WAG Level 4 floor critique, please?

[IreneKa]

States are coming up soon, and her highest score all season has been 8.3. She watched the video, and she doesn't see anything wrong. I don't see any obvious mistakes either. She says the coach doesn't give her many corrections at practices, or she just doesn't remember them, I don't know.
If someone could point out any easily fixable errors, like text errors or something, I would appreciate it. It would be nice if she could add a few tenths to her score at states. Thanks!

 

[Gymnast@<3]

she needs to stick her front handspring, that tiny hop might be a factor. anothre thing to remember is executeion, straight legs, pointed toes ect, execution is worth more that the skills so its very impotant. she could also work on her split leap, maybe more split. also full turn, make sure thats all the way around, it looks like it is, however judges can be very picky on that. also on the last pass, she needs to stick the backhandspring. from what ive heard, its better to stick it and not rebound as much as she is, because the doc for that. otherwise it looks good, its just the little things

 

[twinmomma]

Honestly I'm seeing a lot of steps that are heel first instead of toes, lots of places where her feet should be together after a leap but aren't, little detail type things. I think she's probably getting tenth'ed to death. I also feel like she isn't finishing movements with her arms - a little loose looking in places. Like I said, mostly details.

 

[GlobalNomad]

Is anyone on her team at her level getting really high floor scores? If no one is scoring well, I'd wonder about text errors too.

I did see that she swings her arms before she leaps. My dd didn't do that, but I don't know if that's a text error.

 

[EastCoastGymMom]

It's a very nice routine! I'm not a coach or judge, so there are many things I wouldn't pick up as a gym mom, but I do see a few wobbles (like right before she even starts the routine), which could be due to nerves. Step/hop after her fhs. Bent legs on her leap, bwo, and bhs. Didn't hold her handstand in the back extension roll. In general, I think she needs to stay much tighter and extend her arms and legs more.

 

[IreneKa]

Is anyone on her team at her level getting really high floor scores? If no one is scoring well, I'd wonder about text errors too.

Yes, that's another reason I decided to post her routine. At the last meet no one on her team got above 9, so it makes me wonder.

A few of you mentioned leap. I know they've been working on leaps a lot recently, so hopefully that'll help a little.

 

[gymdog]

I don't really see many text errors. But she never goes on full releve and she bends over and swings her arms back in a chest down pike before her jumps and leap (should do a plié). Legs bent on leaps and both handsprings, no rebound stick on front handspring.

 

[munchkin3]

Solid routine! I'm no judge....At DD L4 meets, the biggest difference between the 9.5 floor score and the 'below 9' scores were that the really good floor routines were OVER THE TOP. What I mean is the dance was beautiful, the skills were spot on, the girls were smiling, and the routines were totally beautiful.....BTW, the majority of these amazing girls were repeaters and you could tell.
My DD was a high 8 scorer, had pretty good beauty, but her skills were lacking. she never nailed the FHS, her back extention roll was so so.....and she had some persistent BHS 'bad habits'

My DD and I both agreed that she was in no way interested in remaining in L4 for a second year in order to get that 'over the top' look. She would rather take an 8.5 and move on.

 

[IreneKa]

I don't really see many text errors. But she never goes on full releve and she bends over and swings her arms back in a chest down pike before her jumps and leap (should do a plié). Legs bent on leaps and both handsprings, no rebound stick on front handspring.

Thanks! "Full releve" means she needs to go up on her toes more? Sorry, I'm neither dancer nor gymnast. I see what you mean about bending over before jumps, I'll point it out to her.
They are working on her leaps. As for BHSs, I'm just glad she is doing them, after having a mental block for a few months.

 

[IreneKa]

Solid routine! I'm no judge....At DD L4 meets, the biggest difference between the 9.5 floor score and the 'below 9' scores were that the really good floor routines were OVER THE TOP. What I mean is the dance was beautiful, the skills were spot on, the girls were smiling, and the routines were totally beautiful.....BTW, the majority of these amazing girls were repeaters and you could tell.
My DD was a high 8 scorer, had pretty good beauty, but her skills were lacking. she never nailed the FHS, her back extention roll was so so.....and she had some persistent BHS 'bad habits'

My DD and I both agreed that she was in no way interested in remaining in L4 for a second year in order to get that 'over the top' look. She would rather take an 8.5 and move on.

Thanks! I wouldn't worry if it was just below 9. But 8.3 was her highest score. Her other scores were 8.0, 8.05, 8.15... If she could get it up to 8.8 or something, I would be extremely happy. She still wouldn't get any good placements at states with that score, but at least it wouldn't drag her AA score too much down.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

I think she's getting .10 to death too. The scores in the 9's usually have tight, locked out legs for the routine. (As my gymmies coach would say, show the muscle in your legs). Crisp, precise movements, turned out feet, kicking on releve, etc. To me, it just looks like those little things.

 

[Deleted member 17723]

She needs to put some sass in that routine. She appears just doing it 'to do it'. Have her smile, chin up, throw the arms back. The judges like to see something 'different'. She is also loose throughout the entire routine. She is being tenthed to death. She can't "fall" out of her full turn, she needs to stay on toe and kick out. She needs to lever out of her back extension roll and backwalkover. She also needs to hold her handstand in her back extension roll. She needs to clean up her backhandspring and fronthandspring. Have her stop swinging her arms before her jumps and leap. Looks great so far!

 

[Ginger]

I am just a CGM (where 'C' stands for 'curious', not 'crazy'... or at least I hope so...), so please take my opinion with a grain of salt...

I think at the beginning, after the pose (straddle jump, straight jump half turn, pose), she needs to step out with her left foot (she is righty gymnast, right?) before the half turn. Check this, it is pictured here (and I watched so many L4 floors...)
https://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/Junior Olympics/compulsory/illustratedroutines_feb14.pdf

Also (and again, I may be wrong), I think that perfectly executed back walkover needs to start with the 'good' leg elevated so high it is parallel to the floor.

But I love her routine. Good luck at states!

 

[wgymmom]

She could be a little sharper and tighter. It seems like she's halfway pointing her toes - they need to be a hard point. She also had a significant hop after her FHS, which will really kill a score - my DD had a big one her first time doing the new 4 floor routine and her score was awful.

Sometimes it can be helpful to check out high scoring routines on YouTube.

 

[GYM0M]

I agree. I'm gonna say a good portion of her deductions are coming from the arms. At times, they seem to be less controlled. Remember: in these compulsories that every movement needs to be (or at least appear to be) intentional. An extra arm swing could cost her a .10. Get 5 or 6 of those corrected and you've got you're goal score!!

 

[gwenmom]

I am in no way an expert but there are several things I noticed (mostly because they are my personal pet peeves as a former dancer and DD does some of them too). Back leg in leaps and jumps appears to be bent. She is not pointing all the way through her toes (just flexing at the ankles) so her point does not look right or that she is extending the entire way through her Legs. I would agree with tightness. Her arms don't she to be 'hitting' the correct positions some of the time, just kinda flowing through.

Also the jump sequence at the beginning seemed slightly 'off' to me. But I could be totally wrong. I usually see this part from behind not in front .

 

[gymdog]

I am just a CGM (where 'C' stands for 'curious', not 'crazy'... or at least I hope so...), so please take my opinion with a grain of salt...

I think at the beginning, after the pose (straddle jump, straight jump half turn, pose), she needs to step out with her left foot (she is righty gymnast, right?) before the half turn. Check this, it is pictured here (and I watched so many L4 floors...)
https://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/Junior Olympics/compulsory/illustratedroutines_feb14.pdf

Also (and again, I may be wrong), I think that perfectly executed back walkover needs to start with the 'good' leg elevated so high it is parallel to the floor.

But I love her routine. Good luck at states!

She does step left and turn right in the first corner which is correct directionally. It's incorrect that she doesn't take a longer straight step facing the corner before snapping around on her turn. It was hard to tell if she usually does this or just lost her footing. It's not a major element though. The biggest deductions come off the major elements.

If you mean the side lunge pose, a righty should have their weight on a bent right leg with their leg leg extended to their left side. She did. She just took a small slightly diagonal left step on a bent leg so it looked wrong.

I understand about the handsprings but they probably are her single biggest deduction between the bent legs, lack of acceleration, and arms. They're not the worst compulsory back handsprings, but they do have a lot of deductions. There are smaller deductions that she can try to fix. Artistry, lack of high releve throughout the routine.

 

[Kcanflip]

Totally following this post. My level 4 DD is in the same boat. Practice meet before season started got an 8.5 and since then an 8.150 then an 8.0. Eeek! I think it's lack of tightness in general with mine, which correlates to less than straight legs and less than totally pointed toes and loosey goosey arms (not a tight crown position). I've also been told with mine the levers in and out important as well as leap and jump heights and the high releve. Yours is definitely solid as far as skills go! But like with mine, the little things will add up quickly.

 

[GlobalNomad]

It does seem like people are noticing errors in the routine - arms in the wrong place, no levers, missing pliés, etc. If your dd didn't see anything wrong, and no one on her team is scoring well, I would have concerns that the routine had not been taught carefully. When I show my dd a video of herself, it's usually the opposite. Even when I think it's perfect, she can see some flaw.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Remember: in these compulsories that every movement needs to be (or at least appear to be) intentional. !

This the routines at this level are very specific. Movements need to be at the right spot in the music. Arms just so, feet just so,handstand for the right amount of time (2 secs I believe), leap a certain degree, transitions and connections need to just so. Lots of little deductions.

It might help to do a search and watch some high 9 score routines on you tube.