Can you help me with my run for vault?

[gymgurl]

Ok so my vault is less than spectacular and after having several coaches look at it they decided my run is too slow. Problem is i am sprinting as fast as i can and not being a sprinter i don't know how to improve it? do i just go up to the park and practice sprinting? or........

 

[KarenUK]

My daughter is having the same problem with her run - which considering she is a floor and vault gymnast uptraining to 4 piece (we are in the UK) is pretty serious - her vault run is the only thing stopping her moving up a level!

Her coaches looked at her vault run from all directions, and noticed that she is turning her knees out very slightly as she runs - she has taken ballet class since the age of 4 so it possibly stems from there. Anyway, the slight turnout is causing her to cross her feet over slightly behind herself - this is making her run inefficient - some of her power is diverted to a side-to-side motion rather than her power taking her forward efficiently. At the moment they are having her run more slowly, focusing on learning to bring her knees up, and run more on her toes, and really using her arms. They are having her do a handspring flatback. She is reporting that, even with the intentionally slower run, she is getting a better vault, pre and postflight 'feel bigger'. At the end of the gym session when they have a few minutes to go work on what they want (and most of the kids want to do somis into the pit) she is going back to the vault and working up this slow, deliberate run - it is not intuitive for her, but she's really trying. She is looking forward to gradually speeding up her 'new' run and trying it on a handspring vault

I don't know if this will help - I just know that sprinting as fast as you can is not enough if your technique is not right, you need to use the power that you have as efficiently as you can. I'm not a coach, just a mum of a girl who is struggling with the same problem!

 

[CoachTodd]

If you had a video of your run it could help.
You don't have to be super sonic to vault just have to have a good head of steam going. The way I get kids to run when they are having trouble is to tell them to grab the ground with their toes and then push it behind them. Since this is a sprint, don't let your heels touch the ground.
I was told by a very good college coach that the only steps that matter on vault are the last 3. I agree with him. Start at a jog or even a walk then speed up, making you last 3 steps your fastest. Slowly make the start of the run faster each time until you have a comfortable acceleration going and you steps are in the right place to be able to hurdle.
Really the only way to learn to spring better that I know of is to sprint. Run as fast as you can into the pit without jumping (if you have a pit) Race other people. Do anything that gives you the chance to run full speed and stay on your toes.

 

[marie83]

I'd hope that since your coaches have identified the problem, they'd help you to fix it, however;

Developing the leg action:

1) face a wall and lean against it. Run as fast as you can, bringing your knees up high. Imagine you are trying to push the wall over!
2) lots and lots of mountain climber jumps.
Developing the arm action:
3)kneel on the floor, on one knee. Facing a mirror will help. Place your opposite arm in front of you, bent at 90 degrees with your elbow level with your shoulder. Your other arm should so be bent at 90 degrees with your hand by your hip. Stand up and swap arms and legs.
4) sit in pike and place your arms in the same position as number 3. Keep switching arms as fast as you can - your body should begin to bounce.
Remember the phrase 'hip to lip' (this is where your hands should go!)

Practice running as much as possible. As the previous poster said, start slow and accelerate. Long strides with high knees seems to be a good technique.

There are loads of other drills on YouTube!

 

[marie83]

Oh, forgot to add running as fast ad you can, and jumping on to a stack of mats. (Use a springboard). Technique in the jump doesn't matter as such, it's just a fun way to run as fast as you can at a soft obstacle, rather than the table!

 

[Kiwi]

I'm very interested in this question, too. My DD has a run that looks like an old granny, but she always insists she is running as fast as she can. I'm sure it must be something about her technique.

 

[gymgurl]

We are doing some stuff at the gym, like cat and mouse where you chase the other person down and if you get caught you get conditioning and sprints i was just curious to see if there was anything i could do outside of gym to improve it, you post helped heaps by the way, you are obviously very knowledgable.