Parents Just can't figure out the vault

[2G1B]

I joke that there is something genetic with my kids and vault - all 3 of them struggle with vault. It seems like it is the easiest event at these lower levels for most of the kids; but my kids hate it! Both of my girls have the same problem with piking. My son always forgets to point his toes.

 

[AtheiMum]

Hi there! I am just a mom, not a coach... but my daughter just recently "figured out" the vault. Shes been doing the flat back for 3 years (2 years as prep-op and one as compulsory 4).

It is my understanding, after speaking with a Vault Judge (and as previous posters said), the girls are to run and accelerate as they approach the spring board, keeping their chest and chin up. They cannot studder step. The strides are to be even all the way through the run. When they punch the board, they should hit in the center of the board and stay in the flat back position through the landing.

We showed DD a coffee straw and that she should keep her body straight like the straw when she hits the board, hits the mat with her hands, and lands on her back. This visual aid seemed to help her as she went from an 8.9 average score to a 9.450.

Good luck to your gymnast! Vault is so subjective.

 

[gymmutti]

My older dd is just figuring out the FHS vault now (just finished her L5 season). She's always been a fast runner but she usually leans forward in her run which puts her chest down and ends up piking. She is trying to run chest up and when she succeeds - no pike! It still feels very odd to her and she has to really think about how she runs but it appears to definitely make a difference. I am hoping to see scores move up next season.

 

[bogwoppit]

stutter step.

 

[iwannacoach]

stutter step.

Wwwwwwwww What stutter sssttstep?

 

[bogwoppit]

Wwwwwwwww What stutter sssttstep?

Hahahaha!!!

 

[JMACAZ]

This is great advice-thanks!!!

 

[iwannacoach]

This is great advice-thanks!!!

The bottom line is that vault begins and, in a sense, ends with the run. The video you linked up showed a pretty typical problem for kids. They run 80 feet to get the energy that proper18 foot run would just as easily provide. I've become convinced that kids value things we adults are stingy with, so I give beginners 3 steps starting about 16-18 feet away from the end of the board, and adjust their starting spot forward or backward based upon the quality and length of their stride.

Once they have that part down, they start 9 feet farther back and are allowed 5 steps to cover the distance, and again their start positions get adjusted according what I see them do.

With that process I seldom see or hear a stutter step all week long, and that's the way it should be.

 

[juststartingout]

My daughter didn't vault this week so I don't have a video yet. I wish I knew why they've decided that vault is less important than the other skills. My daughter has to figure this out in order to advance and it's so frustrating.