those first eight steps, three steps occur in rapid succession before the plant occurs at the fourth step. From there, the takeoff is simulated (although not acted out because the vaulter is still walking). 

Dennis Mitchell - Concept Drill

Dennis Mitchell was the Head Track and Field Coach at the University of Akron, and his 27th season began in the Fall of 2021. He is a 31-time Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year.

In all, he has received the league's top coaching honor 16 times for his men's teams and 15 times for his women's Teams. 

Coach Mitchell’s ‘Breaking Down the Pole Vault’ clinic has what he calls a concept drill, which requires a resistance band that’s wrapped across the athlete’s foot (who is sitting upright on the ground) to the end of the pole, which is behind them. 

This drill requires the athlete to drive back behind them (turn around so that they’re on their stomach), extend the pole, and then finish with their body “hollow” with their toes sticking up.

The elastic makes it so the athlete really has to extend their arms on the drive back, which will simulate the force and power necessary to pull through the vault.

Dennis Mitchell - Pool Vaulting Drill

Coach Mitchell’s pool vaulting drill requires a pool, with the athlete standing in the shallow end and the end of their pole touching one side. From there, the athlete will push off on the pole so that splits their legs around the right arm, extends, turns, and pushes off through.

The goal here is to try to drill in the fundamental concepts and try to get the athlete to follow out their body in a low gravity atmosphere. What’s more, adding unique drills and training environments makes training fun and fresh for the athletes.