Shawn Barber - Becoming an Elite Vaulter

Published by Adam Schneider/RunnerSpace.com/college on August 23, 2015

Shawn Barber comes into the world championships with 22 meets over 19 feet this year (including indoors). His dad George (17-10 3/4 pr) says he is just touching the surface of what he can do if he stays healthy and he can continue to adjust. Shawn uses double leg swing and he does not push the pole all the way up when he plants and does not push all the way out with his left arm at take off (usually that arm would be straight out to maximize the bend of the pole. Not only does Shawn have a good chance of medalling, he could win. This would be an extreme rarity for such a young athlete in a technical field event.

Adam Schneider (AS)

How did it feel going to the world championships the next year (2011)?

Shawn Barber (SB)

An amazing experience. Little fish big pond kind of deal and it was all quite overwhelming

AS

What did that do for your motivation for the next year?

SB

The world championships were a great motivating factor for me for the next year. I knew I could be on the podium with these other athletes with enough time and effort. It would just depend on how much I wanted it.

AS

You didn't get going until late in the season - what were the factors?

SB

How do you mean you didn't get going and factors?

AS

You did not pr indoors until the Akron Invitational (18-6 1/4) and that was well below your outdoor pr.  Were you affected by the late finish of the world championships? What did you gain from the world experience that you applied to your own vauliting.

SB

I didn't get much of an offseason that year. If I remember correctly, I went to France for the francifonie games and that was mid September. So I come off of a very long season (9month), take like 2 weeks off and start training for the start of indoors. I learned a great deal from all of the coaching staff, teammates and trainers during my international journeys that I couldn't get in any other setting. Again, you can learn something from everyone you meet.

AS

So tell me, when you went over 19' early in the year what do you think did it? I know you have said training but you also know biomechanics, any reevaluation?

SB

I think that it was a very good and hyped meet. Lots of good competition and every time myself and sam kendricks or another great jumper get into it, the results are increased. I did change some posture during my jump which lead to a more powerful run as well

AS

Sam holds at 15'7 and you hold at 17'0, what do you think about that?  I can believe you would like to get to the point he does and clear bars 3'5 over the hold, how do you get to that?

SB

Yes. People get comfortable doing certain things a certain way. I am trying to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit. That has come with raising my handgrip to a world class level. Now I need to keep changing my vault and improving speed, power and technique to keep improving

AS

Where does Lavillenie hold?

SB

I think that my grip has helped me be more consistent at the higher bars because I can get away with doing things wrong off the ground and still make the bar. Sam needs to be much more technically correct just to jump at similar bars. Lavillenie holds between 5.10 and 5.18 I believe (Shawn is holding at 5.38m right now)

AS

Lavillenie did not have a good meet at Drake, at the same time what did you see from Lavillenie that you can use to help you? Did you learn anything from that meet?

SB

Lavillenie is fearless and goes 100% during his vault. He has that mentality while some people are timid. I think it is a great quality as a pole vaulter. It also leads to mishaps such as the injury he faced after breaking the world record so there are good and bad things to take away. I am trying to take that mentality and use it only when I need it

AS

Also btw, one of the top field event coaches in the world says don't change anything (I meant as far as coaching but Shawn gave great answers on change in general) post-collegiately

SB

If something isn't working then you should change what you are doing to get better results. My father has continued to change my vault and we have kept learning the vault as we have gone. I plan on continuing to study the vault and changing it so I can keep improving

AS

What about Pre? I understand why you wouldn't go (pole transportation)

SB

Pre?

AS

Pre is the best opportunity in the US to have great competition. It has been named the #1 professional meet in the world and in the past collegians have come to the meet when it is possible.  I just want to know your thoughts on this

SB

Prefontaine *?

AS

Sorry, there are shirts that say Go Pre!

SB

Ah ok I've never heard it called just that. But also I haven't been very exposed to the meet in general. I haven't gone to the meet in the past and for me it was more important to prepare for the ncaa meet. There will be plenty of large scale meets this summer and I am trying to pace myself a bit

AS

What was your reaction to beating Lavillenie at Drake?

SB

It was not as big of a deal for me as it was for many of my friends and family. I know he is a great athlete and i am excited to compete with him at his best

AS

FYI,  I think it fired him up, I asked him if he was threatened by you and Sam (Kendrick), and he said no.  He said it was great to see North American vaulters do well.  His shoulder was wrapped (he said due to diving at the line at the end of a 4x100) and he wasn't expecting much and then he has no wrap when he vaulted and had one good attempt at a world record.

AS

You have not vaulted very high since indoor, any changes?

SB

Well I haven't had much competition for a while so I'm looking forward to some of the outdoor meets where I can get fired up a bit more to compete. Good competition does make quite the difference in performance it seems like

AS

Many times everyone goes out and the winner pushes up to a much higher bar.  Has that been the situation and you have not been motivated or has something else happened?

SB

Weather has been a factor. Winning the meet at 17ft and then having to continue by myself is also not motivating

AS

What has practice been like (high bars made, high bars attempted)? Considering you have created a new standard at over 19', what is satisfying to you?

SB

I am not a long approach athlete. I have been doing some good things during practice though but it hasn't been quantified by bars made or attempted. I have already had a very satisfying year so far. I am just trying to keep raising the bar. Improvements are very satisfying to me

AS

Do you feel your advances would indicate a higher bar?

SB

I think I need more advancements to improve substantially. 

AS

When do/did you graduate?

SB

I graduate next summer.

AS 

I was asked if you are going to turn pro.

SB

At this time I am planning on returning to Akron next year. But we shall see.

AS

How would medalling at worlds affect your decision on collegiate competition?

SB

It's hard to say. I imagine it would push me in the direction of professional athletics.

AS

Is there a consideration to the fact you have so many years and track does not pay that well?

SB

I am not in track for the money. While it is a motivating factor in some of my decisions, I would be in the sport for the love of the sport. My main consideration is giving myself the best chance to keep improving

AS

Don't get me wrong, I realize that, it is just meant ot be a comment on the economics of the sport.

SB

There are ways to make a living in any profession. Making money is not a major motivating factor. 

AS

Why are you able to adjust your timing so well year after year?  (longer poles require different timing) And how hard is that to do?

SB

I am able to change my timing because I believe in Change. The great field coach that you spoke of said he didn't believe in change after college. I believe that especially in a sport such as pole vault you have to be ok with changing the way you vault and adapting to your poles and surroundings unless you want to jump on the same length and stiffness for the rest of your career

AS

How hard is it to change, what do you go through to do that?

SB

It's the idea of realizing something is different and making it work for you even if it is uncomfortable. Unfortunately the uncomfortable part scares many athletes away

AS

Is it mental repetition, new mental counting, care to share? Or is it physical repetiton and you just feel it?

SB

It can be quite hard to change these things but I have gotten into a rhythm of change. The more you do something the easier it is. Many people jump on the same approach with the same grip and that becomes easy. So for me changing hand grip is as difficult as going to a different approach

AS

But what is the strategy?

SB

The strategy is to know where you are supposed to be in each phase of the jump and knowing how fast or slow you need to move to be in that position at the right time. I guess it's a bit of each. It's mental and physical. I have to visualize where I need to be and then go off feedback from my body during the vault to make sure I get to that point

AS

Good coaching helps with that then?

SB

Yes if they know what you are supposed to feel then they just need to communicate that to you. Communication can be difficult though.

AS

This is where biomechanics comes in Anything else from you on that?

SB

If I am working on the vault with my father and we have a good amount of time to work together then we can go through and describe the vault and I can follow along and we fix things as we go making sure we are feeling the same jump. At some points we disagree and argue about the physics of one part of the jump or another but eventually we come to an agreement. It's similar to running diagnostics on your car to determine what's wrong with it but this takes much more time and can be quite stressful

I spoke to his father about Shawn's unusual double leg  swing technique. George was a coach at New Mexico State and made his 16 acre property a training ground where Shawn could vault over irrigation ditches by 4 or 5 and gave birth to his unique vaulting style:

AS

So, did you double leg swing as a vaulter?

George Barber  (GB)

Not really and if so, not on purpose. As a young vaulter, I did just about everything that wrong that could possibly be done wrong. Shawn benefits from my experience.

AS

So when did you start him on double leg swing?

GB

The double leg swing is not a deliberate occurrence, it is a compensation for weaknesses in other parts of the equation. He learned to vault jumping across canals on the farm. It was good to land on both feet and on dry land.

AS

He seems to slide and then go up rather than climb right away.  How does he convert that slide into upward movement in comparison to a more common single leg drive

GB

He's still playing on what are for him little poles. He has a lot better launch vectors than most but we've still got a long ways to go.

AS

How high do you think he can go eventually?

GB

The Altius pole vaulting poles he's jumping on now are fantastic and we're making improvements to them every year.  On his best jumps now, his efficiency rating is about 70 percent.

AS

How high he will 'eventually' jump

GB

It will depend on how much we can clean up his mechanics and efficiently, improvements to his vaulting poles, and of course on making sure he stays healthy and keeps having fun

AS

So they are working with you on the poles?

GB

I am a sales rep and consultant for Altius Pole Vaulting poles. The men's & women's 2015 NCAA champions were both vaulting on Altius poles. Altius pole manufacturing facility is in Jacksonville Texas not far from our Texas property.

AS

Do you feel like you are breaking new ground in the vault with a technique you can teach others to do?

GB

'The Barber Model', yeah...it's a bit different than the conventional models. 

AS

Do you feel like the next three years could solidify the Barber method like the Fosbury flop did in the 70s?

GB

Mmmmm, that's a stretch... 
The Folsbury only worked because the equipment had developed to the point where it became a viable and efficient model... I don't think anyone would have wanted to Folsbury into sand or sawdust. Our model is based on differential equations and applied physics... 

Note: The Fosbury flop also used differential equations and applied physics.  The Fosbury flop just looks more different but this technique is just as radical.

GB

It's comparable to innovations of long bow from short bow, traboshae from catapult, compound bow from long bow...
Then too, the athlete must be programmed, balanced, and aligned properly to benefit from the innovations... With powerful equipment and machinery balance and alignment are critical...the tiniest imbalance or misalignment can cause the machinery to tear itself apart. That's against policy so we try to avoid that.