WAG Thoughts on the new levels.

[wallinbl]

Both of our L7 do high bar clear hips... and so do our L6 (for the L6, it prevents the "tap" of the feet that drives me CRAZY!)

Are they going to handstand in the high bar clear hip? I do see clear hips on the high bar, but rarely do I see them to handstand on the high bar. The ones I see to handstand are mostly on the low bar.

 

[gymgal]

Are they going to handstand in the high bar clear hip? I do see clear hips on the high bar, but rarely do I see them to handstand on the high bar. The ones I see to handstand are mostly on the low bar.

dd was a L7 last year. I wouldn't say the clear hip hs on high bar was common but certainly not rare. There were several girls at each of the bigger meets we went to who had clear hip hs, giant giant fly away. This was dd's routine as well. I have a feeling this is regional.

 

[Quadqueen]

dd was a L7 last year. I wouldn't say the clear hip hs on high bar was common but certainly not rare. There were several girls at each of the bigger meets we went to who had clear hip hs, giant giant fly away. This was dd's routine as well. I have a feeling this is regional.

I gotcha...just wanted to clarify that I recall raenndrops saying her L7s do the clear hips on high bar in place of giants.

 

[vagymmomma]

DD did giants and HB Clear hip in L7 last year. I recall doing both was pretty common, so imagine it was same this year. The coaches told our gymmies that they needed both if they wanted above a 9.3.

To echo gymgal - clear hips were common on HB, but not necessarily common to HS (I'd say pretty common to within 20 degrees though). 9.2 and above scores generally had either casts or clear hips to handstand though.

 

[Quadqueen]

DD did giants and HB Clear hip in L7 last year. I recall doing both was pretty common, so imagine it was same this year. The coaches told our gymmies that they needed both if they wanted above a 9.3.

Interesting. I didn't see any high bar clear hips at L7 this year, and we had girls scoring over a 9.3...but that could be a regional/scoring difference.

 

[wallinbl]

Interesting. I didn't see any high bar clear hips at L7 this year, and we had girls scoring over a 9.3...but that could be a regional/scoring difference.

Same here. We have several girls that consistently score over 9.5 and their clear hip HS is on the low bar. The ones that score well all get to HS, however.

 

[sleeping judy]

My dd and her group has had a great experience with level 6 this year. They were all kept back from 7 due to various issues (fear, missing skill, injuries) and all of had really strong 6 seasons. It has been nice because they get their optional routines and can focus on working their strengths and new skills and giving them flexibility to put them in their routines if they get stronger.

 

[gracyomalley]

In our region there are a few kids (maybe 10%?) hitting clear hips-HS on either bar - there are also probably 20% of the level 7s NOT gianting....but thankfully there are less L7s doing scary giants this year (maybe the scary giants are happening in L6?). DD coach does not let them giant until they are in good form - and consistent, and going to score better than a clean clear hip routine...we have 6 L7s, 3 do not giant in competition, one of whom is our highest bars scorer 75% of the time...my DD.

I will say I think she's hit a wall with scores...can't break out of the 9.2 range. I think its her fly away coming out of a clear hip instead of a giant - but could be that the judges are just ready to see her giant? (they probably know the girls by now...and she's been "good" at this routine for a year now...). I'm sure ready to see her giant...her coach is ready to see her giant...unfortunately SHE is NOT ready for us to see her giant!

There are also kids doing clear hip to handstand and getting bigger deductions too...certain teams of course are more likely to be doing this....from the bigger cities and likely with strong coaching, early up-training, etc....the strap bar thread did remind me that we had NO bars coach through DD L6 season, and she didn't touch the strap bar until L7....so knowing how she learns stuff, I'm not surprised where she is struggling...

L7 seems almost exactly the same "on top" this year, but I would say there are fewer kids in the 28-33 score range - hopefully those kiddos are enjoying L6. Our L8s are also succeeding with "basic" routines. The ones who are strong are scoring and placing well as first year L8s, the ones who were expected to struggle made state but will repeat. I saw a couple of DB bar dismounts, and one BT on beam in the 2 meets we watched...probably dance and floor upgrades that I don't know about yet - and actually fully half of the L8s doing FHS vaults....maybe why our girls with yurchenkos do so well?

 

[Quadqueen]

In our region there are a few kids (maybe 10%?) hitting clear hips-HS on either bar - there are also probably 20% of the level 7s NOT gianting....but thankfully there are less L7s doing scary giants this year (maybe the scary giants are happening in L6?). DD coach does not let them giant until they are in good form - and consistent, and going to score better than a clean clear hip routine...we have 6 L7s, 3 do not giant in competition, one of whom is our highest bars scorer 75% of the time...my DD.

I will say I think she's hit a wall with scores...can't break out of the 9.2 range. I think its her fly away coming out of a clear hip instead of a giant - but could be that the judges are just ready to see her giant? (they probably know the girls by now...and she's been "good" at this routine for a year now...). I'm sure ready to see her giant...her coach is ready to see her giant...unfortunately SHE is NOT ready for us to see her giant!

There are also kids doing clear hip to handstand and getting bigger deductions too...certain teams of course are more likely to be doing this....from the bigger cities and likely with strong coaching, early up-training, etc....the strap bar thread did remind me that we had NO bars coach through DD L6 season, and she didn't touch the strap bar until L7....so knowing how she learns stuff, I'm not surprised where she is struggling...

L7 seems almost exactly the same "on top" this year, but I would say there are fewer kids in the 28-33 score range - hopefully those kiddos are enjoying L6. Our L8s are also succeeding with "basic" routines. The ones who are strong are scoring and placing well as first year L8s, the ones who were expected to struggle made state but will repeat. I saw a couple of DB bar dismounts, and one BT on beam in the 2 meets we watched...probably dance and floor upgrades that I don't know about yet - and actually fully half of the L8s doing FHS vaults....maybe why our girls with yurchenkos do so well?

Also interesting to me that you're seeing low 9s in L7 without giants. I have heard of this happening (or read here on CB) but I've never seen it in the meets we've been at.

 

[vagymmomma]

I've definitely seen a decent number of low 9s without giants at L7. Not at L8 though (I haven't seen any 9s without a giant). I think they may be taking the not up to level deduction if they don't have it (which is only a couple tenths at most).

 

[wallinbl]

Also interesting to me that you're seeing low 9s in L7 without giants. I have heard of this happening (or read here on CB) but I've never seen it in the meets we've been at.

Those routines are all under 9 from what I've seen. I don't know whether that's related to the "not up to competitive level" thing, or whether these girls just aren't as polished (I don't really have an eye for deductions).

 

[gracyomalley]

Also interesting to me that you're seeing low 9s in L7 without giants. I have heard of this happening (or read here on CB) but I've never seen it in the meets we've been at.

She's got 2 lovely casts to handstand (truely to handstand - could easily pirouette), 2 huge clear hips, and is very tight - so has a 10 start value and then her deductions come from the "littles"...each meet its the flyaway being too low...and at least one other thingy....not always the same one. It really is "odd" that she's not gianting...in practice in December her giants were gorgeous - although she still occ. needed a push on the bootie...coach says its her tap? I think its a combo of her being 4 ft 6 in and sturdy (not long and lean) and her fear/late start to training/drills for giants...and the fact that she doesn't want to give up a 9.2 for a lower score because of a fall...

 

[gracyomalley]

Those routines are all under 9 from what I've seen. I don't know whether that's related to the "not up to competitive level" thing, or whether these girls just aren't as polished (I don't really have an eye for deductions).

level 8s are all gianting as far as I can see - ours are...and the not up to competition deduction starts in L8...

 

[aksaunders]

As far as level 7, routines have been fairly consistent, with not a large variation in skills. Bars is mostly kip, cast, clear hip, squat on, cast, giant (one or two), flyaway. Very few high bar clear hips. Most clear hips are not to handstand, but some are. Rare to see one on the high bar.

I think my DD is doing what you are talking about and if it is, there were very few girls who did their routine on high har.