Pole Carry

The pole carry is the position of the pole during the run-up, before the plant begins.

It has two objectives. First, to allow a consistent, uninterrupted transition from the carry into the plant. Second, to minimize the turnover forces created when the pole’s center of gravity sits too far in front of the athlete.

In the m640 model, the carry position is standardized to match the initial plant position — the position from which the free drop begins. Carrying the pole in any other position requires the athlete to adjust it during the run-up, which is difficult to do consistently and interrupts the continuous chain.

Elite vaulters today converge on a similar carry position independently, without a formal standard — evidence that this position follows from the physics rather than convention.