Well, the last two bulletins have been about approach and takeoff, now it’s time to talk about what to do in the air.
The first stage, in which the head, shoulders and back begin to go over the bar, is quite easy. If you hit the bar with your shoulders, the solution (jump further away from the bar or stop jumping to/in the bar as much) is usually pretty obvious.
The second stage, which begins once your lower back clears the bar, can be tricky. You see, the common conception is that you have to arch your back as much as possible. However, the focus should be on lifting your hips and driving them up to pass the bar. Think about it, if you arch your back, your upper back and butt have to go down to form that arch. This creates a very small pocket for the rod to pass through.
However, if you lift your hips, it creates a long, smooth curve through your entire body that will slide over the bar as you rotate around it, making the culprit of hitting the bar (your butt) all too common.
The last stage is also problematic. I’ve heard dozens of coaches say, “Just kick your legs.” WRONG! I like to say, “Just kiss your knees.” By bringing your knees to your face as quickly as possible, this will eliminate two things in the order that they go over the bar.
First, your thighs go over the bar, so why kick your lower legs? You have to get those thighs out of the way first! The thought of kissing your knees will quickly contract your abs and thighs over the bar. Then let your lower legs kick so you don’t pull on the bar. Flex quads will help here.
So, let’s recap:
1) Let your natural style carry your top half over the bar
2) Lifting the hips is more important than arching the back
3) Try to kiss your knees instead of kicking your legs
Hopefully these tips will help you get the extra edge in getting some new PR. Best of luck!
