Hand Placements on vault

[teachrugratswga]

Hi Chalk Bucket:

A few coaches at my gym and myself were discussing where a gymnasts hands should be on the vault table, during a handspring front tuck. My opinion is that they should be closer to the front. (about right after where the curving starts to end) Other coaches thought more towards the end of the vault table. If you are reaching to the end, then I think you would be coming on to high.?

Any opinions or comments for me?

[JBS]

If you are putting them in the front of the table, remember that your gymnasts must fly further to safely land (so they don't hit the table). You could probably get a better block at the front of the table, but I don't really think it matters. I personally teach it in the middle.

Marian Dragulescu easily throws his handspring vault with his hand in the middle of the table. The video is below.

Here's another one in the middle.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

The farther they have to reach before they block, the less block they will get. It partially depends on how far you put the springboard from the table, but my inclination would be to have them put the hands as close to the front as they can reasonably manage. Of course, the gymnast should be accomplishing this quick reach with a fast heel-drive, not by reaching down with the shoulders or piking.

[JBS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoffrey Taucer The farther they have to reach before they block, the less block they will get. It partially depends on how far you put the springboard from the table, but my inclination would be to have them put the hands as close to the front as they can reasonably manage. Of course, the gymnast should be accomplishing this quick reach with a fast heel-drive, not by reaching down with the shoulders or piking.

This is very true. If the gymnast is smaller, they are going to have to block off the front of the table. They will lose too much power reaching way out on the table.

If they are bigger (men especially), I wouldn't pull the board back just to get them onto the front of the table.

As GT said, it's all about the quick pre flight with a strong heel drive. Where ever there hands end up is fine with me if the pre flight is correct.

I said I teach the middle, but I don't really teach the hands. I teach the heel drive and block. If they are reaching to a spot that is not working, then I will start adjusting the hand placement.

Since I'm rambling, I'll make my view clear. I would not teach them to reach to the end of the table. I teach the correct pre flight which should put them somewhere from the middle to front of the table.

[teachrugratswga]

Thank you both. Very helpful!! That is just what I was looking for.

[hammy]

I did a Yurchanko half on front off vault and I usually had my hands around the middle. I orginally learned a front front vault on the old horse so I really only had one choice of where to put my hands. When i did the vault I always tried to get my hands to the vault as quick as possible (either the middle or front areas) and heal drive, heal drive, heal drive...oh yeah-quick block too.

[gym law mom]

Well, just to give you a young gymnast's input I asked my 10 yo who loves to vault. She said she is taught to place her hands toward the middle of the vault table and that is where she feels most comfortable. She spent close to an hour at practice working on getting her hands there on her Yurchenko. Says if she "messes up" she would rather go towards the back of the vault----hitting it too far on the front is a little scary per her since its very hard to get a good block and may not even clear the vault.