Coaches Chest Up on Board

[coachmolly]

I have a kid who has been struggling for a year on keeping her chest up on the board for vault and I am at a total loss. She managed to do decently on the Bronze (level 3) vault, but now that we're trying to move to the real vault, the issue is even more pronounced. She has her skills on the other events to move up and I know she's getting frustrated too. I was hoping just time/experience would help, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I have tried board drills, hurdling to her back onto a mat, putting a 12" in front of the vault and running full speed at it then hurdling to her back, putting a block in front of the mat stack she has to get over (with a spot), nothing works. She is really trying, but that just turns into her trying to run with her shoulders back (making for a very slow run) and then leaning forward hard on the board. And it's not just a fear of the table, as it's about the same there as it was on the mat stack.

So I'm desperately searching for any new drills or ideas that might help this kid enough so she can get over the vault.

I can probably get a video tomorrow to private message if someone wants to see that to get a better idea.

 

[eucoach]

Have you done straight jumps onto stacked mats? She will absolutely not be able to learn forward when you do these. After hat, progress to front tucks.

It's hard to say though what the issue is without seeing the vault. If she does all the drills well, then maybe she is not punching the board with tight enough legs as soon as she moves to a front handspring. If that's the case, make sure she understands the difference between jumping and punching and do lots of drills with her to fix this issue (non vault related drills)

 

[coachmolly]

Have you done straight jumps onto stacked mats? She will absolutely not be able to learn forward when you do these. After hat, progress to front tucks.

It's hard to say though what the issue is without seeing the vault. If she does all the drills well, then maybe she is not punching the board with tight enough legs as soon as she moves to a front handspring. If that's the case, make sure she understands the difference between jumping and punching and do lots of drills with her to fix this issue (non vault related drills)

Thanks for the ideas, I will try to get a video tonight. We do straight jumps everyday and she struggles with them, she does more of a squat jump up to the vault. I haven't had her on vault for a few weeks, so when I worked with her the other day she stayed on straight jumps the entire time. She's not a particularly quick athlete, slow run and sort of slow on the board which I know contributes to the whole mess. I just feel bad for the poor kid because she has the skills for the next level everywhere else.

 

[tucktwisttumble]

Does she know how to punch-front? Does she drop her chest on the take off for that?

 

[coachmolly]

Does she know how to punch-front? Does she drop her chest on the take off for that?

She drops her chest on everything- running, jumps, leaps, punching.

 

[catou]

Where is she looking? She might just be looking down on everything and that can contribute to a low chest.

 

[CoachTodd]

I would coach my beginners and low level vaulters while standing between the springboard and landing area. Most of them don't want to run into me more than once . I have been node to put a water noodle on the vault mats sticking out with a pit block on the end of it toward the springboard .
We also did what we called jumpback drills. Basically hurdle to 2 feet and rebound backwards. This can be done with or without a springboard. I also tell the kids to try to push the springboard into the vault table with their feel.

Good luck

 

[catou]

Here are some of the drills I like to do with my gymnasts:

• I like to place a spotting block and a bit mat at the end of it. They start standing on the spotting block and have to jump, do their arm circle and land on their back in the mat.
• I have them run and jump in the pit feet first, ont their back again. It's a great drill to work the speed of the run.
• I do front layouts, landing on their back on a pile of mats. Easy to do with a mini tramp and a spotting block. They can really concentrate on the punch.
• I sometimes place something between the board and the vault. It has to be something higher than the vault so if their chest is down, it will be in their way.

I remember a coach I had who showed us how having the chest up and the feet in front on the board would help having some turn over durng the handspring. He made a stick rebound on the floor straight, then with an angle. I might do it with my girls this year. I know some think that punching with feet in front will make them go backward, so they block themselves.

For the slow runners, I ask them to start their run slowly, then medium pace and finish with the sprint. I like to start them close to the vault. Somestimes they start to far and can't run fast all the way to the way.