Then they are suspending themselves in the air as a result of what they've done. You don't learn this in one day, you learn it by going home and practicing. Successful vaulting takes speed, strength, flexibility and endurance. Speed is important because the faster the vaulter can do the 75-foot plus run up to the bar the higher the jump. Upper body strength, especially in the shoulders, is crucial to obtain jump height and use the pole's flex to launch over the bar.
Flexibility is necessary to maneuver over the bar and clear it without touching.
Endurance is a factor because vaulters jump over and over again, using bursts of speed and strength for jump after jump in a meet. Mental preparation is also important in a sport where you can find yourself 13 feet in the air, heading down fast. Learning to manage and overcome that fear is another element of training. Fear is really a big issue with vaulters even though you are in the air for not even two seconds. More than half of the clinic's attendees were new to the sport, spending the day working on practice drills.