The pole prescribed for this exercise is the planed stem of a
straight-grown fir, from seven to ten feet long, and about two inches
thick at the bottom. Such a pole naturally diminishes towards the top;
and it is better to plane off the lower end a little. Care must be
taken that it be sufficiently strong; such as make a crackling noise
during the leap should be immediately thrown aside.
The learner, supposed to be already expert in leaping and vaulting,
may at first place himself before a small ditch, with a pole, which he
holds in such a manner, that the right hand be about the height of the
head, and the left about that of the hips, and in this case he must
fix it in the ditch. (See Plate XII. fig. 1.) He must then, by making
a spring with his left foot, endeavour to rest the weight of his body
upon the pole, and, thus supported, swing himself to the opposite bank.
In this swing, he passes his body by the right of the pole, making, at
the same time, a turn, so that, at the descent, his face is directed
to the place whence he leaped. The faults usually committed by the
beginner, consist in his trusting to the pole the whole weight of the
body; and in losing the necessary purchase by keeping at too great a
distance from it.
This leap cannot be made with proper force and facility unless the
fixing of the pole in the ground and the spring are made exactly at
the same moment. To acquire this, the learner should place himself at
the distance of a moderate pace in front of the ditch; raise the left
foot and the pole together; plant both together, the former in the spot
whence he intends making the spring, and the latter in the ditch; then
instantly swing himself round the pole, to the opposite bank. As soon
as he can easily take the proper position and balance, he may endeavour
to swing his legs higher; and in proportion as he becomes more expert,
he must place his hands higher up the pole, in order to have a greater
swing. He must afterwards make a previous run of two, three, or four
paces, gradually increasing in velocity; and always taking care that
the springing foot and the pole come to the ground at the same moment.
When this difficulty is overcome, he may practise the exercise over the
leaping-stand.
In leaping over the cord, the learner must take the pole in both hands;
make a rather quick run; conclude this with the spring, and planting
the pole at the same moment; raise rapidly his whole body, by means
of this spring and a powerful support on the pole, and swing over the
cord; turning his body so that, at the descent, his face is directed to
the place whence he sprung. This is a general description of the high
leap; but it is necessary to explain the parts into which it may be
divided, as follows,--
1. In the handling the pole (Plate XII. fig. 1), it is immaterial, as
to the lower hand, whether the thumb or the little finger be uppermost:
the upper hand must have the thumb upward. The position of the upper
hand is regulated by that of the lower one: as this advances higher
up, the former must be proportionally raised. The lower hand then must
be placed at a height proportionate to that of the leap: thus, if the
latter be six feet, the lower hand must be at least from five and a
half to six feet from the lower end of the pole. The leaper is, after
a little practice, enabled to seize the pole in the proper way, from a
mere glance at the leap.
2. The preparatory run of from twelve to fifteen paces is accelerated
as the leaper approaches the cord. Upon this run principally depend the
facility and the success of the leap. As the spring can take place
only with one foot, and as this must arrive correctly at the springing
place, it is necessary that the order of the steps should be arranged
so as to effect this object. If the leaper should be obliged to correct
himself by making a few steps, either longer or shorter, just before
making the spring, the leap is rendered difficult.
3. The fixing of the pole in the ground, and the spring, must take
place at the same instant, because by that means the upper and lower
members operate together, no power is lost, and the swing is performed
with the greatest facility. The place of the pole, however, varies with
the height of the leaps; in leaps of about four feet, the distance of
one foot from the cord is sufficient; in higher leaps, it should be
from one and a half to two feet. The best plan is to have a small pit
dug in front of the cord (see Plate XII. figs. 2 and 3), and to remove
the stand from it, as the height of the leap increases; or the stand
may remain at a foot and a half from the pit, and the learner be taught
to make all the leaps from it. The spring is made with one foot, at the
distance of two, three, four, or five feet from the plant of the pole.
If the leaper keep the left hand lowest, he must spring with the left
foot, and _vice versâ_.
4. The swing upward is effected by the force of the spring, the support
of the lower, and the pull of the upper hand; but principally by the
propulsion of the run, which being suddenly modified by the fixing of
the pole, has its horizontal direction changed into a slanting ascent,
and carries the body of the leaper over the cord. The leaper must
carefully observe that the spring of the foot, and the plant of the
pole, be in the direction of the preparatory run.
5. The turning of the body during the swinging upward, is necessary.
When the leaper is going to spring, he has his face turned towards the
object of the leap, as in Plate XII. fig. 1; but as his feet swing, his
body turns round the pole. When his feet have passed over the other
side of the cord, the head is still considerably on this side: the
leaper then appears as in fig. 2. Speedily, the middle of his body is
on the other side of the cord, and he begins the descent, as in fig.
3. It would be impossible to descend in this position otherwise than
with his face directed to the place where the leap was commenced.
6. The quitting of the pole during the leap is effected by giving it a
push with one hand, at the moment of greatest height, and this causes
it to fall on the inner side of the cord.
7. The carrying of the pole over the cord is more difficult. The
leaper must then raise the pole a little from the ground at the moment
of beginning the descent, and instantly elevate the lower part of it
with the lowest hand, and depress the upper part with the other; the
consequence being, that, at the descent, the lower end of the pole will
point upward, and the upper end downward. This should be practised
first in low leaps.
[Illustration]
8. The descent depends entirely upon the manner in which the leap is
made: if the leap be perfect, the descent will be so. The usual fault
in descending is, that the leaper, having passed the cord, falls to
the ground almost perpendicularly instead of obliquely. In the annexed
figure, _a_ is the place whence the spring is made, _c_ the section of
the cord, _b_ the position of the leaper over it, _d_ his right, and
_e_ his wrong descent. The latter is faulty because it throws him so
much out of balance, that in order not to fall backward, he must run
backward to _d_. If, on the contrary, he descends in proper balance to
the ground, he moves not an inch from the spot where his feet alight;
and this complete rest following the descent is the sign of a perfect
leap. The descent, as already explained, must take place upon the balls
of the toes, and with a sinking of the knees. The position of the body
is sufficiently explained by Plate XII. figs. 1, 2, and 3; but many
learn to swing the legs so well as to raise them, during the highest
part of the leap, considerably above the head. Order of exercises in
the high leap, to be very gradually attempted:--