The switch vault is a very basic technique, but also very useful, so a good movement to learn as soon as you can. It requires very little speed (or even effort-hence the name ‘lazy vault’) to do, and forms a diagonal vault across a rail/wall, where you switch hands as you go.
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| Click the photo (above) to download a video of this technique.
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This first picture shows me jogging at a slow pace, diagonally towards the rail. You should start slow with this technique, and build up to going faster after you have really got the hang of it. If you are unconfident, find a low rail on a patch of grass to learn on.
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I am now about to make contact with the hand that is nearest the rail. As you make grab the rail you want to kick the leg that is nearest the rail, upwards so that you have the momentum that is needed to get over the rail comfortably. The foot that is farthest from the rail should leave the ground last. |
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Here I am kicking up with my left leg (nearest the rail), and my right leg which has just left the ground is following. My right arm is locked and straight, while I am starting to lean across the rail and backwards slightly. You don’t need to worry about your other arm yet. |
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Keeping you arm locked, you want to continue leaning over the rail and start to bring your knees up to a comfortable level above the rail (slightly tucked). My right arm is beginning to go down towards the rail to keep my body upright when I am letting go of the rail.
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My legs are at a comfortable level, and now that my whole body weight is over the rail, I can begin to lean back. My right arm has almost connected with the rail, and will keep my body stable, and my movement controlled as I finish off the technique. |
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I have grabbed the rail with my right hand successfully, and while my left will stay connected for a second, my legs begin to come over the rail more, and descend back to the ground. The switch is what some people find to be the scary part of the technique. Don’t be tempted to look at you other hand as it meets the rail. Simply trust your co-ordination and the chance of you bailing will be very slim.
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As you land, you will let go of the rail automatically. In this case, as the rail is quite low, I am landing split footed so I can continue running without pausing. You may find it better to land with both feet and absorb the impact with a roll if doing from some height though. |
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Now give yourself a pat on the back, you have just done a switch vault. Or, in my case, simply stand in this awkward position and look fairly retarded.
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Variations
There aren’t a huge amount of useful variations for this, other than the ‘switch turn vault’. Go into the vault as you would for a normal switch, but as you get half way over the rail, spin your body weight back in the direction you came from, and land in a turn vault position.
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