I need to learn a kip..? And help with Level 4 vault?

[Alphaomega77]

I just started working on bars. for the first time EVER. I can't do a pike well AT ALL. so do you have any tips? i'm FAR from a kip but i go to competition in 1 and a half months. are there any tips for at home practice?

I'm scared to do a front handspring on the vault. While doing a handstand flatback on a mat, i don't jump up, i just go straight for the mat. my hands touch the mat, and my feet aren't even in the air. They're like halfway there. so, are there any tips you have? PLEASE HELP. it's urgent.

 

[CoachTodd]

Level 4 vault basics:
( you don't "Jump" off of a springboard. You punch the board and it sends you through the air)

1. The run. Your last 3 steps need to be your best. These 3 control the power you get onto the board
2. The hurdle. Your hurdle should be low and fast. This is where you would start your arm circle.
3. Punch the spring board. You should be trying to push the spring board forward with your feet so the rebound gives you a strong heel drive. This is what gets you do the handstand without piking. You should be in the process of bringing your arms to your ears. Your feet should be in front of your hips and you shoulders should be above your hips.
4. The flight phase. Don't think about the mat once you've hit the board. While leaving the board, bring your arms to your ears and squeeze your entire body straight. If you hit the board correctly, you will flip to a handstand. If you are thinking about putting your hands on the mat, you will usually reach down or pike down.
5. Support phase. your hands should touch the mat with your body at an angle that will let you bounce to...
6. fall flat on your back and look at the ceiling.

Most beginners try to get their flip on vault to happen by dropping their chest down instead of bringing their feet up. Punch to layouts either flat on your back on a mat stack or into the pit are great drills for this.
Try to focus on what part of your body needs to be going up instead of the part that is going down.

For the kip, lots of toe touches, and jumps to support. Tons of glides. A kip is all about the timing. Make sure you are always pushing the bar away from the direction you want to go. i.e. when you want to go up, push the bar down. There are tons of drills for kips. I think the best way is to work with a coach that can help you with the timing of it all.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

If you can't do a pike "at all", you're going to need a lot of stomach strength work to be able to do a kip. You may not get a kip in a month and a half - it takes some people 6 months, others a year, and others only one or two months. But in general, it takes quite a while to get one. For stomach strength you can do lots of v-ups, leg lifts on a bar, crunches, and hanging from the bar in a pike without moving.