Francisco-
Thanks for posting those pics. Those are awesome. The first one is especially cool. I actually have the article also.I also think visually observing the bar up to clearance could be a big advantage.
Much like the shot put, different techniques are probably appropriate for different morphologies and physical capacities. The common think now though is that the the flop is the only viable option.
I like the article as well as it mentions the western roll. Anyways, I still think the straddle is viable. Just I haven’t really come across anyone really needing it. The jumper who I considered to teach it to was a multi. I chose not to teach because of time considerations and the athlete was getting better at the flop. If I had more time, I don’t know which route I would have taken.