Pole Vaulter and Coach Jerry Hock Writing a Book.

                                             Coming Soon!
As many of you already know, Jerry has retired from pole vaulting and coaching after over 40 years. 
Aside from advocating safer pole vaulting, I have one more goal in this field of track and field:  to complete my comprehensive book on pole vaulting. 

Anticipated publication of my pole vaulting book is Spring 2015.  In planning my comprehensive pole vaulting book, I am compiling my 40-years-worth of pole vault data - including training notes and original illustrations.  I hope to create a book for all pole vaulters - which can be accessed through Kindle and Nook, but also be available in paperback. 

I feel I have a unique perspective on pole vaulting, as I have participated as an athlete, coach, official, illustrator, writer, and inventor.  As an athlete, I was a college All-American. I coached over 20 state pole vaulting champions. I coached Florida's first and only high-school 17-foot-vaulter - Mike Holloway, who went on to the World Championships in 1993, with a best of 19'1". During the 1980s and early 1990s, I had a professional relationship and friendship with Dr. Dick Ganslen, the author of the Mechanics of the Pole Vault books. I illustrated Dr. Ganslen's poster and contributed illustrations and advice for his final book. My association with Ganslen, plus my elite coaching experiences during this time when the world record was being set and the modern techniques were being tested, lend me a special perspective on the key elements of the pole vault. 

My experience has given me insight to the key elements necessary to improving pole vault technique.  Look for my book to give you encouragement and clearly-explained steps to help you accomplish your pole vault goals.

Watch for news of my pole vault book release on this blog.      

Dr. R. V. Ganslen: Mechanics of the Pole Vault.

Dr. Richard (Dick) Ganslen's book - Mechanics of the Pole Vault, ninth and last edition - was released in 1980.  Known as "the bible of the sport" - pole vaulting - Mechanics of the Pole Vault books in the series were analytical studies from the perspective of an accredited Doctor of Physics.

In 1979, I collaborated with Ganslen on this ninth edition of Mechanics of the Pole Vault, mailing pole vault illustrations and ideas which Ganslen incorporated in original form as well as reworked art.

As a result of the USA Olympic boycott of 1980, Ganslen sought another commercial venture to publicize the book - this time in the form of a poster, which was sponsored by Cata-Pole pole vault manufacturers.  The Ganslen/Cata-Pole venture was a great idea because every pole sold - in the entire world - came packaged with this poster, which I illustrated!

After communication with Sergei Bubka and Bubka's coach Vitaly Petrov, Dr. Ganslen's final contribution to pole vaulting was a second, more renowned poster featuring my illustration.  That sequence I drew is described as the most accurate and detailed pole vault sequence illustration to this day... because Ganslen and Petrov exchanged the most up-to-date technical information and photos. 

5 of 9 editions of Ganslen's renowned Mechanics of the Pole Vault books.

My suggestions and drawings led to this center-of-gravity page in Ganslen's Mechanics of the Pole Vault.

 

Pole Vault Illustrated Overview and Update.

Be sure to check the Pole Vault Illustrated Archives at right:  There are 58 posts to-date, beginning January 1, 2009.  One disadvantage of blogs is the viewing-display of posts.  Entering a blog, you see the newest post and some recent ones, but to really get a good blog overview -  you should really select some of the older and first posts (which are archived in the older posts).  You can access the older posts by selecting the years and months within the archives, or by scrolling to the bottom of the page and selecting "older posts".

If you've been following Pole Vault Illustrated, check the archives - as I have recently added more photos and captions to older posts.

Leave comments if you read a post that prompts any pole vaulting questions or discussion.  I really enjoy discussing pole vaulting technique, safety advances, and theories.

I am currently amassing my many illustrations and coaching notes to adapt to book form and it should be available in the not-too-distant future.

Here are links to two of my older posts (... you might find them helpful in improving your pole vault technique).  The True Secret of Effective Modern Pole Vaulting and The Swing is A Key Element in Pole Vaulting.