Coaches when to do heel drive from springboard

[twinklytoes9468]

I have been trying to take development gymnasts right back to relearn vaulting basics for handspring vaults which were dreadfully pikey going on and dreadfully archy going off .
so far worked on run up (still a work in progress-but getting better) hurdle and armswing and landing on board leaning backwards.I am seeing a vast improvement already.Next thging to focus on is heel drive
The question I would like to ask is about heel drive.Do they initiate heel drive as the board deconpresses or after they have left the board? I was always a bad vaulter myself so mistrust my instinct!

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Just depends on the technique you use / like. I prefer heel drive during the block but only from slight pike/hollow to straight. In other words, I do not teach heel drive from the springboard.

 

[coachmolly]

After some things I read here, I stopped working on heel drive. I think it was a coach here who said if the kid runs fast, hits the board correctly, and stays tight- the handspring kind of happen. So we have been instead working on faster runs, hitting the board correctly- feet in front, arms down, quick arm swing as they jump, and a tight body! It's pretty amazing how many massive pikes we have gotten rid of without a mention of heel drive.
Most of our girls with very piked vaults all have the same mistakes- leaning far forward on the board (I explain this to them as them putting their hands directly down on the vault and essentially doing a piked press handstand up) and not enough body tension.

 

[twinklytoes9468]

Thanks for your interesting replies.
Molly- Do you think reaching for the vault is a fear thing? How did you get past that?

 

[coachmolly]

Thanks for your interesting replies.
Molly- Do you think reaching for the vault is a fear thing? How did you get past that?

I think for some kids it is, for others it's just instinct- they know they want their hands to touch the vault so why wouldn't they reach straight for it? Obviously you know that's not the case, but it makes sense to little ones. I've also noticed that it seems to be more of a problem with my less powerful athletes. Sometimes showing them how the mechanics of vault actually work is enough- using a prop or a smaller gymnast is good. But for some kids putting that into action is much harder- especially if they have been doing the vault incorrectly for a while.
I do a lot of hand spotting on vault when they are younger/lower level kids, I know not all coaches agree with that, but it's what I've found to work. Often I will have an arm out in front of the vault and tell the kids they need to go up and over it. I'm also prepared to jump in and spot with that approach- or move my arm out of the way.
I've also put blocks in between the board and a mat stack (level 3 vault in the US) that are just slightly higher than the mats to prevent leaning. I spot these heavily for at least the first few attempts, some kids pick up on it right away, others I am still spotting months down the road. I try to use softer/more squishy mats so if they do clip it with a hand it will just bend.
I'm sure some of the more experienced coaches will have even better suggestions, I am interested in hearing them as well. I find vault to be one of the most challenging events, especially for younger kids.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

After some things I read here, I stopped working on heel drive. I think it was a coach here who said if the kid runs fast, hits the board correctly, and stays tight- the handspring kind of happen. So we have been instead working on faster runs, hitting the board correctly- feet in front, arms down, quick arm swing as they jump, and a tight body! It's pretty amazing how many massive pikes we have gotten rid of without a mention of heel drive.
Most of our girls with very piked vaults all have the same mistakes- leaning far forward on the board (I explain this to them as them putting their hands directly down on the vault and essentially doing a piked press handstand up) and not enough body tension.

yes, and once the tight vault is mastered you can add the little heel drive during the block to straight. This will enhance the block, not create the block. many people use heel drive to create, if you do this you are relying on the heel drive alone to create block, if you teach a non drive vault first they will all get the block and have better entries because it does not work without it. It takes longer to get the tight block, but in the long run you will have a better block.