Having problems scoring high at meets..

[ellzgym]

I think the best score that I have gotten at a meet was 8.35 and that was on vault. I have NEVER gotten a place in a meet. I get told that I did good but I know that I didn't. Here is a video of me: YouTube - Ellen's Level 4 Floor at Judges Invitational 2009 that is from a meet that I had last year in Level 4. This year I will be in Level 5 for one meet then level 6. My skills for level 5 are:
- Round off sault
- Front sault
- Split leap side leap
- Double turn
- Jump 1/1 turn
- Back walkover
My skills for Level 6 are:
- Round off flip 1/1 twist
- Handspring front layout
- Change leap split leap
- Double turn
- Jump 1/1 turn
- Back walkover
I have the skill level but I don't have the good quality skills. How can I score higher at meets and start winning some titles? Its not just on floor its on everything! You should see my bars. When I jump to the bar, I bend my legs back and flex my feet and my knees are apart. I look a bit like a frog! I try to keep them straight but it never works, they are always bent! Beam I usually fall twice off the beam. Vault I am piked and I don't block off the vault.
Any answers would be great!

 

[jitta_bug123]

hey ellen your doing fine at meets, you still obviously are having a lot of form issues but you have come a long way and will keep doing so try looking at some of ur gymstar vids . Often to people on here talk about how they placed 1staa etc like all the time, often they have meets which are divided up into smaller sessions and within these smaller sessions age groups meaning that they really are only competing against like 10-30 people for a medal rather than 60-70 like us. also in the usag system which most people on here use (americans) they train a lot more hours than you do in the victorian state stream. which helps to improve form obviously. its kind of somewhere between state and national stream is here. also when you post your scores post the scores along with the 12 or 13 point whatever you got, cuz it will let people know your using the new code not the old one, and under the new code the deductions for some things are much larger for instance when you see a score marked out of 10 with peoples meet reports under the usag system a fall is only 0.5 where as here it is a full mark. Because your tall to you really need to keep tight knees cus its more obvious when you dont so the judges will really pick on it. Also for the skills you are doing for level 6 they are not level 6 skills, more like level 7 and you would be much better working level 6 skills to perfection ie handspring front, roundoff flip sault, switch split, side leap for floor. Doing the harder skills at level 6 would not be rewarding point wise at all, you can only get 0.2 in bonus anyway. Plus you would lose loads on form deductions and if you dont get the basics down perfectly it will cause you much difficulty in progressing later on any way. I presume you havent actually started working the full at all yet, maybe just starting back layouts, and maybe not yet frontlayouts yet either, becuase though your fronthandsring and roundoffbhshave improved a lot, they havent improved quite that much yet. But they will get there :thumbsup: . The key to medalling at state level 5/6 is to do the most basic you possibly can to fufill the requirements perfectly clean elements, not throwing super hard ones as i have learnt myself. Save the difficult skills for later on in optionals and in my opinion you would be much better working the harder skills next year when you have made some more form improvements, you will find them much easier to learn and you will actually be receiving the bonuses for doing these harder skills, as well as receiving far less deductions on them.
ps, your doing absoloutley fine,
pps,see you at school on monday, man school why do the summer holidays go so fast
ppps this site seems so anonymous and like your not really quite taking to real people doesn't it? I thought that too until I realised pretty much straight away who you were from very little imformation you gave kind of freaked me out a little, people can realise this is me this easily just a side note

 

[grizzoline]

I guess for bars lots of conditioning will help with the form issues. Same for vault - work on your run, work handstand hops, generally shoulder strength and make sure you work your upper body to keep tight on your block.

Floor wasn't too bad, work on your jump full turn (just make sure it starts and ends in a clean position) and especially your split leaps (or - only do one if you can't get them to full split and do another series instead). Work lots of high kicks for that.

Beam will come through repetition and confidence.
I assume you have startet kind of late, right? I'd say you're progressing pretty well, if you plan on moving up 2 levels this year. I'd say improving your physical abilities (strength and active flexibility) will help you most.

 

[grizzoline]

Also, it really isn't about the titles. For me, at least, it's about looking at your routines and being proud at what you have achieved. If you want cleaner gymnastics, that in itself is an admirable goal, which too many seem to neglect.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I think you might benefit from a different floor routine. Your music is slow and dramatic, so your movements need to match it. It seems to me like you don't have the composure/control right now (common in gymnasts who started recently) so the routine just looks a little tentative/clumsy/slow. BTW, the last bit on the floor was EXCELLENT. Your back tumbling was slow and your front tumbling had that awkward ending. I'll bet you've improved a lot since then, though, since you've got RO-sault and FHS-layout.

it seems like you've got a good idea about where you need to fix your scores: better block/no pike on vault, better from on bars (BTW, I have a poor jump-to-high-bar as well but I make up for it in the rest of my routine!). You probably just need more time to practice on beam, although it may never be as good as some girls. Some of us just aren't good at beam, although you'll get a lot better with practice.

So: straight legs, pointed toes, fast/powerful tumbling, high casts on bars (I haven't seen your bars, but this can be a killer in scores), make everything "big", work on your leaps/jumps. But you seem to be improving a lot since you've got all those advanced tumbling passes in the couple months since that video! I would just give it time and effort.

 

[ellzgym]

I think the best score that I have gotten at a meet was 8.35 and that was on vault. I have NEVER gotten a place in a meet. I get told that I did good but I know that I didn't. Here is a video of me: YouTube - Ellen's Level 4 Floor at Judges Invitational 2009 that is from a meet that I had last year in Level 4. This year I will be in Level 5 for one meet then level 6. My skills for level 5 are:
- Round off sault
- Front sault
- Split leap side leap
- Double turn
- Jump 1/1 turn
- Back walkover
My skills for Level 6 are:
- Round off flip 1/1 twist
- Handspring front layout
- Change leap split leap
- Double turn
- Jump 1/1 turn
- Back walkover
I have the skill level but I don't have the good quality skills. How can I score higher at meets and start winning some titles? Its not just on floor its on everything! You should see my bars. When I jump to the bar, I bend my legs back and flex my feet and my knees are apart. I look a bit like a frog! I try to keep them straight but it never works, they are always bent! Beam I usually fall twice off the beam. Vault I am piked and I don't block off the vault.
Any answers would be great!

btw most of these are just goals...... but stilll...