Coaches Front Handspring Vault Training and Drills

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sevenatenine2

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The last time I coached, we were still using the horse.

I've got some kids training Level 4 now and I would like some help with introducing the handspring vault. They have the run and the hurdle (mostly) down well. I'm having trouble getting them to block off the table. They are jumping to handstand and then falling. We have a vault table set up at the end of the tumble track, and so some of them are running, hurdling, and vaulting off that. I'm noticing some of the same problems (not all the way in handstand, head out, etc.) that I see on the regular table. They're not having those issues on the Level 3 flatback, so they know HOW to do it, it's just the transfer isn't going well.

I did have some kids compete XCEL Silver (handspring, flatback from the table), and even then it just wasn't as good as it was on the Level 3 mats. I'd like some drills and advice, please! Thanks!
 
I like to teach a front layout over the vault table, with this age I would use a mini tramp and not a beat board and would have them land on Mars at the height of the table not down to feet. The kids then get the idea of the smooth movement over the table, really and front handspring vault is a layout over the table with hand push.

We also do lots of layouts on trampolines, tumble track, mini tramps and beat board up to 2 crash mats (60cms).

We do lots of handsprings to flat back over the vault table with mats the same height as the table, especially if the kids have a good handspring to flat back on the mat stack, this will help the, put two and two together when using the vault.

Also handsprings over the vault table up hill to mats stacked higher than the table, then they really need to fly to stand it up.

I also like to work handsprings over vault boxes, as there are a bit softer and more forgiving the kids are often less scared to just go for it and they give a little spring to help gymnasts feet the springing feeling.

I also have them do front handsprings over a large fitness wheel with the tramp side up, they will get the feeling of the block off the table by the push of the bed, and they have to really reach long to get over, which helps them to improve the angle they come on the vault table.
 
One drill I do is I have my kids kick up to handstand against a wedge or a wall and then they do shoulder shrugs while in handstand so they feel what they actually have to do upside down.

Another drill I have used before but don't very often (due to the low number of springboards we have in the gym) is set up a spotting block (which comes to about mid-thigh on me) and then put a spring board on top of the spotting block and in front of it then they can run, front handspring ( hands go on the tape line of our spring board) and they try to block off.

Also, a third drill (hard to explain so hopefully this makes sense)-- put a wedge against the wall with a soft 8" mat right up against it. The girls can stand on the mat facing the wedge and kick up into a horizontal handstand, block against the wall and fall to their stomachs.

Hope these drills help!
 

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