Level 5 Vault question

[MaryA]

So, the good news is that Kathy got her highest vault score ever (at level 5) on Sunday. The bad news is that it was still only a 7.6. I'm just wondering (out of curiousity... I promise not to make her practice vaulting over the couch or anything) what they are looking for. Another girl on the team had very obviously bent legs going over and she got a 7.5. I thought Kathy looked good... strong and straight. So obvously there's something she's not doing. I do have a video, but it hasn't made its way out of the camera yet (and probably won't until after Christmas, if I had to guess). So just generally, what are the judges looking for in a level 5 vault? And also, when they judge the same vault at level 6 and 7, what MORE are they looking for? I have to admit that as long as the gymnast gets over, has straight legs, and doesn't fall on her face, they all pretty much look the same to me. Which is why I'm not a judge or a coach, but still...

 

[fuzi]

There is a huge deduction in L5 (and 6/7) for failure to leave table by vertical. In other words, as the gymnasts handsprings onto the vault, she should quickly block off the vault table, before her body reaches an upside down vertical position. If she waits until past vertical and closer to horizontal, there is a deduction of up to 1.00. This is the largest deduction other than doing the wrong vault, so this may be a part of her lower vault score.

Other than that, judges are looking for a powerful vault with straight arms and legs (also together), arms stretched fully above the head (no angle in the shoulder) with head in line, speed, height, and a straight direction. There is a deduction of up to .5 for insufficient height, so the ideal vault would pop up off the vault table before landing.

While a spot in Level 5 is a 2.0 deduction, in level 6 or 7, it voids the exercise. The deductions are mostly the same for level 6 and 7, but the judges want to see more power and more height, as the gymnast should be at a higher level.

As a parent, the best thing to do is leave the corrections to her coaches, but hopefully this will help you understand a little better what the judges want to see.

 

[bogwoppit]

Well here is a link to some interesting youtube vids that will help you understand the FHS vault. You may not completely get what they are looking for, but you can compare and see where the decudtions are coming from. The list is huge and so many little things add up to huge deductions.

YouTube - Front Handspring Vault Tutorial - Gymnastics Instruction

YouTube - Front handspring Vault

YouTube - Front Handspring Vault

 

[mariposa]

Vault is one of those big mysteries to me. It is amazing how much is being judged in those few seconds it takes for them to vault. What we see and what a judge sees is usually very different I think. I am expecting my DD to get 7s on vault this season. Her first meet she got an 8, but I can easily see where it will be a big struggle for her, even just mentally. Like I told my DD, you do the same vault for 3 levels. Not all kids figure it out right away, they have plenty of time.

Maybe after the holidays when you post the video, someone can give more insight as to why it scored how it did. I know a really good vault when I see one, but all the rest look basically the same to me, too.

 

[Megley]

I'm not a coach or a judge, just the mom of a child who competed two years at Level 5. With that caveat, I think what they are looking for is (1) body position in both the pre-flight and post-flight and (2) the block off the vault. In other words, they are looking to see whether there is a pike or arch in either the pre or post-flight and to see that the girl is blocking - i.e., hitting the vault with straight arms and using her shoulders to propel herself off the vault.

Look for some high scoring front handspring vaults on youtube. You will see the pop they get from the block and the post flight off the vault will be much longer than it is with girls not blocking much. Many times good vaults will have steps out of them because the power off the vault is hard to control. Hope that helps some. It took my dd two years to finally learn to block and she still is not that great at it.

 

[MaryA]

As a parent, the best thing to do is leave the corrections to her coaches, but hopefully this will help you understand a little better what the judges want to see.

Don't worry... I don't plan on discussing any of this with my daughter. It's just to satisfy my own curiousity.

Thanks for the info!

 

[gympanda]

The other thing that I believe is sometimes confusing to non judges is that there is a larger deduction for a pike (up to .5) than to have bent legs (up to .3). Usually the two go hand in hand, but sometimes you'll have a gymnast with bent legs and flat hips and she will receive an up to .3 deduction in pre-flight & during support (so up to .6), while a gymnast who has perfectly straight legs, but a big pike will receive the up to .5 deduction on both phases (so up to 1.0 total). Often what looks "nicer" might actually be receiving a larger deduction.

I will just reiterate what fuzi said that the angle of repulsion is the largest deduction. But remember when that angle gets larger and larger (and so does that one deduction), it will also add to the too long in support (up to .5) and the height (up to .5), distance (up to .3) and dynamics (up to .3). Not exploding off the vault table can cost you up to 2.6...even if you have straight legs and arms and stick the landing And - those deductions are the same for 5,6 and 7. Often we have no idea what level of front handspring we are judging, so personally I'm not looking for anything different between the levels. The deductions are the same.

 

[fuzi]

The other thing that I believe is sometimes confusing to non judges is that there is a larger deduction for a pike (up to .5) than to have bent legs (up to .3). Usually the two go hand in hand, but sometimes you'll have a gymnast with bent legs and flat hips and she will receive an up to .3 deduction in pre-flight & during support (so up to .6), while a gymnast who has perfectly straight legs, but a big pike will receive the up to .5 deduction on both phases (so up to 1.0 total). Often what looks "nicer" might actually be receiving a larger deduction.

I will just reiterate what fuzi said that the angle of repulsion is the largest deduction. But remember when that angle gets larger and larger (and so does that one deduction), it will also add to the too long in support (up to .5) and the height (up to .5), distance (up to .3) and dynamics (up to .3). Not exploding off the vault table can cost you up to 2.6...even if you have straight legs and arms and stick the landing And - those deductions are the same for 5,6 and 7. Often we have no idea what level of front handspring we are judging, so personally I'm not looking for anything different between the levels. The deductions are the same.

You are very right on adding the pike deduction of up to .5 on all phases. Some gymnasts also perform an arched vault which may look nice, but is an up to 0.3 deduction for each phase. The deductions add up on vault.

 

[UnoMas]

My DD got a 7.85 at her first L5 meet. Like you, I thought it looked much better than that but she definitely does not "explode" or "pop" off the table even though she has straight legs. She really struggles and it may be what holds her back in L5 for another year. She was not great at L4 vault either but usually hovered right around a 9.0 in those scores. The 7 was a big shock!

Hopefully both our DD's will improve!