Parents Vault into pit?

[mom2newgymnast]

This is just a curiosity question really.. when you see a gymnast on instagram/youtube/etc that is doing a yurchenko full or 1.5 into a pit (and they are just learning the vault), how close is that to landing a vault onto a mat? You know the ones where they say "Got my 1.5 today!!" but it's into a pit that just seems much different than a normal landing..

My daughter's gym doesn't have a vault pit (they do have a trainer into a pit, but she doesn't like twisting off it apparently). It just made me wonder about the difference between learning a harder vault without a pit and with one. It's definitely not been easy for her..

 

[estamey21]

The pit is an amazing training tool because it offers both physical safety and psychological safety for the gymnast. Most of the time, when you're landing in the pit (or on a mat that's in the pit), the landing surface is "below sea level"—so to speak. Even if the landing surface is level with the floor, the de facto landing surface is much lower due to the squish factor. Eventually, you stack the mats in such a way that it reasonably resembles a "real" landing surface. Hopefully you have been training "timers" (the skill minus the dangerous bits) on the real equipment while working in the pit, so that the transition from pit to real equipment is tolerable. Unfortunately, no matter how much you prepare, moving away from the pit is often terrifying. You can have very different looking vaults into the pit and onto the floor due to the mental challenge of gymnastics.

So the short answer to your question is: pit vaulting is a very different experience than regular vaulting, even when landing mats are stacked high. It is a wonderful tool to have at your disposal because it gives gymnasts the opportunity to increase the number of reps while minimizing the risk of acute or long-term injury.

BTW, it's common to see upper-level gymnasts train on soft surfaces. Even if a gymnast can do an advanced skill safely and consistently on the "real" equipment, they typically train on soft mats to limit wear-and-tear. (Gymnastics is very unforgiving on the joints.)

In any case, it will be hard to tell where an athlete is in her training journey based on a short YouTube video. Plus, there really isn't such a thing as "getting" a gymnastics skill. It's not like riding a bike. It's more like riding the stock market index.

 

[Kolabola29]

“Plus, there really isn't such a thing as "getting" a gymnastics skill. It's not like riding a bike. It's more like riding the stock market index.“

Best description I’ve heard—doing a skill in a practice is awesome! But “getting it” only works if it is consistently practiced and actually done, especially at higher levels. At lower levels, you might “get” your kip and have it from then on out. But a beam series? Lord help me if my kid hasn’t newly “gotten” her BHS BHS series at least three times over the past year.

 

[LCsMom]

This is just a curiosity question really.. when you see a gymnast on instagram/youtube/etc that is doing a yurchenko full or 1.5 into a pit (and they are just learning the vault), how close is that to landing a vault onto a mat? You know the ones where they say "Got my 1.5 today!!" but it's into a pit that just seems much different than a normal landing..

My daughter's gym doesn't have a vault pit (they do have a trainer into a pit, but she doesn't like twisting off it apparently). It just made me wonder about the difference between learning a harder vault without a pit and with one. It's definitely not been easy for her..

You'd have to look at their rotation and where their feet are in relation to where the mat would be at the end of it to determine that. My kid learned to land the tsuk gradually, first into the pit, then onto one mat situated in the pit, then another mat on top of that one, until it was competition height. The coach could tell when she was ready for the next mat.

Training into a pit definitely made it easier to learn the harder vault skill.

 

[LCsMom]

“Plus, there really isn't such a thing as "getting" a gymnastics skill. It's not like riding a bike. It's more like riding the stock market index.“

Best description I’ve heard—doing a skill in a practice is awesome! But “getting it” only works if it is consistently practiced and actually done, especially at higher levels. At lower levels, you might “get” your kip and have it from then on out. But a beam series? Lord help me if my kid hasn’t newly “gotten” her BHS BHS series at least three times over the past year.

Seriously.....I keep telling mine I have video proof that she can connect the BHS BHS. She switched to BHS to back tuck because it was "easier" and she still hesitates! But last year she buckled down and connected it for Regionals....so it's there somewhere.