Training device for pole vaulters

The combination, with a vaulting pole, of a universal, quickly-adjustable device for training vaulters in sound vaulting techniques and in particular for properly locating the vaulter's hands upon said pole, said device comprising:

• a. a pair of opposite but identical, annular collars having center openings adapted for snugly, slidably mounting said collars upon a vaulting pole for adjustment longitudinally of the pole independently of each other to selected positions to which said collars are spaced apart along the length of the pole in an area of the pole to be grasped by a user;
• b. resilient, circular pads secured to and covering said collars, exteriorly of the space between the collars, each pad and its associated collar cooperating to provide an abutment adapted to be engaged by the hand of a vaulter grasping the pole at a location beyond the space between the collars;
• c. means on each collar for separably but fixedly attaching the same to the pole in the selected position to which the collar is adjusted along the length of the pole;
• d. members on the respective collars extending longitudinally of the pole in the space between the collars, said members being slidably, telescopically engaged with each other, in an overlapped relationship in said space between the collars, said members being formed to prevent grasping of the pole by a vaulter at any location along the length of the pole occurring in the space between the collars;
• and
• e. calibrations on at least one of said members adapted to be registered with an extremity of another member, adapted to provide information for a user as to the total distance between the hands of a vaulter grasping a pole in contact with the pad of the respective collars.