Coaches Piked handstand flatback vault

[Sari]

I'm looking for new drills to fix this problem with a seven-year-old. Tried tons of reverse leg lifts with legs hanging off a block as well as punching drills.

Her vault is otherwise looking good, she has a lot of power coming into the board but something just isn't quite clicking yet.

 

[fuzi]

Is the pike in the flight from board to mat-stack, or is she piking in or after the handstand?

 

[Sari]

In the flight, sorry! Forgot to mention that. She also tends to tuck her legs just enough for it to be noticeable. After her hands contact the mat stack, she's fine.

 

[coachmolly]

How is her run? I am working on this same problem with 2 girls, both struggle with the run (are great runners when a VT isn't in front of them, but add a springboard and they get significantly slower).
Could also be her board position- is she leaning forward as she hits the board?

 

[fuzi]

One of the drills we like to do with our little ones is put a octagon or BHS trainer in front of an 8" mat. The stand on the floor and have to jump over the octagon to land in a handstand on the 8" mat. If they pike, they end up lying on octagon on their stomach. They have to drive their heels and make a straight shape. Once they have mastered that, we let them do it from a couple of steps with a board.

 

[Sari]

How is her run? I am working on this same problem with 2 girls, both struggle with the run (are great runners when a VT isn't in front of them, but add a springboard and they get significantly slower).
Could also be her board position- is she leaning forward as she hits the board?

She's a fast runner. I wish I had taken a video of her vault yesterday but I was coaching two groups at a time and jumping from mat stack to the table and back spotting everyone, haha.

Might be her shape on the board, I'll have to pay attention to that next practice. Hadn't though of that! If it is, what would you do to fix that? Our punching drills including a lot of straight jumps off the board so I know it could only be a problem in translation, so to speak, from drill to actual vaulting.

One of the drills we like to do with our little ones is put a octagon or BHS trainer in front of an 8" mat. The stand on the floor and have to jump over the octagon to land in a handstand on the 8" mat. If they pike, they end up lying on octagon on their stomach. They have to drive their heels and make a straight shape. Once they have mastered that, we let them do it from a couple of steps with a board.

Now if only we had either of those. But just to clarify, they'd jump to handstand, from standing, in a straight shape? Do you use spring floors for this? I'm imagining a lot of face-planting right now and wondering if I'm misunderstanding

 

[fuzi]

She's a fast runner. I wish I had taken a video of her vault yesterday but I was coaching two groups at a time and jumping from mat stack to the table and back spotting everyone, haha.

Might be her shape on the board, I'll have to pay attention to that next practice. Hadn't though of that! If it is, what would you do to fix that? Our punching drills including a lot of straight jumps off the board so I know it could only be a problem in translation, so to speak, from drill to actual vaulting.



Now if only we had either of those. But just to clarify, they'd jump to handstand, from standing, in a straight shape? Do you use spring floors for this? I'm imagining a lot of face-planting right now and wondering if I'm misunderstanding

Let me see if I can find a video!

 

[fuzi]

This should help. I usually have them land on an 8" (20 cm) mat rather than the wedge, but both work. The gymnast in the video are munchkins, so they are starting standing on a raised surface. If they are taller gymnasts, have them start standing on the floor.

As they get better at it, they can do a couple steps "punch" off the floor over the octagon.

 

[Sari]

This should help. I usually have them land on an 8" (20 cm) mat rather than the wedge, but both work. The gymnast in the video are munchkins, so they are starting standing on a raised surface. If they are taller gymnasts, have them start standing on the floor.

As they get better at it, they can do a couple steps "punch" off the floor over the octagon.

Aaaaaaah thank you! That's a lot less dangerous than what I was imagining! I really want an octagon now. I wonder if I could build a station similar to this with what we do have...

 

[fuzi]

We sometimes set it up with one of those back-handspring trainers shaped like "pac-man" turned upside down. You can also use a large "mailbox" shaped mat. If you have any of those...

 

[Redford]

A rolled up floor carpet works perfectly fine for drills like that

 

[Sari]

Hahahaha that's exactly what I was thinking about using!

 

[catou]

I work a lot on the shape on the spring board. If they hit the board with their feet in front of them, it will make them rotate forward so when they get on their hands, they are going to be straight. Gymneo videos (if you have the chance to watch them) explain this really well.

I'm also pretty strict on arms behind the body when they hit the board. Really help for the girls who close their shoulders.

My then head coach also told me she stopped telling her gymnasts to kick their feet towards the ceiling. Cause you can't kick from a straight position, they will actually have to pike to do what we ask them.

A drill I use for the board shape is placing a board with a mat (a folded pannel mat would be good) place on top, with a place to punch a the end of the board, so the mat isn't covering all of it. They start on the mat, one foot in front of the other and then punch on the board. If they punch with their feet in front of them, they will be able to rebond on the mat, which is what we want. I start them with their arms down, and then add an arm circle. Hope I'm clear