Level 7 Floor routines USAG

[gym monkeys mom]

My gymie is level 7 and competes USAG. We are wondering if it would be better to do a full or layout on her first tumbuling pass. She is currently doing for her first pass RO BHS FULL and the third pass is RO BHS LAYOUT. Her full is good probably better than her layout but, is only scoring low 8's. Any advice on if her current one is ok or if she should do RO BHS LAYOUT and third do RO BHS TUCK OPEN.

[lannamavity]

While it's cool she's doing a full, it gets her nothing extra, and while the judges really can't take more deductions on the layout than other skills, they are comparing her layout to other level 7's in the meet, not her full.

If her layout is decent, the full/layout issue may not be the problem if she is only scoring 8's. Artistry? Execution?

[kristilyn73]

my DD competes with a Full on floor in Level 7. I dont see very many of them out there. I think the full is good to compete with because they will need it for Level 8. And the longer they practice it the better it gets.

DD is actually standing up Full and a half right now. she is hoping for a double full by level 8!

Good luck!

[gym law mom]

My L7 gymmie is doing the RO-BHS-tuck, RO-BHS-layout and front handspring-front tuck in her routines. Those are easy passes for her and I think it works well and gives her more time to concentrate on her dance and the leap/jump series and 1.5 turn where she has never been as strong. She can throw fulls on floor that are pretty good and is doing her 1.5 on tumble track. Her coach wants to change the front handspring-tuck to fronthandspring-layout for states since its looking so good now. Our previous gym didn't pay all that much attention to proper front tumbling and now that she's had someone work on good technique its really improving.
She has been scoring in the low 9s with the simpler tumbling and this is a kid who did not like floor at all as a compulsory. Actually, the routine is rather heavy with dance, so she is being challenged getting the dance elements better each time.

[kristilyn73]

Sounds like things are going well!

Great job!

[coachamyamerican]

as a coach and a mommy I have to agree... might want simpler tumbling passes to show off the dance and artistry. I actually had 2 judges tell me that my girls were scoring lower because their dance didn't have the same difficulty as their tumbling and vice versa. Is she doing 1.5 turns? (one at least) How about leap series? Connected? How about a round off straddle? That is a "B" element as well and gives you as much credit as a full. Just have her coach look at her elements again. We even re-did a whole routine 2 weeks ago for one of our level 8's since it was scoring mid 8's. Last week - scored a 9.6. Just gotta find the right combo to fit the girl and please the judges! Good luck!

[gym monkeys mom]

Yeah! Her routine scored very well in WI this last weekend 9.1 on floor that is a great score for her. She had a great weekend scored 34.75 AA unfortunatly for her it is .25 away from the MN State qualifing score. She does do a round off straddle jump and also does have a one and a half full turn. Her leap series is the weakest element for her she does a split leap tuck jump but, can connect it. She is working hard. We have another meet this weekend and hopes to score a 35AA however our home stae is tougher it seems. Thanks for all the good posts

[LemonLime]

I suppose it depends on what the point of the routine is. Are you trying to score best or be progressive?

At Level 7, there are only two tumbling passes required. If a gymnast is doing a third pass at all (most do, I know), that third pass better not take any deductions becuase you get nothing for doing it. My dd is not a L7 but her gym only has two tumbling passes for L7 and the girls rarely score below a 9.5 on floor and there are twelve of them in that level.

Of course, what I say above is not progressive. Any time you are getting used to the stamina of three passes or competing more difficulty tumbling, the better. As there are no composition deductions at Level 7, it generally is pointless otherwise to compete a full unless 1) you do 3 passes at your gym so you must do something and 2) the full is a better quality pass than a tuck for the particular gymnast. Most gymnasts will take deductions on a full for piking it down or for initiating the twist early. It is NOT an easy pass to go clean on unlike a layout.

What order you do the passes should again look to quality. If the full is better at the beginning, do it at the beginning. There IS a reason to do it at the end in Level 8 and up. At Level 8, it can help with composition and at Level 9, it would be a B dismount which is minimally required.

Nearly everything I say ONLY applies to Level 7. Once you hit L8 and up, composition comes into play and the criteria shifts - especially at states/regionals/westerns/easterns/Jo nationals.

[kristilyn73]

I agree with gym monkeys mom, I also have a L7 in Minnesota.

Our State seems to be a tougher judged state. We have traveled to other states and always seem to score higher on all events.

35.0 is a tough state score, My DD is competing her second year as a L7 She made state last year, but I am not sure if she can do it this year. She only has 4 more meets to do it.

I wish you and your DD luck gym monkeys mom!

Are you at the Winter Carnival this weekend! it is a big meet. This is the meet my DD got her state score last year, we are hopin for 2 years in a row.

[gym monkeys mom]

Yes, we are at Winter carnival this weekend. We are in the session of Level 7's on Sunday. I always like Sunday better than Saturday am. Good Luck to your daughter as well. Early am is never good for her. It is ironic that MN State High School gymnastics is at Roy Wilkins this weekend. I guess it is a big gymnastics weekend for the River Center. Hope all goes well.