Coaches Front Layouts for VT

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coachmolly

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I have some girls that are really struggling with FHS vaults and want to work punch front layouts with them, however there is no tramp in the gym. Would a spring board to an 8 incher be enough to get them started? They are (new) level 3/4s, most have fhs on floor, some are working towards front tucks- would I start with front tucks and move to layouts as they progress? Or just start with spotted layouts? Or even flysprings? I've solely coached high school gym the last 2 seasons and don't do the VT coaching with that group, so I'm a bit rusty.
I have some other drills as well, this just seems to be the one we should ultimately at least be working towards to really get their VTs flying.
 
I would start with front layouts to their backs. Probably off a beat board onto a 8 inch with a sting mat and work up to going up onto a porta pit before they go to their feet. Not sure if this is the best way but its what I have been doing.
 
Well... I do front tuck with the kids to teach them to stand up on the board, but not a ton of them. Try having them vault over a stack of mats, and really work the run. Teach them to hold shape during vault, so a soft landing area will really help them to try holding shape. To me a front layout is not the same technique that I use for a front handspring.
 
have them work with a 5 step run to a punch that lands balanced and standingon a stack of mats. Start with a port-a-pit if you have one, and add 8 inch mats as they learn how to do it. If you don't have enough 8 inch mats you can put in a layer of fold-ups under the front half of the top 8 inch mat. The board should be only inches away from the stack and you can stand with your side against the front of the stack to help them them travel forward enough to make it to the stack.

There's a few benefits to the drill.......

They have to hurdle low and get their feet in front for the punch if they're going to land balanced (sorta balanced is ok).

The kids will run faster, without being told, as the stack gets higher because it's a fun drill they like to do, and they all want to make it. I've had kids make it onto a stack more than 5 feet high to a crouched landing..... they just love it when it the stack is higher than they are tall.

Graduate from the drill to a punch forward roll onto a stack that's about chest high. When they all have the roll down, and aren't rolling because most of the roll happens in flight, take away an 8 inch mat, caution them about knees contacting their face, drill them to keep their knees away from their face, and then have them do punch fronts.

Follow your intuition from there. If they work at a good pace, and with effort, you'll know when it's time to transition to pike fronts, open pike fronts, and then the hollow snap to arch layout.

Vaulting will mysteriously get easier.
 
How many mats do you have?
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We have two 12 inch folder mats, and some portable resi pits. Or you can take your level 3 vaulting mat and turn it sideways, put an soft landing mat and play games with the kids for points. Straight body to any landing gets 5 points, straight body to feet gets 10 points, any arch or pike gets zero. Throw a hard panel mat over the top to firm it up etc.. .
 
Drill 1: Turn the level 4 vault mat sideways and work front handspring. You can add mats for height or firmness. Put the spring board just a few inches Away from the mat and see if they can do the drill without reaching down.

Drill 2: set up the normal level 3 vault. Have them punch the spring board and land on their back on the mats without using their hands.

Drill 3: Stack the mats at or above head height and have them punch the spring board and land on their stomachs.

All of these help with the turnover. If you have a pit do punch layouts into the pit while doing an arm circle.

Tell them to try to push the springboard into the mats or vault table when they hit it. If they do this, they'll get the turnover they want. My best vaulter landed one of her vaults and the springboard was actually leaning against the table.
 
Thanks, everyone! We have a makeshift level 3 vault set-up. The mats we usually have access to (meaning they aren't typically being used on another event) are a 12 incher, 8 incher, and 4 incher as well as some spotting blocks, trapezoid stacking set, and some panel mats. Not a ton to work with, but enough to make a few things works.
 

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