WAG Springs on the springboard

[Muddlethru]

From reading previous posts, it appears the number of springs used in a springboard is based on several factors. My daughter is an L9, about 85 lbs. She has been using 6 springs since L7 til L9 to do her yurchenko at her previous gym. Her new gym uses 4 springs for everyone and that is now what she is using. She said it is a lot easier. Can someone explain the benefit or disadvantage, if any, of using more (or less) springs? Is it better to use less springs and gradually increase the springs or get used to more springs from the start?

 

[gymdog]

4 springs seems low unless they have a very hard board for some reason...I find that strange. 6 is pretty common though. If they have good vaulters I guess there's a reason. Anyway, more springs is more potential energy, but it can't really be accessed if you can't hit the board hard enough (with enough force).

 

[gymdog]

For further reference, my preteam can accurately vault with 5 springs in an average board. 4 is okay for them too, but 5 is fine. Not a 4-5 year old preteam, but 7-9 developmental. The Tac 10 (basketball) boards are generally newer/harder, and we use 4 in that one.

 

[Aussie_coach]

As a generalisation, a lighter gymnasts needs less springs and a heavier gymnast needs more springs to have maximum impact on the board. I use 3 springs a lot for the light gymnasts, 5 springs is the norm with the kids by about 9-11 and I would use 7 when we get to the much more powerful teenagers.

 

[gymgurl]

we all use six from level 4 I think but definitely from level 5,

 

[Muddlethru]

Hmmmm. Maybe my daughter is mistaken about the number of springs in her new gym's springboard. What she is telling me does not make sense based on the responses above. Vault is my daughter's lowest scoring event. And at the new table setting and according to the number of springs she thinks she is using in her new gym she feels she is able to do more and better. But if you get less bounce on 4 springs, I don't understand. My daughter thought the opposite. She said she gets more bounce on the 4 springs instead of the 6 springs she had at her old gym. The only thing that may make sense is what gym dog said about maybe having a brand with a stiffer board like a Tac 10.

 

[gymluvr33]

Your daughter may be right. Having more springs (more potential energy) is only good if you can access that energy. If she doesn't have a lot of power on the board, then having fewer springs would allow her to get more bounce because the springs will, well, spring more.

 

[Muddlethru]

Ok. Gymluvr33 that makes sense to me now. So the next question is IF she does not have enough power to access the energy provided by more springs, is she better off trying to get used to or learning to access power off of a 6 springs or going down to 4 springs would be more beneficial until she can get that power? Also, she is hurdling crooked (twisting a bit) which makes her whole vault crooked. Her current coach is trying to straighten or square her out. Not so sure if she lacks power but maybe be hitting the board in its less springy spot. Vault is beginning to fascinate me. It happens so fast, I really do not know what I am looking at.

 

[gymdog]

I would imagine she should be able to use 5 springs at level 9, but I don't know whether something unusual is going on. Just that is average to be able to use 6 springs at this level.

 

[Muddlethru]

I don't think it is specific to my daughter since the entire L9 in her new gym uses 4 springs and the entire L9 in her former gym uses 6 springs. I was just curious why there is such a difference. My daughter said she vaults better in the new gym.

 

[Aussie_coach]

She will get more bounce on less springs if she is light.